A problem of Florida-sized proportions

Arctic sea ice continues to melt at alarming rate

Posted by Andrew Sharpless (Guest Contributor) at 4:26 PM on 20 Sep 2007

Read more about: Arctic | oceans | climate | climate change impacts

A chunk of Arctic sea ice roughly the size of Florida melted in just six days, according to scientists who warn that ice in the region continues to melt at an alarming rate.

Reports are already surfacing of the detrimental effects such rapid habitat loss is having on marine mammals, such as polar bears, which use the ice to hunt and migrate. Most recently scientists have said polar bear populations could drop by 66 percent by mid-century.

Virtually every day there is news about the impacts of climate change on the oceans, from whale deaths due to lack of food, to potential coral destruction; from rising temperatures and increased ocean acidity, to the disappearance of cold water species because of warming ocean temperatures.

The oceans are suffering from climate change. More than ever we all need to do our part to step up and protect them.

For story: A problem of Florida-sized proportions
6 Comments | Post a Comment

Florida-sized Proportions ?

Surely Florida is a piddly little ding-a-ling hanging off America's bloated underbelly
compared with the global scope of the sea level rise that now threatens every coastal city, town & vilage,
as well as the best quarter of productive farmland ?

Regards,

Bill

by Billhook at 5:16 PM on 20 Sep 2007

Over One Million square miles

Roughly 3 times the size of California, that's how much sea ice melted when compared to previous records that day back to the 1930's - why by the way was also a warm spell. I cannot verify that sea ice "the size of Florida" melted in six days, though. Anyway, the ice will start forming again because the sun won't shine much for several months now ... the peak of sea ice is in February and March. Remember, we're measuring the minimum ice pack coverage during the late summer, a highly variable concept.

This is becoming truly alarming. Polar seas are incredible complex, and nobody knows what will happen next. Laurentian cold water to alter the Gulf Stream? Not impossible although highly unlikely. I wish I could say everything is OK, but this is of Biblical proportions. Folks, I think the planet is sick. Time to do something. /sammie

Onward through the fog

by Sam Wells at 8:09 PM on 20 Sep 2007

Wouldn't it be nice if

the trillion dollars spent in Iraq went to billboards and television ads that said things like this? Joe blow does not read anything of value. He watches television. If the ads told Joe Blow what to do, they would backfire. Just tell him what is wrong. The politicians wanting his vote will do whatever it takes to get it.

In the end, it all comes down to biodiversity. Poison Darts--Protecting the biodiversity of our world

by biodiversivist at 8:29 AM on 21 Sep 2007

Fresh Water...mmm....

One of the problems of the Earth prior to the beneficence of Global Heating was lack of fresh water.

Yes, lack. We are just beginning to tap into the motherload supplied by icebergs and permafrost.

This additional water will help quench the Sahara and Arizona deserts and provide clean water to wash away pollution. It's already happening in China.

Texeme.Construct(function(x)=Participation(x))

by jabailo at 10:53 AM on 21 Sep 2007

Melting animation

Here is a video showing Earth's growing bald spot:

http://nsidc.org/news/press/2007_seaiceminimum/images/200 ...

The red ice is the old, strong stuff.

a sibilant intake of breath

by sindark at 12:41 PM on 21 Sep 2007

Oh, Yeah, There's the Ice

Sound Politics points out the rub in this story -- Antarctic ice is at an all time high!!

http://soundpolitics.com/archives/009285.html

The New York Times reports some astonishing news of a changing climate:
Sea ice around Antarctica has seen unusual winter expansions recently, and this week is near a record high.
(it's the very bottom of a story that is mainly about the shrinking of Arctic ice). So how do scientists explain all of this?
scientists acknowledged that both poles were extraordinarily complicated systems of ice, water and land, and that the mix of human and natural influences was not easy to clarify.

Texeme.Construct(function(x)=Participation(x))

by jabailo at 3:14 PM on 21 Sep 2007

ADVERTISING POLICY

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