The Big Melt
Nov 20th, 2005 at 7:40 am by Susie
Don’t worry your pretty little head about it. John Stossel assures me it’s all liberal hysteria:
Greenland’s glaciers have begun to race towards the ocean, leading scientists to predict that the vast island’s ice cap is approaching irreversible meltdown, The Independent on Sunday can reveal.
Research to be published in a few days’ time shows how glaciers that have been stable for centuries have started to shrink dramatically as temperatures in the Arctic have soared with global warming. On top of this, record amounts of the ice cap’s surface turned to water this summer.
The two developments - the most alarming manifestations of climate change to date - suggest that the ice cap is melting far more rapidly than scientists had thought, with immense consequences for civilisation and the planet. Its complete disappearance would raise the levels of the world’s seas by 20 feet, spelling inundation for London and other coastal cities around the globe, along with much of low-lying countries such as Bangladesh.
More immediately, the vast amount of fresh water discharged into the ocean as the ice melts threatens to shut down the Gulf Stream, which protects Britain and the rest of northern Europe from a freezing climate like that of Labrador.
Coolies!! Since we’re all supposed to be living in alternate-reality world now, I’m calling Dennis Quaid to make sure he comes to rescue me when the whole northern hemisphere freezes solid.
“I’ll be in the New York City Public Library, please come get me!”
Sigh.
But they can all move to Alaska, which seems to be getting warmer!
Actually, the change in the global climate is already a problem for the UK. Seems the cold air mass from the east used to protect the Isles from severe winter storms most of the time. Now the cold air mass is staying further east, and the UK and Ireland are expected to be more exposed to severe weather from the Atlantic.
With all the thawing in Alaska, I won’t be surprised if it eventually turns into a marsh.
If the oceans continue to rise and Alaska continues to sink then soon the largest state will become one of the smallest.