Ice melting much faster than predicted

[Bravus]

http://www.news.com.au/couriermail/story/0,23739,21657945-952,00.html

THE Arctic ice cap is melting much faster than expected and is now about 30 years ahead of predictions made by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, a US ice expert said today.

This means the ocean at the top of the world could be free or nearly free of summer ice by 2020, three decades sooner than the global panel's gloomiest forecast of 2050.

No ice on the Arctic Ocean during summer would be a major spur to global warming, said Ted Scambos, a glaciologist at the National Snow and Ice Centre in Colorado.

"Right now ... the Arctic helps keep the Earth cool," Scambos said in a telephone interview. "Without that Arctic ice, or with much less of it, the Earth will warm much faster."

That is because the ice reflects light and heat; when it is gone, the much darker land or sea will absorb more light and heat, making it more difficult for the planet to cool down, even in winter, he said.

[Dr. Shane]

This could be very good news for the cruise ship industry.

[Bravus]

Totally - specially when they can cruise over what used to be cities

[lazarus]

Nice.

[Dr. Shane]

Yes, the scuba tourism. I didn't even think of that. I have visited old ghost towns in the American west before but imagine visiting an underwater ghost town. It would be like finding the lost city of Atlantis.

WAIT ONE MINUTE!!!!!!

GLOBAL WARMING UPDATE!!!!

Maybe the lost city of Atlantis was lost to global warming at the end of the ice age.

Hmmmmmmm

Maybe the reason Ellen White warns us not to live on the coast is because she saw the results of global warming.

Well at least a lot of Canadian and Siberian farmers will be happy. And the cruise ship and scuba tourism industries.

[olger]

"Maybe the reason Ellen White warns us not to live on the coast is because she saw the results of global warming."

olger

[Dr. Shane]

Seriously though, if we would just stop using toilet paper maybe some of that ice would come back.

[olger]

Exactly

[Tom Wetmore]

Yes, the scuba tourism. I didn't even think of that. I have visited old ghost towns...

There is an element of truth in your ignorant mocking... but just not what you think.

The warming oceans are already showing the devistating effects of a few degrees warmer can have on coral reefs. Yes, a continued rise of just a few more degrees could turn the barrier reefs into ghost towns. The ripple effect of this will break a vital link in the life cycle and food chain of the worlds oceans. And the loss of the coral reefs will virtually destroy diving tourism.

[Dr. Shane]

Who needs coral reefs if we have underwater cities? I do hope they get all the hazardous materials out of those cities before the water covers them up. It would be no fund scuba-diving with hazardous material contaminating the water.

[Planey]

Who needs coral reefs ...

I assumed this was written heavily tongue-in-cheek, Shane.

Persaonally I believe the loss of any coral reefs would be a tragedy. God intended us to be stewards of His Creation, not abusers and despoilers.

Graeme

[bevin]

Ah, don't panic Shane, there really isn't that much soluble toxic stuff in a city - and that which is there will dissolve and get washed away pretty quickly

/Bevin

[Dr. Shane]

Originally Posted By: Shane

Who needs coral reefs ...

I assumed this was written heavily tongue-in-cheek, Shane.

Persaonally I believe the loss of any coral reefs would be a tragedy. God intended us to be stewards of His Creation, not abusers and despoilers.

Graeme

While my comment was TIC, it was aimed at the tourism industry, not creation in general.

[CyberGuy]

I say great news. The only reason the vikings could colonize Greenland was due to a global warming trend that melted Greenland for 300 years. Then it cooled and we went into a little ice age which we are coming out of now. The earth goes through these warming and cooling trends without mans interference. It will warm up and we will get forests all the way up into the artic was it was in Leif Erikson the viking explorer who discovered vineland or North America. The place he discovered was covered with grapes and tall trees. Now that area is barren and to cold to grow trees and grapes. It will once again in a hundred or so years. That is good news with our population needing more land. Maybe we can even get Antartica to warm up enough to put cities down there.

[Neil D]

I say great news. The only reason the vikings could colonize Greenland was due to a global warming trend that melted Greenland for 300 years. [snip].... That is good news with our population needing more land. Maybe we can even get Antartica to warm up enough to put cities down there.

Pity the anartic's penquin and the artic's polar bear...

[Dr. Shane]

I heard polar bear population is growing, but that was on conservative radio so they could have been leaving some of the facts out.

[Neil D]

I heard polar bear population is growing, but that was on conservative radio so they could have been leaving some of the facts out.

Growing? or being sighted more often because of reduced habitat?

I believe it is the latter....Less ice, more bear populations crowded together...More bears together, less natural food supply. Less food supply, bears migrate to where there is food...garbage from the humans will suffice for food. Result, more bear sightings....

Source- either Animal Planet or Discovery channel...don't remember which..