Global warming has been an issue of great discussion over the past several years. In recent years, it seems that more and more people are becoming concerned with the effects global warming may have on our world. Not only could global warming cause the polar ice caps to melt, it could also be responsible for future droughts which would have a negative impact on agriculture and food production around the world.
Since icebergs are floating, they have already displaced all the water they are going to which means they will not raise sea levels. Ice on land is a different story and may pose serious problems in the future for places like Greenland. In 1996, 22 cu. mi. of Greenland’s ice melted away and this number rose to 53 cu. mi. in 2006 (Kluger, 2006). Since Greenland is an island, if this ice was to completely melt, sea levels would dramatically rise. Rises in sea levels like this could easily cause many coastal regions to be swallowed up. Even though this would only be a small percentage of the world’s land, it could still be millions of square miles.
I am not completely sure whether global warming is a natural or man-made occurrence but either way it is still an issue of great importance. Many people feel that we need to reduce emissions from burning fossil fuels, such as coal and oil. Personally, I think that is a step in the right direction. With our world’s population constantly growing, more and more fossil fuels are being burned. Hopefully, modern advances in technology will continue to develop ways that will decrease our need for fossil fuels.
Please share other thoughts or comments you have relating to global warming and what will happen if the polar ice caps melt.
References:
Kluger, J. (2006, March 26). Global warming heats up. Time. Retrieved July 18, 2010 from http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1176980-6,00.html.
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