Friday, October 7, 2011


Many conservationists and climate experts have had their eye on Greenland to measure climate changes, and the effect of global warming on ice melt. While most know to associate Greenland with ice, a recent blog post by ecologist Curt Stager highlighted how vast the ice sheet truly is.

"Recent measurements show that there's enough ice in Greenland to build a symmetrical cube measuring roughly 90 miles on a side. It could fill nearly 700,000 cubic miles of volume-space and it covers an area three times the size of Texas." Stager states in the entry.

Despite the good intention of the post, some may discriminate Stager for admitting that the ice may not be melting as some have assumed it is. A fan of an honest opinion myself, I admire the research. That said, I would consult a few opinions before settling on the subject. I do admire Curt's final statement however...

"Despite the relatively slow pace of polar deglaciation, the choice we face today remains clear. If we switch to non-fossil fuels within the next several decades, a fair bit of Arctic ice will likely survive, perhaps along with polar bears and other ice-dependent species. But if we blaze through our remaining fossil fuel reserves, we'll de-ice the polar regions, submerge huge stretches of coast, and cover low-lying islands for thousands of years to come."

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