Hearing about the disappearance of the arctic ice caps doesn’t resonate with nearly the same urgency until you realize it will happen in your lifetime.
Just a few years ago, the scientific community thought this would occur in the distant future around 2100, but now researchers are discovering that it is happening at a much faster rate than anyone expected. And the consequences will be devastating.
A study conducted by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration forecasts that 40 percent of the ice cap will have melted by 2050. The National Snow and Ice Data Center predicts that all the ice in the Arctic sea will be depleted by 2030. Both findings are based on computer climate simulations. According to James Overland, NOAA oceanographer, there isn't anything that can be done to reverse this fate because today's existing greenhouse gases will remain in the atmosphere for 50 years or more.
Thursday, September 27, 2007
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