Suck It, Santa: Arctic Circle Really Melting Away

Now wait folks, if we can all just synchronize our window AC units...

Shame on you, Gothamist! I too was mystified by that "alarmist" quotation by the WWF, about rising sea levels due to the Arctic ice cap melting, since even a schoolchild understands displacement, thanks to Archimedes.

Then I searched all of your links. Turns out, Gothamist, that you quoted only partially and out of context, thereby making the World Wildlife Fund look like a bunch of tools. The full quote, below, is – IRONICALLY ENOUGH – about feedback loops and long-term consequences:

“Such a loss of Arctic sea ice cover has recently been assessed to set in motion powerful climate feedbacks which will have an impact far beyond the Arctic itself – self perpetuating cycles, amplifying and accelerating the consequences of global warming. This could lead to flooding affecting one-quarter of the world’s population, substantial increases in greenhouse gas emissions from massive carbon pools and extreme global weather changes" Dr. Sommerkorn said.

Gothamist: that's an embarrassing mistake you've just made, and as a result the good guys now have egg on their faces thanks to you. FIX IT!!!

I really don't believe it's in the power or resources of Gothamist to fix this global warming problem that you think exists.

If the world is going to be flooded in the next few years I would suggest you selling your Corvair and buy a used boat, preferably a sail boat.

This sort of thing drives me nuts.

The melting of ice on the Arctic Ocean will not affect sea levels even a little bit. This has nothing to do with density or the fact that ice bergs are submerged. It's simple displacement.

Yes, but what about the large glaciers that exist on land? That water is gonna need to go somewhere.

entertaining sci-fi book recently out that jumps off from this type of data: Flood by Stephen Baxter. Publishers Weekly: "In an engrossing, daring and occasionally overambitious novel, Baxter (Weaver) narrates the final 42 years of dry land on earth. "

Once again right-winged conservative nutballs deny global exists.

i'm still dry. in your eye!

first of all, the BBC is not a right-wing nut organization. If anything, it's left leaning. AND, the debate is really about whether or not man causing the changes in climate. There is still SERIOUS debate over whether this is true or not. Saying its a "right wing nut" thing is just plain ignorant.

i'm actually a pretty liberal guy, but i'm tired of scientific issues being turned into political ones, which is what has happened with the climate change debate.

the fact that the climate models incorrectly predicted this years temperatures seems to imply their other predictions could be off, doesn't it?

funny how this comes out just days after this article

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/8299079.stm

it seems no one can agree on this stuff....

Why isn't the picture for this a screen from Waterworld.

Come on, guys.

I think there probably should be some kind of contingency plan though. Like building a wall around New York, maybe?

And then we can split from the state (or the country) more easily when the flood comes.

In fact building a wall around New York is just a good idea in general.

We can be New New Orleans.

I just remembered that water expands when it is frozen and most of an iceberg is submerged hence the seas should be falling if the ice melts. Where did these scientists go to school? I feel sorry for the polar bears. Where are the ice flows that they swim to and from going to be?

Well, the falling sea level as less dense ice melts is balanced a bit by thermal expansion of water as it warms, but you're right -melting sea ice won't change sea level much.

It's the melting of glaciers on land, the West Antarctic Ice Sheet, and thermal expansion of the upper layers of the ocean that will raise sea levels.

According to chicken little the sky is falling and should flatten the world by the year 2020.

shame when a vegan meal can change this.

Are you serious? After all that farting, we'll all be taking Carribean Cruise liners to Antarctica.

maybe we can take submarines to work!!

with so much of the arctic ice already melted, where is the higher sea levels right here in new york? i haven't seen any sandbags yet.

Is the Artic Circle off the 1 line in Riverdale?

Marco!

Polo!

pretty much where we are all headed...

http://www.apple.com/trailers/sony_pictures/2012/

It's not all bad...Alaskan cruises will be able to leave from New York!