Greenland Glaciers

An Inconvenient Truth: Investigation Assignment

Has The Flow Of Ice From Glaciers In Greenland More Than Doubled In The Past Decade?

According to a study conducted by NASA investigators ‘Glaciers in west Greenland are melting 100 times faster at their end points beneath the ocean than they are at their surfaces’. This finding is quite devastating as it shows that ocean temperatures have increased so dramatically that they have started to contribute to the speeding up of the melting of some of the world’s most massive glaciers. The results showed that ‘the surface melting of glaciers around Greenland due to warm air temperatures has increased in both magnitude and area, while snowfall has increased just slightly’. This was found to be the cause of warmer waters entering the fjords and causing the melting of the ice. The true result of this is not the doubling but the ‘tripling in the amount of ice mass lost in Greenland between 1996-2007’. The research also stated that ’50-60% of this loss is attributable to a speedup in the flow of outlet glaciers, with the remainder due to increased surface melting’. This is a serious problem for everyone because if the rate of the melting of those glaciers increases even more than the rate it is at now, it may cause dramatic flooding in densely populated areas. The film ‘An Inconvenient Truth’ stated that if we don’t change our ways we would need to change our maps after Greenland melts. [Obtained from www.jpl.nasa.gov/news.cfm?release=2010-050]

So how do we stop this? In terms of technology we have seen dramatic changes made. Electric cars, energy efficient bulbs, wind turbines and solar panels are just a few of the small things we see everyday that can help our planet. But what of the new technology that is said to totally change the way we see ourselves? We have the ability and the brains to go farther than we ever have gone so why has it not been seen. Scientists right now have been developing even more advanced technology to help reduce our energy, such as heat charged phones. There have been some tests done on reducing the greenhouse gas emissions from coal use but most of them are pricy. There is the algae method, which is supposed to capture waste greenhouse gases from the power plants and creating diesel and other fuels from it. However this method only works in the daytime. There is another method by which the separation of purified carbon dioxide from gasified coal is supposed to occur. Other technologies include nuclear, solar and wind power. Japan is also getting a head start on helping the planet. They have joined a Green IT Project in which they have pledged to aim to reduce energy consumption of network components and data centres by more than 30% and they are also experimenting with organic light-emitting diodes to cut power consumption of displays by more than 50%. [www.oecd.org]

But not all of us have the ability to use that technology. So what small changes can we make to our lifestyle? Well first of all, listen to what the scientists are telling you. They say recycle, reuse and reduce for a reason. That reason is that most of the things we throw away can be made into new products or another of itself (such as cans, plastic bottles etc) but when we throw it away we are wasting that perfectly good material. And when we waste we have to produce even more of those materials, releasing more harmful byproducts into the air. Another thing we can do is to properly insulate our home and turn down the temperature so as to reduce our energy emissions. Even turning of the lights or other appliances when they are not in use can largely reduce the amount of energy used. Think of it as a bonus that if you turn down the temperature and reduce your emissions you could save hundreds of dollars a year. There are things you can do outside of the home too such as walking or cycling to work or school. Even taking the bus is better than taking a car and in the long run its cheaper too. Try also taking healthier choices and reducing the amount of plastic bags you use or even the amount o plastic you use in general. If we could all do just a few things, hopefully we will not have to redraw those maps from the flooding that may occur from the glaciers melting but instead we may become more green and be thankful for our wonderful technological evolution [not obtained from a site]