Remember the movie "The Day After Tomorrow"?
The summer thriller where the polar ice caps melt, causing rising oceans which flood coastlines all over the world? Well, it's coming true! Here's the scoop from Time Magazine.
It seems that Arctic ice is melting 5 times faster than expected, and the world's oceans could rise 3 feet by the year 2100--And while that's not as melodramatic as the movie, it means bad news for millions of people from Florida to the Fiji Islands.
For example: About 17 million people in Bangladesh live less than one meter above sea level--some Pacific islands, like Tuvalu, could be swamped--and much of southern Florida could end up underwater.
And the news isn't just bad for humans. The melting Arctic ice could drive polar bears and other species that depend upon sea ice into extinction-- So, why the sudden increase over earlier predictions? The Arctic heats more rapidly than the rest of the planet because when the ice melts, it exposes dark water and rock - and they soak up more heat than snow and ice. The result? A warmer Arctic and more melting.
This means animal populations, like seals who give birth on sea ice, could be reduced by 50% - there will be fewer nesting areas for Artic birds, and without the birds and the seals, the polar bears will have less food. But don't panic just yet.
Although this news sounds scary, scientists believe it'll help spur action to halt global warming. And if proper measures are taken, hopefully the Artic melt will be slowed, if not stopped.
It seems that Arctic ice is melting 5 times faster than expected, and the world's oceans could rise 3 feet by the year 2100--And while that's not as melodramatic as the movie, it means bad news for millions of people from Florida to the Fiji Islands.
For example: About 17 million people in Bangladesh live less than one meter above sea level--some Pacific islands, like Tuvalu, could be swamped--and much of southern Florida could end up underwater.
And the news isn't just bad for humans. The melting Arctic ice could drive polar bears and other species that depend upon sea ice into extinction-- So, why the sudden increase over earlier predictions? The Arctic heats more rapidly than the rest of the planet because when the ice melts, it exposes dark water and rock - and they soak up more heat than snow and ice. The result? A warmer Arctic and more melting.
This means animal populations, like seals who give birth on sea ice, could be reduced by 50% - there will be fewer nesting areas for Artic birds, and without the birds and the seals, the polar bears will have less food. But don't panic just yet.
Although this news sounds scary, scientists believe it'll help spur action to halt global warming. And if proper measures are taken, hopefully the Artic melt will be slowed, if not stopped.
