Global Warming's Impact on Arctic Ice Explained (Video)

Earlier today, we looked at the fictional story of a polar bear leaving its threatened home in the Arctic to seek out the source of the problem in human civilization -- and yes, that was an advertisement for Nissan's LEAF electric car. But the phenomena it depicted, ice melting and land mass shrinking in the Arctic, is very real. So good thing then that Peter Sinclair has a brand new video out that details how exactly climate change is contributing to the loss of ice in the Arctic -- and why those who claim there's nothing to worry about are dead wrong.Indeed -- the loss of ice in the Arctic accounts for one of the many feedback loops engendered by climate change. It isn't mentioned directly in the video, but the process it entails is: As more ice disappears, it reflects much less sunlight than the water in its place. That sunlight is absorbed, heating the water, and leading to the increased melting of more ice. And on it goes.

In fact, a recent study has just revealed that the Arctic ice cover will be at its lowest point in thousands of years -- the lowest point in all of recent geologic history, in fact.

And Sinclair is right -- this is one of those cases where it's simply ridiculous to deny that this is happening. The Navy is aware that it's happening, and is preparing to handle the security issues that come with a seasonally ice-free Arctic. Multinational corporations are aware as well -- they're planning on utilizing the shipping lanes and newly available land for oil drilling exposed by the receding ice cover. And despite the common claims you may here that the Arctic is gaining ice, well, watch the middle segment of the video again, and you'll see that the ice volume is still in a death-spiral, though the extent had appeared to recover over the last two years.

More on Climate Change and the Arctic
Arctic Melting Triple Threat: Less Winter Ice

Tags: Global Climate Change | Global Warming Effects | United States


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