THE ICE IS MELTING

MELTING ICE ON GREENLAND GLACIER

MORE MELTING ICE ON GREENLAND GLACIER

Sometimes one is lucky to be able to catch a glimpse of nature in its raw beauty and changing face.  Two years ago, while flying over Greenland, I glanced out the plane’s window and saw, through a brief opening in the cloud cover, azure-colored lakes on top of the Greenland glaciers.  I grabbed my camera and snapped a few photos.  At the time I did not think much about the pictures, but now I know I captured examples of melting ice—a consequence of man’s contribution to our warming planet.

The scientists are learning that the melting of Greenland is accelerating.  As the temperature rises, large lakes form on the surface of the ice.   I was not aware until reading some scientific journals that the snow on the glaciers of Greenland is no longer blinding white!  It is darkening because of  a variety of causes such as the massive pollution residue from the burning of fossil fuels including coal; an increased amount of soot from enormous wildfires; and dust from drought stricken areas. This situation of polluted particles on the ice has serious implications for global warming because it drops the reflectiveness of the Greenland glacial ice.  I also learned over the weekend even the dust stirred up by the bombing of Syria is causing serious air pollution in that area.  Ultimately that dust has to settle somewhere?  Regarding this topic,  please take a moment to read www.theweathernetwork.com’s article on dark snow.  Many other studies have been published about the ice melt in Greenland and below you can find links to just a few that I have read about the topic of global warming.   

NASA has been doing intensive research in the attempt to try to understand the changes that will be forthcoming because of climate change.  As is known by now, some Republicans who lead in Congress are questioning this research.  They continue to deny scientific consensus that humans are causing a warming of the planet. 

I found the following information unsettling--“Interesting to note that our civilization developed and constructed a very extensive infrastructure during a period of unusual climate stability—the Holocene—which was almost 12,000 years in duration.  The question is raised:  IS THAT PERIOD ABOUT TO END?  in the important following study: “Climate Change and Trace Gases”  Phil. Trans. R. Soc. A (2007) 365, 1925–1954 doi:10.1098/rsta.2007.2052 Published online 18 May 2007 (pubs.giss. nasa.gov)

Other articles and videos that I have read:
“Greenland Is Melting Away”  New York Times by CORAL DAVENPORT, JOSH HANER, LARRY BUCHANAN and DEREK WATKINS

http://www.vice.com/video/greenland-is-melting-bonded-labor-000

ipcc.ch  (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (UNFCC)

“Short Answers to Hard Questions About Climate Change”:  New York Times by Justin Gillis  Nov. 28, 2015

www.livescience.com  “Holocene Epoch:  The Age of Man”  March 27, 2013

qz.com:  Bill Gates:  “Why I’m investing $1 billion of my own money into clean energy research”.  August 3, 2015

Artist website: www.maryloudauray.com