Global warming at its best.
1) What does this mean for us in Barrie? What does it mean for the rest of the World?
2) Is this truly due to global warming or is it just a natural cycle?
3) How might we be able to change our ways to help stop this trend?
4) What potential benefits could arise from this?
http://www.theweathernetwork.com/news/articles/relentless-heat-results-in-new-record-low-arctic-sea-ice-maximum/65618/
MARK THIS ONE: Arctic ice is an extremely key part of our world’s ecology, but unfortunately, it is melting rapidly. Here in Barrie, we will be affected in many ways by this change. Firstly, the weather that defines our seasons will change. As temperatures rise there is a large change in temperature and pressure gradients – which has consequences for winter weather in northern hemisphere. Secondly, the jet stream’s path will likely alter in our direction. This means the weather here will be colder for longer. Thirdly, ocean circulation will likely be disrupted. This means that Barrie will receive even more snow than we already get!
ReplyDeleteAll these changes in our weather and climate will affect all parts of Barrie. We will have to find a way to import more food because we won’t be able to grow as well we did before. Also, the increase in snow could affect our ways of travel; most worryingly, emergency services will take an increasing amount of time.
For the rest of the world, there will be similar effects. The ice in the arctic has a naturally high albedo, but the open water does not. This means less sunlight is reflected, and the planet will absorb more heat - raising atmospheric and ocean temperatures. There will be increased sea levels, due to all the melted ice. Also, there is a fear of increased levels of carbon dioxide and methane. This is because the permafrost will melt and add to our greenhouses gas issues.
I believe that this is the effect of climate change due to the research that has been conducted. In the article provided, Scott Sutherland stated “In the winter, every year prior to 2000 had a maximum extend above the average, while every year from 2004 onward has had a maximum extent lower than average, with the last two years being the lowest maximums on record.” This shows that our effect on the world temperatures has had an impact on the arctic ice.
To stop this trend, we can do the same kind of things we do in an attempt to slow climate change. We can continue to recycle, reduce electricity/fossil fuel use, and reduce deforestation. Anything that is considered green to do will likely be helpful in our attempt to stop this melting.
Although the melting seems all bad, there are some benefits. The most obvious one is that this opening of a year-round ice free Arctic passage between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans would have some commercial benefits. The Times had an article where they stated that “Already, the volume of tourist trips throughout Greenland, Norway, Alaska and Canada have increased rapidly. Killer whales and grey whales are expected to benefit from melting ice, increasing opportunities for whale-watching trips.” These points would be very beneficial for Canada’s economy and society.
Citations:
http://www.carbonbrief.org
http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/environment/article4046987.ece
I completely agree with you Brittany. The effects are worrisome (to say the least) but our lack of change is downright frightening. She mentioned that importing food could become a hassle. I can testify to this, as I went grocery shopping on Thursday March 24th, right when the massive ice storm was taking place. It was the first time that the store had no oranges or Lemons. The more I looked around the more shortages I noticed of fresh fruit. This can be blamed for shipments not coming in due to the extremely poor road conditions from Virginia to Ontario. There may be some small positive impacts, but climate change is a massive con for society. We cannot forget that climate change is worldwide and needs to be addressed as a worldwide issue.
DeleteBrittany brought up some very frightening points. One thing that worries me the most is the effects this will have on wildlife. Already several species are facing extinction due to the melting ice caps. Its really sad that these issues could have been prevented a lot more if humans took care of our earth more.
ReplyDeleteI also agree that the effects are frightening and the change in weather is not a pro. Despite the few positive impacts that the change may cause with whale watching and increased tourism, the change is frightening. I can't remember a winter that has had as many flash freezes and freezing rain events then thaws as this year. And after driving on pure ice last night and witnessing numerous near fatal slips, the increase is very worrying. This isn't just an Ontario problem even though we seem to have some terrible weather; this is a world issue. Climate in all of the world is seeing changes and it needs to be addressed. Society needs to continue to push being green and saving the planet. Without a turn around in our behaviour, we will see even more dramatic changes.
ReplyDeleteClimate change is very worrisome and is definitely already impacting our world today. So many animals living in the arctic are losing their lives or undergoing major struggles to survive due to melting ice. Sea levels are rising faster than expected and it is sad that so many of us are carelessly over-using electricity, not reusing or recycling, contributing to wasteful industries and most countries does not seem to have very strict laws on any of it - considering climate change will seriously affect our generation.
ReplyDeleteMark:
ReplyDeleteWe often go about our daily lives without thinking about all of the issues occurring around the world, or even those occurring within our communities. This is still true for global warming. This is because these issues often don't affect us, just others and we can be blind to these issues occurring. An interesting memory comes to my mind when think about global warming. A certain libertarian representative stated at a school assembly, "how can global warming exist? Have you not seen how cold this winters been?" Well, I have a few words for this certain representative. Though we may not see constant forest fires, coral bleaching, and melting ice caps, we should all know that global warming is still occurring.
For Barrie, some affects of global warming have already started, many of us just don't pick up on them. For instance, the constant fluctuation of water levels in lakes near Barrie and the cottage country district. We will also see strange weather patterns and an increase of precipitation due to rising water levels. For around the world, we will see an increase of ocean temperature which can lead to a large percentage of coral reefs becoming bleached. Strangely enough, we will also see an increase in the spread of certain diseases like malaria. With an increase of temperatures we will also see an increase of forest fires.
The first video in the article depicts an image of only slight change, which may appear not very alarming. However, the statistics we are looking at are only over a short period of time. In the second video, you can see how drastically ice-coverage is dropping in the arctic circle. So it may seem like a natural cycle but realistically the change is occurring because of global warming.
The largest way we can start to make a difference about climate change is to cut back on the amount carbon dioxide we are releasing into our atmosphere. To slow this down we should; Eat locally, be energy efficient, trim your waste, and get involved. These are just the start, there are also several other ways to be considerate about your CO2 emissions.
Though global warming is truly awful, there is one advantage to it. We can see a longer rainy season for crops. This could be good for the economy of some countries but at what cost?
http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Features/GlobalWarming/page6.php
Sam brings up some great points here. Though climate change may have a positive impact on the economy because of longer rainy seasons, it will also be hard on certain countries because we will see a huge influx of migrations. High migrations will affect trades locally and globally. Countries aren't prepared to handle the over population or underpopulation they might receive from climate change. That being said climate change will increase the dispute on drinkable water, and war has boosted economies before.
DeleteI completely agree with Sam and Annabelle. Although we may not notice climate change affecting Barrie, it is still happening. As Sam said, even though we may not see constant forest fires, coral bleaching, and melting ice caps, there are many other things that are affecting us. It is very frightening to hear everything that is going on surrounding climate change and personally i think that people push it away and pretend as if nothing is happening. But realistically, all of the ice in the arctic is melting and that is not all, this is a major problem that needs serious attention from everyone.
DeleteThere are some really good points brought up that are overlooked consistently by everyone. It's getting too far to the point where we might not be able to save the planet from the harm we are causing it, and with all the harm, there are the consequences. Even if we can't see them, forest fires, the water level alterations are all real and present threats.
DeleteMark This One:
ReplyDeleteAs a result of the Arctic ice melting at an increasing rate, the world’s bionomics are suffering. In Barrie, our population can be affected in a few different ways; temperatures will rise, as the weather that our seasons are defined by will shift. This rise in temperature and the physical quantity that describes which direction and at what rate the pressure changes the most rapidly around a particular location will result in extensive negative outcome for particularly the winter weather portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The enlarged amount of snow, and Jetstream, (weather will become colder for a longer period of time) being received can negatively impact the way we live our day-to-day lives. We will most likely need to bring in more food due to the fact that the growing conditions we once had will not be as effective as they once were. Food and other resources that we rely so heavily on will be harder to come by due to the fact that the transportation of these products will be greatly altered. Another thing that is quite frightening as mentioned above is emergency vehicles and services will indeed take a longer time to respond the problem as well as be effective. In the rest of the world, we can expect to see coinciding effects as the sea levels will rise due to all of the melting ice, and increased amounts of carbon dioxide and methane can be expected due to the permafrost (a thick subsurface layer of soil that remains frozen throughout the year, mainly in polar regions) melting and contributing to our already greenhouse gas problem. Water in the arctic does not have a naturally elevated albedo (the proportion of the incident light or radiation that is reflected by a surface) as the ice there does, meaning that there is little sunlight that is being reflected, causing the earth to absorb an increased amount of heat in the ocean and atmospheric temperatures. Most climate models predicted that the Arctic Ocean could be ice-free in summer by the end of this century; an analysis published in 2009 in Geophysical Research Letters suggested it might happen as early as 2037. Some now think it will be sooner. Not to mention all of the wildlife that will suffer and die off due to not being able to adapt to warmer weather, losing their source of shelter, and food as the food chain relies on each other, and of one species dies off it can affect many more. To try to help stop this trend, one of the main things we can do as a whole is remember the three R’s, reduce, reuse, and recycle. If we reduce the amount of fossil fuels and electricity we consume, reuse and recycle as much as we can, we are helping to pursue and end to the melting. Potential benefits that could arise from this problem are the commercial benefits that come from the ice free Arctic passageways between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. Large areas of the Arctic will become suitable for agriculture, as an increasingly early Arctic spring could increase plant growth by up to 25%. This would allow Greenlanders to grow more than the common 100 tonnes of potatoes they manage now. Much more valuable materials will become increasingly accessible. As we know the Arctic is already a huge source of minerals, including zinc in Alaska, gold in Canada, iron in Sweden and nickel in Russia, and plenty more to mine. The Arctic most likely has a large amount of oil and gas. Exploration licences are being distributed across the region, in the United States, Canada, Greenland, Norway and Russia. On April 18th ExxonMobil concluded the terms of a deal with Russia's Rosneft to invest $500 billion in developing offshore reserves, including in Russia's Arctic Kara sea. Oil companies will most likely not want to talk about it, but this is positive feedback from the melt. Climate change caused by burning fossil fuels can allow more Arctic hydrocarbons to be removed and burned.
http://www.economist.com/node/21556798
http://www.climatechange.gc.ca/default.asp?lang=En&n=D27052CE-1
It's quite frightening that some researchers believe the Arctic Ocean could be ice-free by the end of this century. What also bothers me is how some people still don't believe climate change isn't real??? Climate change is a world issue and it is progressing faster than ever before and it comes with a lot of issues that we need to make steps toward to fix. I agree with Mackenzie that the 3 R's are very useful in keeping our earth healthy
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