two 300 words essay+2 paragraph reflection
1. Find 2 scientific articles (with opposing viewpoints) which address the above question and post a 250 word summary on each.
Article 1: Evidence of glacial retreat due to climate change
According to the National Snow & Ice Data Center, glaciers have been receding since around 1760 and are predicted to completely vanish within the next few decades. They attribute this to the 40% increase in carbon dioxide in our atmosphere, caused by emissions from human activities like transportation and industry. Coal, petroleum, and other fossil fuels like methane are trapping heat in the atmosphere (greenhouse gases), which are causing glacial retreat. Other human activities like farming and the burning of forests are also attributed to glacial retreat (National Snow & Ice Data Center).
The article cites that evidence of glacial retreat can be found in the cores of glaciers and ice sheets. Especially important are trapped air bubbles, which contain clues to the history of our atmosphere and historical changes in our climate. Ice cores have provided the evidence of past Ice Ages and may point to how climate might change in the coming years (National Snow & Ice Data Center).
The article cites two specific examples of glacial retreat. In the Himalayan Mountains of Bhutan, lakes have appeared and the glaciers have been receding in past decades. As well, the Gangotri Glacier in the Uttarkashi District of Garwhal Himalaya has receded over 850 meters in 25 years. Its retreat began in 1780 and markedly sped up after 1971 (National Snow & Ice Data Center).
Article 2: Non-human causes are implicated in glacial melt
I had difficulty finding a scientific article disproving the human effect on glacial retreat, but I did find one article from Futurism.com covering a report (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site. from Springer Nature Publishing AG, which pointed to non-human related causes for glacial melt.
The point of the article basically states that glacial melting is not solely caused by human activities, but also are caused by "natural factors." By analyzing climate model simulations, researchers tried to determine how much of glacial retreat was caused by man-made global warming, and how much was caused by "natural" variables. The researchers estimated that natural variables are causing from 40-50 percent of ice melt (Houser).
According to the article, NASA calculates that since 1971, we have lost 21,000 square miles of sea ice, and the ice melt contributes to real consequences like extreme weather, global warming, and rising sea levels. The article ends by stating that regardless of how much human beings are to blame, human beings must try to do something to stop the advancement of glacial melt, due to its world-changing effects (Houser).
2. Which position do you agree with and why?
Article 1 cited evidence that the glaciers are in fact melting (showing two glaciers in the Himalayas) and correlated the rise of human industrial activities with the melting. The evidence is compelling to me, and I am inclined to agree with what seems a worldwide consensus of scientists on the global warming issue.
With Article 2, I was confused by what the writer meant by "natural variables," which sounded a little bit like a loophole. If human beings are contributing to global warming and affecting our atmosphere, then we are in fact "changing" the natural variables at play. We are altering the way the environment works, accelerating glacial melt and chain-reacting the accompanying environmental consequences: extreme weather patterns, sea levels rising, etc.
3. If significant melting is occuring, what might be the global implications?
The global implications of significant melting would be rising sea levels, affecting human habitations and activities worldwide; extreme weather patterns like natural disasters and extreme high and low temperatures; and overall heating-up of the earth's atmosphere.
4. Please provide Google Earth views of the glaciers you have chosen to investigate.
References
National Snow & Ice Data Center. Glaciers and climate change. Retrieved by
https://nsidc.org/cryosphere/glaciers/questions/climate.html
Houser, Kristin. (7 November 2018). Humans Aren’t Solely to Blame for Arctic Ice Melt, Says Report.Futurism.com. Retrieved by https://futurism.com/arctic-ice-melt-causes