Why Are Sea Levels Rising?
What are glaciers and why are they important?
The ice that we have on our planet is pretty much a protective layer that keeps the planet nice and cool. They do this by reflecting excess heat that hits the planet back into space because they are light in colour and don’t absorb the sunlight much.
Glaciers across the globe show scientists how global warming has changed throughout the years. Nowadays, about 10% of the land area on Earth is covered with ice. Most of this land area is in Antarctica, and some is in places such as Greenland.
Why are glaciers melting?
Ever since the early 20th century, a large number of glaciers across the globe have been melting at a very fast rate. “Why?” – you may ask. The answer is simple: humans.
Ever since the industrial revolution (the time where people began to use lots of coal), greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide have been raising temperatures around the world. As a result, glaciers have been melting.
Scientists have said that if we continue to use fossil fuels, in the summertime in 2040, the Arctic could be without any ice at all.
What are the effects of this happening?
Melting glaciers means rising sea levels. This increases the chances of storms as the warm air and water generate coastal storms (hurricanes and typhoons) more often.
If all of the ice on Greenland melted, it would cause global sea levels to rise by 20 feet.
How can I help prevent this from happening?
Simply, you can make a really big difference by reducing your carbon footprint.
In order to do this, we can reduce our greenhouse gas emissions. This could mean, for example, walking or cycling to school instead of being driven. This stops the fumes from the car from being released into the atmosphere.
You may have heard the phrase; “reduce, reuse, recycle” many times and this is because it is extremely important for reducing our carbon footprint. By wasting less, we can help save our planet.
Small things like this can make a big difference in future.
By Carys Fury
Sources:
https://www.worldwildlife.org/pages/why-are-glaciers-and-sea-ice-melting
https://www.ukpower.co.uk/gas_electricity_news/reduce_carbon_footprint
