We just lost a large chunk of ice

[T@T]

A chunk of ice 18 square kilometers has broken off a Canadian ice shelf in the Arctic.

But remember folks, global warming is just a myth.

http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/americ....ap/index.html

[mykalberta]

Of course its not a myth.

What is in question is the % effect of GHG. And wheter or not this would have happened without it and if so if it would have happened later.

[Ford Prefect]

I can't wait until one of the ice caps basically splits in half and causes a pole shift.

[T@T]

Originally Posted by Ford Prefect

I can't wait until one of the ice caps basically splits in half and causes a pole shift.

Why, are you suicidal?

[HotHotHeat]

Can we start another thread that debates global warming? Please?

Ice cracks. Deal with it.

[llama64]

Originally Posted by T@T

Why, are you suicidal?

Why would a pole shift be dangerous? We'd have to rework our compasses, but otherwise there probably won't be much else that happens as a result.

[GoinAllTheWay]

nm

[troutman]

I think the magnetic pole moves all the time, and the polarity has reversed a few times in Earth's history.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_Magnetic_Pole

As of 2005 it was located at approximately 79.74° N 71.78° W, off the northwest coast of Greenland,[11] but it is now drifting away from North America and toward Siberia.

Over geological timescales, the orientation of Earth's magnetic field (and that of other planets) can flip over, so that magnetic north becomes magnetic south and vice versa – an event known as a geomagnetic reversal. The Earth's magnetic field has done this repeatedly throughout history. It is thought that reversals occur when the circulation of liquid nickel/iron in the Earth's outer core is disrupted and then reestablishes itself in the opposite direction. It is not known what causes these disruptions. Evidence of geomagnetic reversals can be seen at mid-ocean ridges where tectonic plates move apart and the sea bed is filled in with magma. As the magma seeps out of the mantle the magnetic particles contained within it are oriented in the direction of the magnetic field at the time the magma cools and solidifies.

[COGENT]

Originally Posted by HotHotHeat

Can we start another thread that debates global warming? Please?

Ice cracks. Deal with it.

HEAT causes ice to crack. If we continue to think like you, we will certainly have to "deal" with it.

[Ozy_Flame]

Meh, Ice breaks off all the time. The thing I'm worried about in that article is the lack of ice formation in the winter months; that does scare me somewhat.

[BlackArcher101]

Originally Posted by COGENT

HEAT causes ice to crack. If we continue to think like you, we will certainly have to "deal" with it.

Fluctuations in temperature causes ice to crack, not just heat. But guess what? Ice has been cracking and breaking off long before the industrial age.

[COGENT]

Originally Posted by Ozy_Flame

Meh, Ice breaks off all the time. The thing I'm worried about in that article is the lack of ice formation in the winter months; that does scare me somewhat.

Originally Posted by BlackArcher101

Fluctuations in temperature causes ice to crack, not just heat. But guess what? Ice has been cracking and breaking off long before the industrial age.

Fair enough. Can't argue with that.

[T@T]

Originally Posted by llama64

Why would a pole shift be dangerous? We'd have to rework our compasses, but otherwise there probably won't be much else that happens as a result.

Assuming the way you want it to happen is quick it would be very destructive.

"Intensely violent earthquakes would affect virtually the whole planet. Volcanic gas, ash and debris would fill the atmosphere. Huge tsunamis would crash into coastlines around the world."

http://www.americanchronicle.com/articles/13364

[T@T]

Originally Posted by BlackArcher101

Fluctuations in temperature causes ice to crack, not just heat. But guess what? Ice has been cracking and breaking off long before the industrial age.

Yes ice has always broken off but theres a big difference now, it's not being replaced with new ice.

Read the article:
"Many scientists now believe that the Arctic will have ice-free summers by 2013"
"Event consistent with theory that the current Arctic climate isn't rebuilding ice sheets"

[Traditional_Ale]

[OilKiller]

Originally Posted by fotze

Hey baby, let me introduce you to a groovy concept known as a pole shift.

Fotze always finds the best in everything.

[BlackArcher101]

Originally Posted by T@T

Yes ice has always broken off but theres a big difference now, it's not being replaced with new ice.

Oh yes, I agree 100%. Even glaciers are not forming new ice. Very concerning. I just stated that because it always seems like the ideology is "OMG ICE BROKE OFF!! WERE DOOMED". There's two sides to this.

[fredr123]

I sent that link to a friend of mine. Here's his response. I don't know what to think of it but I have to admit, I never saw it from that perspective before.

Actually, something may be right. I've often wondered if global warming might actually be positive. It could be positive for Canada. It will open up shipping routes, increase access to resources in the far North, increase the amount of arable land. (although it may have an adverse affect on some land that is currently being used, such as forcing more of Alberta to irrigate.) Changes in the world's climate have happened countless times before and evidence seems to indicate that the Earth has been a more productive place supporting a larger total biomass during its warmer periods.

Some people seem to have the idea that global warming, at some point, is going to just run away and turn the Earth into an oven overnight. Will it really happen so fast that we can't adjust to it? It's more likely that we'll see a couple degrees increase per decade at most. The good farmland might shift in position, but will there really be less of it? Coastal populations might have to gradually move inland and there might be less total land in currently inhabited latitudes, but will the increased amount of useful land toward the poles not compensate? Will increased temperatures not increase the productivity of the ocean as well? I'm really not convinced that global warming is bad based purely on the "change is bad" argument a lot of people commonly put forward.

I think large, sudden changes are the real threat. Another big Krakatoa-like event could plunge civilization into chaos as easily as a large meteor strike. We know events like this are going to happen sooner or later. It's only a matter of when. Why the doom-and-gloom crowd hasn't glommed onto this and started pushing for intensive study of mega-eruption prediction and prevention, I don't know.

[REDVAN]

Global warming is going to happen and I am of the opinion that there is nothing we can do to stop it, so we should just do our best to deal with it. And before some tree-huggers decide to tell me I don't know what I am talking about, yes I do.

That being said, 18km^2 breaking off is interesting. I didn't read the article, and I am not quite sure of legal rights, but does that mean Canada just lost 18km^2 of "land". I doubt the ice is included in our landmass, but it sucks if it is.

Global warming happens, ice breaking off happens. Are they connected? I don't think you need global warming for ice to break, but maybe it helps. Doesn't make it doomsday.

[troutman]

Originally Posted by fredr123

I sent that link to a friend of mine. Here's his response. I don't know what to think of it but I have to admit, I never saw it from that perspective before.

Wine producers in the Okanagan are happy about global warming.