Perito Moreno Glacier
Image by Marina & Enrique via Flickr

I visited the Perito Moreno glacier in the Argentine Patagonia in 1987 and was shocked at the beauty of the place. As I frequently read that glaciers were disappearing I thought that I could tell my kids as they grow up “I was around when glaciers still existed”. But now I see that I OD on Gore cause the story seems to be more complicated than this. According to a recent study Perito Moreno is not only shrinking but it´s growing at a rate of 3 meters a day! Knowing that my rabid eco readers cannot spit at me as they did to Arrington , at least not as they read this, I am going to risk a comment here. I travel the world and the only places that I have seen that humanity had made quasi inhabitable where Kathmandu and Beijing and that was because of the worst pollution that I have ever experienced. I don´t doubt that we are throwing the most pollution to the atmosphere than we ever did. What I doubt is that we truly know what the consequences of doing this are and especially if they are all bad. Since most land mass is in cold places namely Canada, Greenland and Russia, is it all bad if we do experience some global warming? Can´t biomass increase? Can´t we migrate as we have historically done to formerly colder places should sea level rise? I have no doubt that some consequences of global warming will be bad, but maybe because I am an absurdly optimistic person I can also see how some maybe good.

It´s ok if you spit at your screen now, I know my comments can be disgusting to some. And btw, do visit Perito Moreno, who knows, maybe this magnificent glacier first grows first and then disappears.

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Hendrik Rood on February 4, 2009  · 

Martin,

The big land mass of Canada, Greenland and Russia (Siberia) is partially an optical illusion due to map protection.

Greenland is slightly larger in area than Saudi Arabia.

3.0 rating

Jaime on February 5, 2009  · 

ejejej postea éste en el de español y surgirán ecologistas a doquier

3.0 rating

Marco Mustapic on February 5, 2009  · 

Of course the population could migrate to colder and higher regions, but the problem is the time it takes. You also need to move major infrastructure (water purification plants, ports, factories) and relocate productive land.

Think about the 2004 tsunami in Indonsia, but in the whole world. A rise in the sea level would undoubtedly be less violent than a big wave, but the water would not retreat.

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Elliott on February 5, 2009  · 

Do not be so casual about a small increase in sea level. Most of Florida where I live is at sea level. The highest point in the state is Mount Dora at 184 feet [56 m]!
Although there is much land mass at higher elevations, many major cities are coastal or on deltas [NYC, LA, SF, Miami, Buenos Aires, Rio, Boston, etc.]
Population now is over 6 billion in contrast to prior migrations of thousands or tens of thousands.

3.0 rating

Marco Mustapic on February 5, 2009  · 

I meant a rise in the sea level would be very very bad, major humanitarian crisis in the whole world.

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