Greenland’s glaciers are melting for a simple reason. Global warming is occurring. Even with much controversy surrounding the subject it is very evident that the effects of the warming is taking place. Melting of ice caps was part of Al Gore and many other scientist’s predictions of what would happen during global warming.
Global warming is the theory which states that due to increased releases of gasses such as CO2, called greenhouse gasses, the average temperature of the planet has increased and will continue to increase as the level of greenhouse gasses does. Humans put out tons of these greenhouse gasses like CO2. Our cars, buildings, electric companies etc. put out a majority of the emissions. We put out such a high number of CO2 that it is costing the planet to get warmer.
The release of CO2 emissions from us that is causing the heat up of the planet is causing a number of effects on the planet. One is that the spread of disease by migrating insects carrying diseases. Strengthened storms and hurricanes, and droughts. The melting of ice caps and glaciers is also an effect of global warming.
The melting of glaciers in places like Greenland are going to cause a series of events on their own. First being the rise of sea levels. When sea levels rise two things will happen. Coastal areas that humans mostly find as resorts and vacation places will be overcome with water and the coasts will become smaller and smaller over time. Then as the coasts shrink, the oceans are expanding. The global ecosystems will be effected. Water ecosystems will have to adapt to more space room and ground ecosystems will have to adapt to having less room. Also, the glaciers are fresh water and with as much fresh water that is going to be put into the ocean the ocean water is going to become less salty and fish that once depended on salt water may die out.
When the ice melts other ecosystems will also be affected more directly. The animals and plants of the arctic and places in cold areas will be endangered. As ice disappears polar bears, arctic foxes, penguins etc. will be seen less and less through out the world and could become extinct.
Overall global warming is and will continue to cause negative things to the planet. One of those things being the melting of ice caps and glaciers. As more and more controversy surrounds the subject less and less is done to fix it and the problem only becomes worse. Greenland’s glaciers are melting as a result to global warming and will continue to disappear until we begin to make the problem disappear.
