Containing
some 90% of the world’s glacial water reserves, Antarctica has long
been thought to be resistant to the melting that has characterized the
ice cap at its opposite Arctic pole.
However, troubling new evidence
indicates that these vast ice sheets could become unstable within this
century and that they have in fact already seen periods of rapid
decline.
Data from a collaborative geological research program
known as ANDRILL, involving scientists from Germany, Italy, New Zealand
and the United States is now indicating that a sea level rise of at
least 61 meters could occur if ice sheets in Antarctica and in Greenland
were to melt completely.
Examining 20 million years of data
from an 1,100-meter long ice core sample, chief US scientist Dr. David
Harwood observed that the ice sheets appear to dynamically increase and
receded over time, while US geologist Dr. Robert DeConto went on to note
the grave implications of current ice instability, saying, “Our models
may be dramatically underestimating how much worse it's going to get….
We're seeing ice retreat faster and more dramatically than any model predicts.”
Drs.
Harwood, DeConto and ANDRILL international colleagues, we appreciate
your detailed work in bringing this factual evidence to light.
Let
us act sustainably now to preserve the Antarctic and all life in our
global ecosphere. Speaking at a November 2009 videoconference in
Washington, D.C., USA, Supreme Master Ching Hai again highlighted the
real urgency of global warming, while also reminding of humanity’s
capacity to halt it.
Supreme Master Ching Hai :
The West Antarctic Ice Shelf is also melting, with 3.3 meter sea level
rises forecast that would threaten cities like your country, New York,
Washington, D.C., and San Francisco. And if all of Antarctica and
Greenland were to melt – meaning the ice – then the sea levels could
rise to as much as 70 meters, which would be deadly or disastrous to
most lives on Earth.
I pray day and night that the divine
manifest in the physical realm and wake up the leaders of our nations,
wake up the religious heads, wake up everybody in time so that they
understand the urgency of our situation, and that they understand the
solution of solving this dangerous crisis that is facing us.
That
is, we have to turn back to our caring and compassionate nature inside
our heart. Being vegan worldwide is the advancement of compassion that
will uplift and unify all cultures, bringing tranquility to humans and
animals alike.
The inner peace that comes from replacing killing
with respect for all life will spread like a wave across the globe,
elevate human hearts, and create a harmonious Eden on Earth. That will
bring us all to a lasting Golden Era.
http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=antarctica-andrill-ice-sheets