Global warming is a phenomenon whereby the earth's average temperature increases. Global warming has a devastating effect on the Earth's climate. Scientists are still studying global warming effects, and have not reached a consensus about what will happen in the future. The melting of the polar ice caps and global warming are getting more and more attention lately. If melting glaciers caused by global warming, or it is a natural process - at this moment opinion of scientists and experts is diverge. There are many causes of the melting of the polar ice caps and global warming, some of which are natural. However, the activities of man are responsible for much of the rapid change that scientists are seeing.
Andrew S. Revkin in his article “Global Warming is Eroding Glacial Ice “ raises the issue of global warming, its causes and effects. According to Revkin the most serious consequence of global warming is melting glaciers. He argues that global warming is largely a result of human activity. He states that the melting of glaciers up North could cause an increase in flash floods, endangering the lives of many people and damaging the homes. He writes that according to studies an icecap atop Mount Kilimanjaro, which is more than a thousand years old, will be gone in 15 years or less due to the side effects of global warming. Revkin reports that “Kilimanjaro is one of the clearest signs that global warming trend in the last 50 year may have exceeded typical climate shifts” (414). Other icecaps such as Mount Everest and Swiss Alps are slowly melting as well. He quotes research done by Dr. Lonnie G. Thompson who proved glacier erosion and showed some of the effects it was causing to the North Pole. Dr. Thomson said that “other changes could also be contributing to the glacial shrinkage, but the rising warm zone is probably the biggest influence” (415). Revkin in his article provides statistics, which show that in
Cited: Monte, Morin "SCIENCE FILE; some Feel a Shift in the Weather; A Few Scientists Break with the Mainstream to Link Recent Heat and Drought Episodes with Global Warming." Los Angeles Times: AA.2. Oct 13 2012. Revkin, Andrew “Global Warming is Eroding Glacial Ice “. Santi V. Buscemi, Charlotte Smith. 75 Readings plus. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2009. Print. 413-418 Stott, Philip “Gold Comfort for Global warming”. Santi V. Buscemi, Charlotte Smith. 75 Readings plus. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2013. Print. 394-397