Earth May Look Like This In 1,000 Years

Here is a bit of history on the planet and it’s recent geology and climate.  It is important to reference this knowledge so we can understand what changes have happened before humans even drove a car:

30,000 years ago, Earth began a relentless descent into winter. Glaciers pushed into what were temperate zones. Ice spread beyond polar seas. New layers of ice accumulated on the vast frozen plateau of Greenland. At three kilometers thick, Greenland’s ice sheet is a monumental formation built over successive ice ages and millions of years. It’s so heavy that it has pushed much of the island down below sea level. And yet, today, scientists have begun to wonder how resilient this ice sheet really is.

Average global temperatures have risen about one degree Celsius since the industrial revolution. They could go up another degree by the end of this century. If Greenland’s ice sheet were to melt, sea levels would rise by over seven meters. That would destroy or threaten the homes and livelihoods of up to a quarter of the world’s population.

With so much at stake, scientists are monitoring Earth’s frozen zones… with satellites, radar flights, and expeditions to drill deep into ice sheets. And they are reconstructing past climates, looking for clues to where Earth might now be headed… not just centuries, but thousands of years in the future.

Periods of melting and freezing, it turns out, are central events in our planet’s history.
That’s been born out by evidence ranging from geological traces of past sea levels… the distribution of fossils… chemical traces that correspond to ocean temperatures, and more.

Going back over two billion years, earth has experienced five major glacial or ice ages. The first, called the Huronian, has been linked to the rise of photosynthesis in primitive organisms. They began to take in carbon dioxide, an important greenhouse gas. That decreased the amount of solar energy trapped by the atmosphere, sending Earth into a deep freeze.

This is absolutely fascinating.  Do you think climate change is real and if so what is the solution?  Or if you disagree feel free to comment.

We hope you enjoy the video.



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19 Comments

  3. Matt Dimbylow said:

    “If the ice sheet on Greenland melted….” Perhaps we should have acted more pragmatically were we built our cities, according to recorded history Greenland was ice free when it was a home to the Vikings.

    Reply
  6. Matt Dimbylow said:

    I think you are right, but the fact remains that during a period of time around a 1000 years ago the climate was a lot more hospitable in areas of Greenland ( though not the whole island)than it is today

    Reply
  7. Scott Worley said:

    Matt, your an idiot. You lie and get caught. Now, you’re trying to convince us of something because, obviously, you know so much.

    Reply
  11. Matt Dimbylow said:

    So Scott. Can you explain the how my description of Ireland’s history over the last 1000 years is incorrect and hence makes me an “idiot” who “knows so much?” How do you know that “I know so much?”

    Reply
  14. Matthew Renner said:

    I don’t like government funded politically motivated crap they try to shove down everyone’s throat. Plants breathe carbon dioxide and give off oxygen. CO2 as a pollutant?? What do you have against plants!? Notice how it went from “the greenhouse effect” to “global warming” and now “climate change”?? That’s because its a bunch of crap, and when it gets proven wrong, or isn’t producing the desired effect on the public they change the name. I do hope you realize that this whole “climatology

    Reply

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