Fossil Fuel Burn Linked to Sinking Cities
A recent scientific study, published in the journal science advances, has stated that burning up fossil fuels could lead to the melting of the Antarctic ice-sheet triggering off a rise in sea levels by over 50 meters, which is more than required to sink coastal cities, including New York, Tokyo, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Calcutta, Hamburg, Washington DC to name a few. These cities are home to over a billion people.
The findings are based on detailed computer models that take into account several key factors such as warming air and ocean temperatures, ice flow and potential changes in snowfall. Ricarda Winkelmann from Postdam Institute for Climate Impact Research in Germany, who led this scientific research, proclaimed that it is the first time ever that they had come to comprehend the fact that there is enough fossil fuel to melt all of Antarctica. Burning away fossil fuels such as coal, oil and gas worldwide, would result in melting the complete Antarctic ice-sheet, reports The Guardian.
The Antarctic ice sheet's water capacity is estimated to be equivalent to 58 meters in global sea-level rise. The study warns that in the dire eventuality wherein all fossil fuels are burned, temperatures would rise by over 10C and sea levels would rise by 30cm per decade, leading to drastic climatic changes and devastating events.
As reported by NY City News, Winkelmann reinstates that "This would not happen overnight, but the mind-boggling point is that our actions today are changing the face of planet Earth as we know it, and will continue to do so for tens of thousands of years to come."
