eli5: Why melting glaciers are existential problem to humanity? or are they?
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Others are pointing out that glaciers themselves aren’t the main problem, which may be true, but it shouldn’t be ovelooked that hundreds of millions of people live near coastlines, and almost all of them will have to deal with rising sea levels by the end of the century. Bangladesh is home to something like 150 million people, and the entire country is just a few meters above sea level. Even a small sea level rise could have enormous impacts on them, forcing millions to move and triggering a refugee crisis like you’ve never seen.
Others are pointing out that glaciers themselves aren’t the main problem, which may be true, but it shouldn’t be ovelooked that hundreds of millions of people live near coastlines, and almost all of them will have to deal with rising sea levels by the end of the century. Bangladesh is home to something like 150 million people, and the entire country is just a few meters above sea level. Even a small sea level rise could have enormous impacts on them, forcing millions to move and triggering a refugee crisis like you’ve never seen.
I’ve never heard the melting of glaciers called an “existential threat” to humanity.
However they are melting and disappearing for a reason, and those reasons are going to affect a LOT more than just glaciers.
But, if we just take the melting glaciers on their own, that will either directly ilor indirectly affect weather and climate world-wide,, mess with sea levels, mess with agriculture, stress ecosystems, cause problems with fresh water supply, displace thousands of cities and hundreds of millions of people, cause wars, create millions of refugees, ruin productive land, cause all kinds of economic upheaval, cause trillions in property and real estate losses AND increased prices and desirability…………..
and plenty more.
It’s going to be complicated, expensive as hell, cause mass suffering, and will take a lot of unity and political/public will to handle in a good way, and we don’t have enough of that, lately.
I’ve never heard the melting of glaciers called an “existential threat” to humanity.
However they are melting and disappearing for a reason, and those reasons are going to affect a LOT more than just glaciers.
But, if we just take the melting glaciers on their own, that will either directly ilor indirectly affect weather and climate world-wide,, mess with sea levels, mess with agriculture, stress ecosystems, cause problems with fresh water supply, displace thousands of cities and hundreds of millions of people, cause wars, create millions of refugees, ruin productive land, cause all kinds of economic upheaval, cause trillions in property and real estate losses AND increased prices and desirability…………..
and plenty more.
It’s going to be complicated, expensive as hell, cause mass suffering, and will take a lot of unity and political/public will to handle in a good way, and we don’t have enough of that, lately.
The rivers that supply water to the western part of Canada are mostly glacier fed. Once they melt off we’re going to have different issues than our coastal bretheren.
The rivers that supply water to the western part of Canada are mostly glacier fed. Once they melt off we’re going to have different issues than our coastal bretheren.
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