SEP 08, 2016 2:04 PM PDT

Why Bill Nye Wants You to Care About Melting Glaciers

WRITTEN BY: Xuan Pham

It may be tempting to think that rising temperatures and sea level are distant problems of the future. But rest assured, the effects of climate change is not inconsequential and it won't be confined to one geographic location either.

As explained by Bill Nye in this video, the Earth is warming up, and as a result, glaciers are fast melting away. If this trend continues, the Earth's ice could disappear before our eyes. This means we could be facing one of the biggest losses in ecological diversities worldwide. In addition, climate experts think the loss of the sea ice volume will likely contribute to increasingly frequent extreme weather events, such as flooding, superstorms, and droughts.

Furthermore, rises to sea levels would dramatically impact the populations living on continental coastlines. Big cities like New York, Shanghai, Sao Paulo would be greatly affected even if water levels rise by a few feet. But if all the ice melted, water levels could rise by as much as 70 meters, which would wipe out entire coastal regions, displacing billions of people, and costing trillions in economic costs.
About the Author
Doctorate (PhD)
I am a human geneticist, passionate about telling stories to make science more engaging and approachable. Find more of my writing at the Hopkins BioMedical Odyssey blog and at TheGeneTwist.com.
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