Danger of ‘Doomsday’ Glacier melting rises
Writer Seth Eaton is a senior at North Central High School; this story was published on NCHS Live! on Sept. 12, 2022.
A recent climate bill passed by President Joe Biden was a huge step for our planet. Restrictions of fossil fuels and more money put into clean energy will have a large significance on the effects of climate change.
One of the harshest effects of the excessive amount of fossil fuels released by humans is the melting of glaciers. According to NBC NEWS, one of the largest glaciers, Antarctica’s Thwaites Glacier, is on track to melt at an alarming rate.
Being a large mass of ice, sea levels rise whenever glaciers melt. Floods and storm surges are more frequent and damage to infrastructure becomes greater.
The Florida-sized Thwaites Glacier serves as a wall to the inland of Antarctica called the ice shelf. If the glacier melts, the ice shelf would then melt at an even faster rate, which is what worries scientists.
The ice shelf’s collapse could cause a catastrophic two-foot rise in sea level. Scientists predict this could happen as soon as 2031.
Thwaites Glacer; image courtesy of NASA.
Hopefully the Inflation Reduction Act can slow the melting down. The problem is, 8the law only applies to the United States. With numerous nations without any climate-friendly laws, the bill passed by Joe Biden may not save the glacier.
The melting of the Thwaites Glacier is a global problem, therefore the whole world needs to take responsibility. A rise of sea level would destroy many coastal cities and endanger millions of people around the world.
The Inflation Reduction Act a big step for climate
This past month, President Joe Biden and the U.S. Congress passed the Inflation Reduction Act. This bill is a huge step in the climate movement.
For too long, the U.S. has been reliant on the burning of fossil fuels and the manufacturing of gasoline powered cars. The carbon emissions and air pollutants released are devastating to the environment and the Earth’s climate. We are well into the process of global warming and have done little to stop it.
The Inflation Reduction Act contains $369 billion for necessary changes and conversions of energy.
We must switch to cleaner and renewable energy sources. The bill plans to invest more in solar panels, wind turbines and other renewable alternatives. It also looks to reduce prices of electric vehicles in order for a larger part of the population to purchase.
Despite being a global superpower, we are late when it comes to joining the climate movement. The U.S. has been the most environmentally unfriendly nation in the world.
This bill can make our nation a positive leader and cause other countries around the world to join the movement. A global usage of renewable energy and electric cars could save our climate and preserve Earth for future generations.
