Study Predicts Antarctica Ice Melt if All Fossil Fuels Are Burned

nytimes.com ^ | SEPT. 11, 2015 | JUSTIN GILLIS

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Burning all the world’s deposits of coal, oil and natural gas would raise the temperature enough to melt the entire ice sheet covering Antarctica, driving the level of the sea up by more than 160 feet, scientists reported Friday.

In a major surprise to the scientists, they found that half the melting could occur in as little as a thousand years, causing the ocean to rise by something on the order of a foot per decade, roughly 10 times the rate at which it is rising now. Such a pace would almost certainly throw human society into chaos, forcing a rapid retreat from the world’s coastal cities.

[House Atreides]

Oh nooooahh...we’re ALL going to die!

[DannyTN]

After I burn all the fossil fuels at once, I’ll sell giant air conditioners powered by nuclear reactors.

[gorush]

I have been bemoaning the lack of respect for truth for over 25 years, and it gets worse with every passing year...a dangerous trend, indeed.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

All of the Fuel at once.....how do we do that?

[VeniVidiVici]

The fossil fuels we ran out of ... 25 years ago.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Back ;later

[headstamp 2]

We pay these a**holes to come up with garbage.

[Entropy Squared]

So all we have to do is quickly dig up all the world’s coal, make a big pile of it, cover it with all the world’s oil and set it on fire. Or not.

[FlingWingFlyer]

“Studies” are a dime a dozen. Everybody is doing them to qualify for a government grant.

[Mrs. Don-o]

I wanna do it! I wanna do it!

[dsrtsage]

And all the fossil fuel we have burned up to now, has caused antarctic ice to be two standard deviations ABOVE normal almost continuously for the last several years. And how exactly does ice melt in a place that never gets above freezing and the average winter temperature is 50 degrees below zero?

[TexasFreeper2009]

When are we going to start throwing these liars in jail?

[Blue Jays]

Let me just say that I have quite a temper...and I am going to be FURIOUS with all you people on September 12, 3015!
How dare you environment-hatin' folks raise the sea level by over 160 feet.

[JoeProBono]

[Da Bilge Troll]

What a bunch of maroons!

[digger48]

I guess ice melts at -48 degrees

[freedomfiter2]

Just think what will happen when the temperature is only 30 degrees below zero. Rapid melting.

[PROCON]

Egads, does this mean we're going to die.....AGAIN?!?

BTW, glad to see you back from your hiatus.

[Jim Noble]

At least the we can get those Nazi saucer bases...