Responding to the NJ Star-Ledger's editorial House GOP Bows to Fossil Fuel Bosses, which I posted on here and yesterday, a correspondent noted that "it's cooler than it's been in 20 years," to which another named Kevin sarcastically replied, "Really? Taken a look at the polar ice caps lately?"
The facts about polar ice caps tell a different story, so I posted this:
Have you, Kevin?
"In September of last year, satellite data indicated that Antarctica was surrounded by the greatest area of sea ice ever recorded in the region." [See New Theory for Why Antarctic Sea Ice is Growing—National Geographic, March 23, 2013]
Antarctic ice in growing in size and depth. Why? A warming atmosphere produces more precipitation, which means more snow in colder regions, leading to growing ice sheets. This is a normal balancing pattern that, along with the increased global cloud cover, will eventually reverse the trend and lead to cooling.
Why is arctic ice melting in summer? Because unlike Antarctica, the Arctic is mostly an ocean. Since oceans are warmer than land masses, it only takes minimal warming, such as we've had in the past 150 years, to melt sea ice. That, too, will eventually reverse. In the meanwhile, it's a boon to the global economy: It'll enable fossil fuel companies to exploit the vast quantities of oil that lay beneath the Arctic Ocean.
Related Articles:
Evidence that Demands a Verdict—Joe Bastardi, Accuweather
Erroneous Sea Rise Models—PJ Media
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