West Antarctica Begins to Destabilize with ‘Intense Unbalanced Melting’ • Hacker News Board

Re: West Antarctica Begins to Destabilize with ‘Intense Unbalanced Melting’

#21

Post by maze-le » Wed, Oct 26, 2016, 2:23 PM UTC

IsaacL wrote: post #12

ajmurmann wrote: post #2

What's the best way to profit from rising sea levels? Investing in land that's higher up in our nearby coastal cities?

Coastal cities are unlikely to be flooded in our lifetimes. We're looking at about 1m [1] sea level rise in 100 years, or 50cm in our lifetime. That means coastal cities will face more severe storms, not ending up submerged. [2] "Pfeffer adds estimates of sea level rise due to thermal expansion and ice melting to calving approximations and concludes that SLR by the end of the century will range 0.8 to 2.0 m above pre…

> Coastal cities are unlikely to be flooded in our lifetimes. We're looking at about 1m [1] sea level rise in 100 years, or 50cm in our lifetime.

Thats true, but what most people don't know is that sea level rise don't necessarily mean catastrophic floods. A far bigger problem -- in our lifetime -- is aquifer salination, that is the intrusion of saltwater into coastal freshwater aquifers. This is already happening, in the Nile-valley, Benin and Cyprus but also in Louisiana and California.

When the salinity of coastal Freshwater aquifers reaches a critical level, growing crops in coastal areas can be all but impossible.

Re: West Antarctica Begins to Destabilize with ‘Intense Unbalanced Melting’

#22

Post by throwaway729 » Wed, Oct 26, 2016, 2:26 PM UTC

cardiac wrote: post #20

staticelf wrote: post #19

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think you mean bullshitting. But it is you who are doing that, unfortunately.

Oh snap, he-she said. Can you say 'gimme money for a grant pleeeeeeaaaasssseeeee.' http://www.nasa.gov/content/goddard/antarctic-sea-ice-reache...

If you're going to accuse others of politically motivated interpretation of data, the least you could do is abstain from the same activity.

http://mashable.com/2015/11/03/nasa-antarctica-mass-gain/#bN...

TL;DR:

1. This is one measurement among many. The honest scientist considers the whole of the data, rather than cherry picking the 1 among N measurements that support his hypothesis.

2. Existence of conflicting evidence is a good reason for more, not less, research.

3. There's nothing to suggest that one set of measurements reflects a trend. The global system is complex, and the existence of surprising phenomena should be a reason to try to understand better, not an excuse to bury our heads.

4. The relationship between stability and total mass is probably not strictly positive and is certainly not linear. So even in the best case scenario, the risk of destabilization should still be studies.

Re: West Antarctica Begins to Destabilize with ‘Intense Unbalanced Melting’

#23

Post by staticelf » Wed, Oct 26, 2016, 2:26 PM UTC

This is why big countries suck. They are slow to change and a wrong move is horribly damaging. Look at the US or China, no matter how I or all my countrymen live in Sweden it won't really matter if climate change deniers get in charge in the US for example.

I just think it's so sad to see everything go to shit due to some greedy assholes that won't invest in solutions that are effective AND sustainable.

I plan to become a climate change prepper in the future because shit will hit the fan sooner or later.

Re: West Antarctica Begins to Destabilize with ‘Intense Unbalanced Melting’

#24

Post by pmyjavec » Wed, Oct 26, 2016, 2:27 PM UTC

IsaacL wrote: post #12

ajmurmann wrote: post #2

What's the best way to profit from rising sea levels? Investing in land that's higher up in our nearby coastal cities?

Coastal cities are unlikely to be flooded in our lifetimes. We're looking at about 1m [1] sea level rise in 100 years, or 50cm in our lifetime. That means coastal cities will face more severe storms, not ending up submerged. [2] "Pfeffer adds estimates of sea level rise due to thermal expansion and ice melting to calving approximations and concludes that SLR by the end of the century will range 0.8 to 2.0 m above pre…

"That means coastal cities will face more severe storms, not ending up submerged. [2]"

How does that work? Coastal cities will have more than half a meter more water to deal with and additionally have to face larger more powerful storm surges on top of those 50cm. Don't forget at certain times of the year we see stronger tides.

I also wonder if in 2007, the IPCC were more optimistic about our ability to curb emissions and took into account some of the feedback looks which are kicking in?

Re: West Antarctica Begins to Destabilize with ‘Intense Unbalanced Melting’

#25

Post by ajmurmann » Wed, Oct 26, 2016, 2:28 PM UTC

throwaway729 wrote: post #11

ajmurmann wrote: post #2

What's the best way to profit from rising sea levels? Investing in land that's higher up in our nearby coastal cities?

Renewable energy. Once things get bad enough the world will wake up and renewables will become huge.

I am wondering if by the time we wake up it's too late for renewable energy. Given that the methane is literally exploding out of the ground in Siberia it already might be too late. I am afraid it might be a likely scenario that the hod outs especially in the US will go from denial to resignation.

Re: West Antarctica Begins to Destabilize with ‘Intense Unbalanced Melting’

#26

Post by tdb7893 » Wed, Oct 26, 2016, 2:29 PM UTC

cardiac wrote: post #20

staticelf wrote: post #19

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think you mean bullshitting. But it is you who are doing that, unfortunately.

Oh snap, he-she said. Can you say 'gimme money for a grant pleeeeeeaaaasssseeeee.' http://www.nasa.gov/content/goddard/antarctic-sea-ice-reache...

The article talks about how the increase in sea ice could be because of ice melted on the continent...

Re: West Antarctica Begins to Destabilize with ‘Intense Unbalanced Melting’

#27

Post by staticelf » Wed, Oct 26, 2016, 2:30 PM UTC

cardiac wrote: post #20

staticelf wrote: post #19

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think you mean bullshitting. But it is you who are doing that, unfortunately.

Oh snap, he-she said. Can you say 'gimme money for a grant pleeeeeeaaaasssseeeee.' http://www.nasa.gov/content/goddard/antarctic-sea-ice-reache...

Dude, you don't even read your own sources.

> "Studies show that globally, the decreases in Arctic sea ice far exceed the increases in Antarctic sea ice."

This is exactly what they say in the Bloomberg video also, if you had even dared to challange your incorrect beliefs.

Re: West Antarctica Begins to Destabilize with ‘Intense Unbalanced Melting’

#28

Post by cardiac » Wed, Oct 26, 2016, 2:36 PM UTC

staticelf wrote: post #27

cardiac wrote: post #20

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Oh snap, he-she said. Can you say 'gimme money for a grant pleeeeeeaaaasssseeeee.' http://www.nasa.gov/content/goddard/antarctic-sea-ice-reache...

Dude, you don't even read your own sources. > "Studies show that globally, the decreases in Arctic sea ice far exceed the increases in Antarctic sea ice." This is exactly what they say in the Bloomberg video also, if you had even dared to challange your incorrect beliefs.

I understand the concept of a continent is difficult for you to grasp, but it's ok.

Re: West Antarctica Begins to Destabilize with ‘Intense Unbalanced Melting’

#29

Post by [deleted] » Wed, Oct 26, 2016, 2:39 PM UTC

ajmurmann wrote: post #2

What's the best way to profit from rising sea levels? Investing in land that's higher up in our nearby coastal cities?

[deleted]

Re: West Antarctica Begins to Destabilize with ‘Intense Unbalanced Melting’

#30

Post by sesqu » Wed, Oct 26, 2016, 2:41 PM UTC

ajmurmann wrote: post #2

What's the best way to profit from rising sea levels? Investing in land that's higher up in our nearby coastal cities?

Investing in coastal construction, maintenance and emergency recovery seem fine ideas, as well as things like portable energy and long-distance shipping.