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The answer to that is that a huge volume of the water held in ice is currently ABOVE sea level (glacial ice for one) and when it melts, it will flow into the sea.
I'm not sure about icebergs/ice shelves though. Take an iceberg - 1/10 of the volume is above water and 9/10 below. If you melt the ice, will the 1/10 above simply cancel out the contraction of the 9/10 below?
Here you go: http://www.physorg.com/news5619.html
And this from Wikipedia, referenced from a scientific paper:
If small glaciers and polar ice caps on the margins of Greenland and the Antarctic Peninsula melt, the projected rise in sea level will be around 0.5 m. Melting of the Greenland ice sheet would produce 7.2 m of sea-level rise, and melting of the Antarctic ice sheet would produce 61.1 m of sea level rise.<sup id="cite_ref-412.htmtab113_2-0" class="reference">[3]</sup> The collapse of the grounded interior reservoir of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet would raise sea level by 5-6 m.
If the Antarctic Ice Sheet melts, I'm moving to a seaside suburb in Canberra.
Otherwise, we're OK.
Doesn't matter what the science is, if you melt ice cubes in a glass of drink the drink level drops. Ice cubes will float with the same proportion of ice above water as icebergs. The only way you could explain sea level rise is if ice on land melts - but the Arctic has no land. So who knows.Quote:
Originally Posted by silentC
You'd be welcome in Canberra - don't forget your picture for my wall!
Cheers,
Adam
I've already signed up as a charter member for the Barton Surf Club
Quote:
Originally Posted by silentC
Ah. Got it, and it makes sense (even scarier than the global warming (consipiracy) theory).
Now all I need is proof that we did actually land on the moon!
Thanks,
Adam
According to that link I posted, the difference in density between salt water (the ocean) and fresh water (the iceberg/ice shelf) would result in a slight sea level rise because the fresh water takes up slightly less volume than the same amount of salt water. Apparently it is dismissed as negligible. But the sea level certainly wont fall.Quote:
Ice cubes will float with the same proportion of ice above water as icebergs.
According to Wikipedia, glacial ice is the second largest reservoir of water on the planet. So there's a lot of water up there and it would certainly increase the sea level if it all melts at once. The Arctic might not have any land-bound ice but Antartica has a bit:Quote:
The only way you could explain sea level rise is if ice on land melts - but the Arctic has no land. So who knows.
About 98% of Antarctica is covered by the Antarctic ice sheet, a sheet of ice averaging at least 1.6 kilometers (1.0 mi) thick. The continent has about 90% of the world's ice (and thereby about 70% of the world's fresh water). If all of this ice were melted, sea levels would rise about 60 meters (200 ft).
It's actually quite staggering to read about. Antarctica holds about 27 million cubic kilometres of ice. In some places, it rests on land above sea level, and in others it can extend 2,500 metres down to what would be sea bed if the ice wasn't there.
That is a lot of ice!
Astrid, I admire your daughter for being passionate about something.
Without opening up a new can of worms, it's like all the vegans, vegetarians, animal lovers that want to do some good because it's what they believe in, and that's something that this world needs more of.
Who knows, it may or may not help the universe in the long run, but the fact that she believes in something good and wants people to try, is admirable.
It's nice to see that there are still teens out there who are 'innocent' and believe in something worthwhile.
My hat's off to you Lauren...well done.:clap3:
Yeah, but I want to also pick up on a point that Rob also made and raise a question. Whatever the power generator is and it's source fuel, be it nuclear, water or coal - don't these power plants generate enough for their expected load, i.e. power consumption of the population?Quote:
Originally Posted by Gra
So turning a light off won't do anything as the power has been already been generated for that load ahead of time. :? And I can't see some boffins in white coats predicting Saturday's light off thingo and reducing consumption for the new load. think back to Victoria's gas shortage a few years ago and the time delay in getting supply back up to demand - it took a few days didn't it? (I was living in NSW at the time, so I'll stand corrected on the time it took to get supplies back up)
:no:
Nice idea, but when you think about it, but I think the whole idea is misdirected just so we can have a nice warm fuzzy feeling without having actually achieved anything.
It is :yes: but what it will really achieve :shrug: (not Lauren, but the lights off business)Quote:
Originally Posted by madrat
So whats wrong with feeling warm and fuzzy for an couple of hours after you see the satelite photos, and thinking "i was part of that"Quote:
Originally Posted by Waldo
beats feeling happy for 1 hour after spending money that you dont have at a shopping centre.
What would it really cost you to turn off the lights for one hour.
also might teach the powers that we're not quite the indifferent, world weary sheep that they think we are.
Think about the fear you can help instill at Halleburton:D
Astrid:D
I refuse to be left in the dark but I will turn off my lights tomorrow night.... instead, as an alternative light source I have purchased 200 litres of Diesel which I am going to use to incinerate the next door neighbours house. It is only asbestos sheet anyway and the prortion of CCA treated timber isn't tooo much. This should be good for the inviringment too as they always have their music up too loud as well also.
;)
Astrids kid, you are a good example, go for it!
I'll admit that originally my response to the 'earth hour' was the same as everyone else's here. I wondered what the heck they hoped to achieve and thought of a few alternatives straight away that would have greater effect.
Then, as luck would have it, there was an interview on tele with one of the organisers of the day which I actually sat and listened to, as I was curious. This person was having trouble convincing the reporter that it was not about saving energy or reducing greenhouse or any other physical effect, it was simply about raising awareness and concern, to educate the public that things needed to be done so that they would not resist efforts by Governments or others to solve the problem (the reporter still wanted to say how many black balloons were saved :doh: ).
Anyway, at the time I thought it was a bit like the TAC ads; by themselves they do nothing, but if they change attitudes and make people a bit more aware then that is worthwhile, provided they keep it factual.
Even this discussion helps, Silent's links are worth looking at as they have good facts that debunk some of the popular misconceptions. It's a worthy discussion to have.
I see this as a great chance for the criminal minded to strike while the lights are out.
Calm, you have a sick evil twisted mind........ I knew I liked you for a reason:D:D:DQuote:
Originally Posted by Calm
instead of turnin off my lights for 1 hour at 8 (is that daylight savings time or qld time? and what time zone) i will turn my lights off at 10pm and leave them off untill 6.00pm tomorow thats 20 hours of darkness:)(.
i do this every day.
i truly am a saint:innocent:.
Hi Greg.Quote:
Originally Posted by Groggy
Dont you think we have had enough of this rubbish shoved down our throats?:giveup3:
Sure the Climate change scientists are for it, thats the only reason that they have a job, no climate change no job. :dunno: They have a barrow to push.:no:
Hi Al. Rubbish, yes, which is why I tried to be careful by saying "provided they keep it factual".Quote:
Originally Posted by Brickie
I guess that like yourself I get a bit tired of reading some of the emotional junk that has no basis in fact. I said it was a worthy discussion to have, discussing it does NOT mean supporting it though, it just means discuss it, get the 'facts' and decide for yourself. I don't know anywhere near enough about this stuff to argue the case one way or another. It seems a bit too important to dismiss without some idea of whether it's a crock or not.
Turn the lights off...................naaah.
Just a gimmick so the pollies and greenies get there heads on T.V.
Or at least on the radio if you got the 62 inch plasma turned of
Waste of time IMO
I worked for 15 years in the power generation industry both as an power plant operator then an electrician for what use to be the SEC
An I can tell you it wont make any difference
The powers to be (no pun intended) will have the coal fired power stations on base load and the environmentally friendly Hydros on Frequency control (fluctuating with the demand)
So dropping a small load as household lights will only make the Hydros drop load for an hour
These fluctuations happen as part of the normal operation of a day
Like half time of the Grand final when everyone boils there kettles etc
If we want to make an impact try getting heavy industry to shut down for an hour.
Like Portland aluminum smelter (like that will happen)
Or how much infulence their parents ideals have had on them,Quote:
Originally Posted by madrat
Children are are a product of their enviroment pure and simple :2tsup:
can I get you started on the light globes? :DQuote:
Originally Posted by Stuart
Like the quantity of mercury in each one and how they should be recycled and not tossed in the garbage to end up in land fill
there's stories floating arround that if you break one you need a Hazmat team to clean up the mess ...
ian
This is from todays Age.
Sort of defeats the purpose of the whole thing doesnt it? :?
All those people using fuel to go and see the lights being turned off and then a concert? :?
Good find Brickie. Federation square in the dark will be fantastic... At least you wont get to see the punches comming. I`ll just stay home and turn the lights out, light some candles and jump in the hot tub for the hour.
Interesting. 4 Houses in my street have their front lights on. Is this some anti "lights off" protest?
[Edit- 8.55 and they are still on]
[Edit2- 9.05 and 3 of the 4 are off. Definite protest]
dosent start for another half an hour lig.
so everybody turn all there lights on to make use of all the power we wont be able to in the next hour.
It starts at 8. I posted at 8.16Quote:
Originally Posted by weisyboy
Oh, the wireless internet conection on the laptop in the hot tub is fantastic:D
its still only 7.45.
I forgot... the world is going to end and its all my fault:doh:. Sorry:-
Edit: Didn't realise it was so early... I turned a light off:2tsup:
But you are behind the times in QLD:wink:Quote:
Originally Posted by weisyboy
na mate
you guys that are mad getting up in the dark and going to bed wile its still daylight. couldnt think of anything worse.
now its 8.00
the southern states are still on daylight savings.
they'll just be turning the lights back on again now
and they all will use twice the power for the next hour as they do all the things they couldnt do.
shower, washup, cuppa tee, cook dinner,etc
I take it your light is on Carl?
:2tsup:along with the footy.
and all the lights in archafield are on as usual along with most of brisbane
well we turned all the lights out etc but had to leave the computer on. only a few minutes to go thank goodness. can't see my keyboard and I am not the best touch typist in the world. Oh well did my bit I suppose.