A huge crack is spreading across one of Antarctica’s biggest ice shelves

Re:A huge crack is spreading across one of Antarctica’s bigg... by zaken on Monday August 22, 2016 @08:28PM (#12340431)

From the article, regarding sea level rise:

  When ice shelves lose large chunks, it does not raise sea level because these
  bodies are already afloat. However, the loss of an ice shelf can speed up the
  seaward flow of the nonfloating glacial ice behind it, and this ice can in turn
  contribute to sea-level rise. Researchers have estimated that the loss of all
  the ice that the Larsen C ice shelf currently holds back would raise global
  sea levels by 10 centimetres.

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Re:A huge crack is spreading across one of Antarctica’s bigg... by dleslie on Monday August 22, 2016 @08:48PM (#12340524)

The faster that levels rise the sooner we are to get off our collective asses and make a difference.

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Re:A huge crack is spreading across one of Antarctica’s bigg... by diafygi on Tuesday August 23, 2016 @03:24AM (#12341968)

You seem to have stumbled upon my favorite climate change joke:

They say humans won't act until it's too late... Luckily, it's too late!

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Re:A huge crack is spreading across one of Antarctica’s bigg... by darawk on Monday August 22, 2016 @09:16PM (#12340641)

True, but the longer we have to sit on our asses, the more likely we are to succeed in our effort to make a difference when we finally get around to it (due to technological progression).

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Re:A huge crack is spreading across one of Antarctica’s bigg... by omosubi on Monday August 22, 2016 @09:41PM (#12340770)

I wouldn't count on this - markets don't seem to care about sea level rise at the moment

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Re:A huge crack is spreading across one of Antarctica’s bigg... by jedbrown on Monday August 22, 2016 @11:38PM (#12341225)

Reinsurance is definitely concerned about sea level rise. Here is an example presentation from SwissRe showing their estimates of the increasing damages due to climate change (e.g., slide 7).

http://www.miamidade.gov/planning/library/presentations/2014...

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Re:A huge crack is spreading across one of Antarctica’s bigg... by sytelus on Monday August 22, 2016 @10:01PM (#12340850)

Good point. Intuitively I think markets would attempt to approximate probability * cost i.e. expected cost. However there is something intensely wrong how market is functioning with environmental issue. It appears that markets is trying to view the expected cost as debt that needs to be paid in future. The value of debt would be much larger in future but markets seems to be ok with current return. This could be a great theoretical hole in efficient markets theory.

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Re:A huge crack is spreading across one of Antarctica’s bigg... by pohl on Monday August 22, 2016 @09:48PM (#12340796)

The wealthy do love their ocean-view properties, though.

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Re:A huge crack is spreading across one of Antarctica’s bigg... by Cshelton on Monday August 22, 2016 @10:39PM (#12340999)

The wealthy can afford to move their properties back/up a few feet.

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Re:A huge crack is spreading across one of Antarctica’s bigg... by enraged_camel on Monday August 22, 2016 @11:14PM (#12341124)

You realize poor nations will get fucked over disproportionately, right?

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Re:A huge crack is spreading across one of Antarctica’s bigg... by igf on Tuesday August 23, 2016 @04:23AM (#12342180)

Why? They don't have anything to destroy anyway.

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Re:A huge crack is spreading across one of Antarctica’s bigg... by andrei_says_ on Monday August 22, 2016 @11:34PM (#12341211)

... Make a difference for the generation after the next. Maybe.

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