Glaciers are very important for the Earth. They play a vital role in maintaining the environmental balance. They are a major source of freshwater, and some major rivers come from glaciers. However, glaciers are under a serious threat of going extinct if nothing is done to save them. Without the glaciers, the future of the Earth would be dry along with the loss of many animal species and islands to the melting glaciers.
Glaciers have started melting due to global warming, and this is a threat to humans and the environment. Many major rivers that supply electricity and drinking water come from glaciers. For example, the Ganges River gets its water from a glacier in the Himalayas. Melting glaciers could cause this river to overflow, and the flood damage could be devastating. Also, about 69% of the world’s freshwater comes from glaciers, and this water is known to be untouched and pristine. All this water could be lost. To make matters worse, melting glaciers causes rising sea levels. Rising sea levels cause flooding, contamination of aquifers, and habitat loss for some sea animals. A study done by Rutgers University, found that there are close to 216 million people that could lose their homes because of rising sea levels. According to NASA, sea levels rose by one meter last year, which was a huge jump compared to previous years. If this trend continues, many cities around the world will face the threats of flooding, and some places could go underwater.
Despite the fact that melting glaciers is a huge problem, there are many things that can be done, and some of these things are already being done. For example, NASA recently started a project to monitor the movement of the glaciers. This is a big help to scientists because it helps them get a better understanding of how rapidly the glaciers are melting, and it can help them find efficient solutions. There are also things that people can do to help stop glacial melting. Since global warming causes glacial melting, humans can help by reducing their carbon footprint. This can be done by limiting car use, or by using a car that releases less carbon than a normal car. People can also donate to organizations that are finding out more, or organizations that are educating people. These organizations are very helpful because they help people understand what is really happening with the glaciers and ice sheets.
In conclusion, people need to do something about the melting glaciers. Glacial melting can impact the world by causing a rise in sea level. Rising sea levels means that entire islands could go underwater, and this could be devastating to the people who live in these islands. A lot of the world’s clean freshwater will also be lost, and many people who depend on glaciers for drinking water would have no source of water. In the future, the entire world as a whole could be affected. If nothing is done right now, glaciers could entirely disappear. The world needs to start caring about the glaciers.
Works Cited:
Griffiths, James. “New NASA Imagery Shows How Fast Glaciers Are Melting.” CNN. Cable
News Network, 12 Dec. 2016. Web. 13 Dec. 2016. <http://www.cnn.com/2016/12/12/hea lth/nasa-climate-change-ice-speed-glaciers/index.html>.
Society, National Geographic. “Glacier.” National Geographic Society. National Geographic Society, 09 Oct. 2012. Web. 13 Dec. 2016. <http://nationalgeographic.org/encyclopedia/g lacier/>.
Society, National Geographic. “Sea Level Rise — National Geographic.” National Geographic. National Geographic Partners, LLC, 2016. Web. 13 Dec. 2016. <http://ocean.nationalgeo graphic.com/ocean/critical-issues-sea-level-rise/>.