The Economist: Greenland Ice Sheet
The Economist, a magazine that I subscribe to and trust for it’s unbiased, even-handed reporting, recently wrote an article about Greenland’s Ice Sheet. The article is based on research from the National Snow and Ice Data Centre, University of Colorado Boulder.It is expected that the accelerated melting of the Greenland ice sheet alone will raise global sea levels by a millimetre this year. (Greenland’s ice sheet, if fully melted, would raise water levels by seven metres.)
What are the reasons for this unusually high melt?
- A natural cycle, called the North Atlantic Oscillation.
- Increased temperatures due to Climate Change.
- Weakened jet stream, also due to Climate Change.
Why, you might ask, does a magazine on economics include articles on climate change? Because the economy isn’t just about GDP, interest rates, markets and inflation. It’s about anything that will affect the economy, including the increased frequency & severity of storms, heat waves, droughts, floods, etc. Climate Change is having a significant and growing impact on the economy.
The full article can be found at https://www.economist.com/graphic-detail/2019/06/17/the-greenland-ice-sheet-is-melting-unusually-fast
