What does COP26 and G20 have in common?
Just in case you do not know what those acronyms represent COP26 is a group of 26 nations that recently addressed climate change in Glasgow. G20 is a group of twenty nations that met to address international economic issues. The last day of G20 addressed climate change.
The world is concerned about climate change. “Satellite images show that two important glaciers in the Antarctic are sustaining rapid damage at their most vulnerable points, leading to the breaking up of vital ice shelves with major consequences for global sea level rise.
The Pine Island and Thwaites glaciers, which sit side by side in West Antarctica on the Amundsen Sea, are among the fastest changing glaciers in the region, already accounting for 5% of global sea level rise. Scientists say the glaciers are highly sensitive to climate change.
A new study, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences on Monday, found that the glaciers are weakening at their foundations and this damage over the past few decades is speeding up their retreat and the possible future collapse of their ice shelves.” https://www.cnn.com/2020/09/15/weather/antarctica-pine-island-thwaites-glacier-climate-intl-hnk/index.html
“Scientists with the Glaciers and Climate Project study many of the pertinent impacts that glaciers present to society, such as altering hydrologic cycles, contributing to sea-level rise, and creating environmental hazards. Having progressed from early studies which focused on understanding where and why glaciers exist, and their primary response to climate, the Glaciers and Climate Project's objective today is to advance the quantitative understanding of glacier-climate interactions to best predict and prepare for local, regional, and global implications of changes to Earth's mountain glaciers and ice sheets. With a firm foundation of long-term records, the Glaciers and Climate Project continues to broaden its value and impact by incorporating new technologies and expertise over a diverse suite of glaciological challenges.” https://www2.usgs.gov/landresources/lcs/glacierstudies/default.asp
As glaciers break off and ice melts sea levels rise. “Tuvalu is an island with a population of around 11,000 people and its highest point is just 4.5m (15 ft) above sea level. Since 1993, sea levels have risen about 0.5cm (0.2 inches) per year, according to a 2011 Australian government report.” https://www.reuters.com/business/cop/tuvalu-looking-legal-ways-be-state-if-it-is-submerged-2021-11-09/
Is it possible that events are happening in the earth’s core that are affecting glaciers instead of or in addition to global warming?
Researchers from Edinburgh University discovered “91 volcanoes below Antarctic ice sheet This is in addition to 47 already known about and eruption would melt more ice in region affected by climate change.” https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/aug/12/scientists-discover-91-volcanos-antarctica
Erebus a volcano “located on Ross Island, Antarctica, and overlooking the McMurdo research station, is the southernmost active volcano in the world. The stratovolcano, which frequently has active lava lakes in its 250-m wide summit crater, is primarily monitored by satellite.” https://volcano.si.edu/volcano.cfm?vn=390020
“Could the volcanoes blow away Antarctica’s ice? The scientists were unable to determine volcanic activity in the range, according their recent study in the Geological Society of London. But even inactive or dormant volcanoes can melt ice because of the high temperatures the volcanoes generate underground.
Higher temperatures raise the possibility of future ice thinning in the West Antarctic Rift System.
“Volcanic activity may increase and this, in turn, may lead to enhanced water production and contribute to further potential ice-dynamical instability,” the report states.” https://www.pbs.org/newshour/science/scientists-found-91-volcanoes-under-antarctica
Is it possible for global warming to affect volcanoes? I do not know the answer to that question. Recently several volcanoes have erupted. “The eruption of the Cumbre Vieja volcano on the Spanish island of La Palma entered its eighth week Monday, powerful as ever and showing no signs of stopping.
From its official Twitter account, INVOLCAN, the Canary Islands Volcanology Center, reported lava and huge plumes of smoke and ash have been spouting from the crater all day.
Citing a report from Italy’s volcano department, INVOLCAN said the minimum height of the volcano’s plume Monday was 1,600 meters.” The eruption has alternately surged and ebbed since September 19 and scientists say the eruption could last for up to three months.
“LOS LLANOS DE ARIDANE, CANARY ISLANDS -- The surface of Spain's La Palma Island is continuing to expand as lava from a volcanic eruption flows into the Atlantic Ocean and solidifies when it hits the water, European Union scientists said Thursday.
Copernicus, the European Union's Earth observation program, said Thursday that its satellite imagery showed a D-shaped tongue of molten rock building up on the island's western shore that measured 338 hectares (835 acres) by the end of Wednesday.” https://www.ctvnews.ca/world/lava-flowing-into-sea-creates-delta-expands-spanish-island-1.5606522 The Associated Press Staff Contact September 30, 2021.
But experts have said that predicting the end of the eruption is difficult because the lava, ash and gases coming to the surface reflect complex geological activity happening deep inside the Earth, far from the reach of currently available technology.” https://www.voanews.com/a/spain-s-la-palma-island-volcano-eruption-enters-eighth-week/6304525.html
Since existing technology cannot determine activity deep within the earth it would be difficult to determine how many volcanoes deep in the earth are active, and if they are impacting Antarctica.
However, what happens to Antarctica seems to impact the rest of the world.
While parts of the world are experiencing increase in water levels other parts of the world are experiencing drought.
A report by Columbia University stated “The United States and many other parts of the world are reeling under the impacts of severe drought. One possible solution is the desalination of seawater, but is it a silver bullet?
The Western United States is currently experiencing what one paleoclimatologist called “potentially the worst drought in 1,200 years.” The region has had many droughts in the past, including “megadroughts” that last decades, but climate change is making dry years drier and wet years wetter. Higher temperatures heat the ground and air faster, and the increased evaporation dries the soil and decreases the amount of precipitation that reaches reservoirs. Warming also leads to less of the snow-pack needed to replenish rivers, streams, reservoirs and moisten soil in spring and summer.” https://news.climate.columbia.edu/2021/08/26/a-1000-year-drought-is-hitting-the-west-could-desalination-be-a-solution/
In the United States droughts have been blamed for some of the worst forest fires in the west. These fires destroy trees, vegetative life, and animals. One also should point out that some fires have been caused by careless humans. Drought impacts the ability to produce food.
The United States is not the only country to experience drought. Kenya, Taiwan, Afghanistan, India, Puerto Rico, Sao Paolo, and North Korea have had to deal with this.
While man is trying to grapple with these issues God’s word has said in Revelation 21:1 (NASB 1995)“And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.”
The Bible has many prophecies regarding man and what will happen. Many of these occurring before our eyes.
People do not like to hear about God and the Bible. They prefer to live life as though God and the Bible are one big fairy tale. Do you want to take that chance?