On Sat, 17 Sep 2005 20:23:38 +0100, "Alastair McDonald"
<alastair@abmcdonald.leavethisout.freeserve.co.uk> wrote:
"Michael Tobis" <mtobis@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:1126978259.021415.182750@g43g2000cwa.googlegroups.com...

Melting arctic sea ice will add nothing to sea level.

Put an ice cube in a cup on a flat surface. Fill it carefully all the
way to the top with warm water, so the water bulges above the edge of
the class. You will see the ice sticks up a bit higher. Does any water
spill when the ice melts?

We did this experiment in fifth grade in Montreal a long time ago.
Doesn't anybody learn any science in school anymore?

We did not do that experiment in my school. We put a thermometer
in the in the cup of water with the ice cube and noted the temperature
every minute. At first the temperature remained stable at 0C. Then
when all the ice had melted the temperature started to rise and did
not stop until it had reached 20C, room temperature.
If the Arctic ice melts, then the 20C (36F) increase in temperature
will
affect Canada as well. Don't say that you have not been warned!

On Sat, 17 Sep 2005 20:23:38 +0100, "Alastair McDonald"
<alastair@abmcdonald.leavethisout.freeserve.co.uk> wrote:

"Michael Tobis" <mtobis@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:1126978259.021415.182750@g43g2000cwa.googlegroups.com...

Melting arctic sea ice will add nothing to sea level.

Put an ice cube in a cup on a flat surface. Fill it carefully all the
way to the top with warm water, so the water bulges above the edge of
the class. You will see the ice sticks up a bit higher. Does any water
spill when the ice melts?

We did this experiment in fifth grade in Montreal a long time ago.
Doesn't anybody learn any science in school anymore?

We did not do that experiment in my school. We put a thermometer
in the in the cup of water with the ice cube and noted the temperature
every minute. At first the temperature remained stable at 0C. Then
when all the ice had melted the temperature started to rise and did
not stop until it had reached 20C, room temperature.

If the Arctic ice melts, then the 20C (36F) increase in temperature
will
affect Canada as well. Don't say that you have not been warned!

The largest increase in sea level from global warming, observed in
ice-free paleoclimate records, is approaching 200 meters higher than at
present. Compared to today, both land ice and thermal expansion
contribute to the difference.

As Roger has pointed out, if the Arctic ice melts, and temperatures
rise by 20C in that region, then the Greenland ice will soon melt.
That will cause a 5m sea level rise, which will disposes of New York,
London, and Vancouver but probably spare most other Canadian cities.

However, with sea levels 5 m higher, the Antarctic ice shelves will
be
lifted, and will float away letting the ice sheets they are holding
back will
slip into the sea.

Of course after this disruption to world's climate is complete, we
will be
able to grow bananas in Greenland so things won't be so bad. But how
are we going to survive while we wait for the ice to melt in
Greenland,
and the crops in the tropics are being destroyed by heat?

Of course, if ancient texts fit your idea of paleoclimate evidence, you
should take note that the height of Mount Ararat is over 5000 meters.

Yes, well if the Antarctic ice sheets fail catastrophically then the
resulting tsunami may well wash up the slopes of Mount Arafat again.

Happy to do my part toward "teaching the controversy".

You mean that you are happy "teaching the conventional complacency"!

Cheers, Alastair.