Bill Nye Reminds Us What Will Happen if All the Ice in the World Melted

People fear what they don’t understand – it’s an adage that has been repeated so many times throughout history. This fear can lead to disbelief, as a kind of coping mechanism for not being able to deal with the truth. Some outright deny the facts solely because the facts do not personally affect them. Such is the case with global warming, which has been the subject of intense debate for many years now.

In the video below, Bill Nye, known to many as “The Science Guy” but who is actually a renowned mechanical engineer and television personality, teamed with ASAPScience to break down exactly what would happen if all the ice in the world melted due to the effects of global warming. Watch:

The video starts off with Nye explaining that 70% of the Earth’s ice is fresh water in the form of glaciers, ice sheets, permafrost, snow, and in the oceans it forms icebergs and floating ice. Because the ocean is the first thing to warm, the ice in it will be the first to melt. Nye goes on to showcase the chain reaction to the increase in water levels, as well as what we are doing to expedite the process, like seismic blasting, a method of air explosion used to map the ocean floor in search of oil.

Now, floating ice melting wouldn’t have a great effect as it would displace in the water. The real problem comes from the ice on land. The sea levels would rise 70 meters, causing coastal destruction in some of the world’s biggest cities. A rise in 25 meters would displace nearly 20% of the world’s population due to flood damage. The sheer cost of repairs would be appalling, only for the disasters to continue each year as the ocean rises.

Another effect of global warming is what Nye calls the “feedback effect” between the ice and the sun. Ice reflects sunlight into space, but with less ice, the sea absorbs more sunlight, causing the ocean to get fresher and the earth to get warmer. This can disrupt the natural sea currents between fresh and saltwater, which can disrupt the travel of nutrients. This can also reduce the oxygen we obtain from plant-life in the sea. In Nye’s own words, “Now you don’t wanna mess with this!”

ASAPScience traveled to the Arctic and were shocked at what they found. Below is another video showcasing an Innuit community who are petitioning to stop seismic blasting in an effort to prevent further ice melting in the area:

People fear what they don’t understand – because of this, we run the risk of being too late to save the one home we know.