Another "Melting Much Faster Than Anticipated" article. It would be so nice if the people in power would realize just how drastic a change needs to happen.
I should write my congressman (Allen Boyd (D))just to see what kind of response I get. I'm pretty sure it will be underwhelming.

Domenick:
Sadly, I think something drastic has to happen in terms of an environmental catastrophe, (much worse than Katrina), before any substantial actions are taken. And by that time, it could be too late.

Another scientist saying that the melt on the Greenland icecap is going to raise the global sea level by several meters this century is NASA physicist James Hansen. For those who care this is an easy to read article that explains why. http://pubs.giss.nasa.gov/docs/2007/2007_Hansen_2.pdf

However, I have not been able to dig up references to many other scientists that bet we are going to see several meters of sea level rise this century. If you know one please report it with a link. I will do my part in arguing that this is serious and that we need to do something drastic to reduce CO2 emissions (such as massive installations of wind power and equally massive closure of coal power). Some good references will help enormously to that end.

Wow, the earth has ~360 million square km of ocean, just to raise it 60cm not counting shoreline effects, 216 million cubic kilometers of water.....so with the shorelines shrinking evem more is needed. makes you feel kind of insignificant huh? If the whole continent of greenland is rising 4-5 cm a year that should mean a farly sizable chunk of sea bed is rising as well along with it, correct? Would this not displace sea water as well? I wonder if they take that into acount..

Just an idea.

Instead of letting a few million cubic kilometers of valuable clean fresh water (from Groenland melting ice) flow into the ocean, could countries (like USA) with fresh water deficits, recouperate some of it (with large 500000+ tons tankers) for irrigation and other uses?

A fleet of 50 to 100 tankers at one trip each a week (to closest sea ports) could move a lot of fresh water per year.

Were do think we can put "216 million cubic kilometers of water"?

And the energy to move it all...

Forget it! We are like ants next to a very large pool.

The USA hardly has a freshwater deficit. It just has unevenly, and somewhat inconveniently, spread out rainfall patterns, leading to local shortages. It would be much easier and less disruptive to meet those demands through the better management and exploitation of inland shortages, rather than trying to move a chunk of Greenland glacier to Phoenix.

Erratum: Should read "exploitation of inland sources..."

Maybe the Vikings will come back to 'Greenland' in few years.

The Danish, who have political control of Greenland will be using it as a starting point to exert economic rights in the area. They already tried to lay claim to a useless bit of rock last year. They will try again I'm sure.

NBK

Many people think that USA will soon have a major fresh water deficit, especially as many more million ha of land will be used to produce feed crops for ethanol and agrofuel production.

Many large underground water reservoirs have been running much lower in the past 40 years and there are no signs of any quick reversal.

Another (negative) factor may be climate changes in the next 20 to 50 years.

Thirdly, 100 million more mouths to feed (etc) will also required more fresh water.

Indeed, all that excellent quality fresh water from Groenland's melting ice could be captured and used instead of letting it flow into the salty ocean.