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The average temperature of all ocean water is about 38.3 degrees Fahrenheit. Salt water freezes at 28.4 degrees Fahrenheit or less than 10 degrees colder than the average. That’s a pretty tight range when you think about it.
At least 15% of the ocean is covered by sea ice some part of the year—about 10 million square miles. Sea ice was shrinking rapidly in 2009. However, data from September 2013 indicate that sea ice coverage hit a 35-year high this year. Other data indicate the ice, although broader, is still thinner.
Geologists claim that 200,000 years ago, the Ice Age presented a different habitat, wiping out many species. Sea levels were 400 feet lower—the English Isles were then part of the continent, for example. Most of North America was buried under ice – over a mile thick in places like Seattle.
Are we in a temporary lull in trend toward less ice or is the trend going back to more ice. Will the sea levels rise of fall? Is there anything we humans can do to affect the rate of change? Sixty years ago, scientists said the long-term trend was cooling. Then global warming was the prevalent theory. One thing is certain: most things change.
However, we at Junk King won’t change our strong commitment to being 100% landfill free: donating, recycling, and re-using materials. Whether the global trend is warming or cooling, we should not foul our own nest. In our own small way, we strive to the best of our ability to leave our living space in better shape than we found it.
By the way, a colder planet means more fresh water—sort of. Sea ice contains hardly any little salt. You can melt the ice and use it for drinking water. Of all the Earth’s fresh water, 69%is stored in the ice caps and glaciers and 90% of that “fresh water” is in Antarctica. Another 30% of the Earth’s fresh water is underground. Only 0.03% of fresh water is what we see in rivers and lakes.
