Okay, so it's the Wilkins Ice Shelf, but it's even more important than news about me. The 6000 square mile (15,540 km2) ice shelf named for Sir Hubert Wilkins, the famous Australian Antarctic explorer (and very possibly some kind of relation), is breaking off due to global warming. This is the single largest such break up observed so far.
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John Wilkins is an eternal student, who thinks philosophy of biology is at least as interesting as politics or sport and twice as important. He has a PhD from the University of Melbourne and a position as a Sessional Lecturer at the University of Queensland, in Australia. After a varied career, involving factories, gardening, civil service, publishing, graphics, public relations but not, unfortunately for the CV, driving a truck, John finally completed his thesis on species concepts in 2004, which he has worked into two books.
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« Can a Christian accept natural selection as true? | Main | Neuroethics - a new journal and a new subject »
Wilkins breaks away from the pack
Category: Biodiversity • General Science • Politics
Posted on: March 25, 2008 10:21 PM, by John S. Wilkins
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Comments
But no reason to worry about global warming, right? It's just God doing a little redecorating?
Posted by: dorid | March 25, 2008 11:38 PM
So, um, how's your region of disintegration? Do we need to call the doctors yet?
Posted by: Bob O'H | March 26, 2008 1:38 AM
Can't recollect any scripture (Christian, Muslim, Hindu or other) claiming that God would prevent people being stupid/foolish/short sighted and so damaging themselves, others or the environment; they all seem to say that we have free will for good or ill.
On a more serious note, the bigger worry is that losing the ice shelf will allow the landbased ice to flow more rapidly to the ocean. As well as removing a large area of high albedo so less sunlight will be reflected back.
Losing an ice shelf shouldn't raise sea level but the cooling effect on the parts of the ocean it floats in and the introduction of fresh water could cause local problems for marine life, if only for a short while.
Posted by: Chris' Wills | March 26, 2008 11:55 AM
I know that you have just had a motorcycle accident but I didn't realise it was that bad a smash up!
Posted by: Thony C. | March 26, 2008 12:31 PM
I am feeling a bit shattered.
Posted by: John S. Wilkins | March 26, 2008 10:50 PM
But no reason to worry about global warming, right? It's just God doing a little redecorating?
Posted by: dorid | March 25, 2008 11:38 PM
LOL! What concerns me is that this may be the biggest so far, but I don't know how long it will get to hold onto the title!
Dave Briggs :~)
Posted by: Dave Briggs | March 27, 2008 11:34 AM