Thwaites’ nickname stems mostly from what would happen after it melts. Right now, the glacier acts as a buffer between the warming sea and other glaciers. Its collapse could bring neighboring ice masses in western Antarctica down with it. Added up, that process would raise sea levels by nearly 10 feet, permanently submerging many coastal areas including parts of New York City, Miami, and the Netherlands.
Imagine losing a city like New York or Miami. Then multiply by 100 because of all the other cities that will be lost. Think about the millions of people displaced, the trillions of dollars in buildings and infrastructure lost to rising seas. It seems like the reaction should be powerful and intense – a global intense focus on avoiding this outcome. But there is little action of this sort. We are still extracting and burning fossil fuels at a gigantic rate, raising CO2 levels in the atmosphere every day. It really is remarkable given what is at stake.
“The Doomsday Book” by Marshall Brain lays out this scenario in amazing detail and offers solutions to prevent this doomsday scenario from unfolding. You can order the book today on Amazon and other retailers.