Ice: how much have we depended on it?

Changes are happening all around but some of the most drastic are the large amounts of melting ice and the effects it is having on the ecosystem.

"Researchers recognized an Arctic Ocean route free of ice would mean incoming species, particularly as hitchhikers on ships."

While there is still much to determine and discover why the ice is melting and the long term affects, we can't help but notice the big changes. There is so many different reasons and opinions to what is happening and why. It is up to each of us to take person responsibility to either change how we are effecting even the smallest of parts of our environment , but mostly to just pay attention. The researchers are taking a little bit of the sting out for us and investigating deeper into the causes of the melting ice and what will happen as it continues such as the return of the plankton and what that in and of itself will do to the environment.

So why is this important to us as water uses and appreciators? It could mean that our water ways change the way they look, effect the climate and vis versa and it could decrease the types of fish we see in our water ways as well as that we are able to harvest. The changes that we can make is being cautious of what we bring to the beaches and taking out what we came with. Maybe even decreasing the for pleasure sake use boats and ships. While we need them to access goods from overseas perhaps it is time to look at alternatives or at least think about the little changes that even us, the general public can do to make a bit of difference. We depend on our water as it contributes to people's daily lives and the lives of the creatures that live in it and utilize its benefits. It can be a great loss if we don't care for it and watch the negative things we could be doing to increase these changes.

Blog Author: Michelle Connolly

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2011/0627/1224299634232.html