"Many scientists have concluded that the momentum behind human-caused warming has put the familiar Arctic past the point of no return."
No Escape: Thaw Gains Momentum
By ANDREW C. REVKIN
Published: October 25, 2005 NYTimes
In 1969 Roy Koerner, a Canadian government glaciologist, was one of four men (and 36 dogs) who completed the first surface crossing of the Arctic Ocean, from Alaska through the North Pole to Norway.
Now, he said, such a trek would be impossible: there is just not enough ice.
See article here:
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/10/25/scien ... ic.html?hp
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The Big Melt
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Was on the Columbia Icefields in Alberta last month (the place where they take you out onto the glacier in the big-tired busses) and the finger of ice that they tour has lost 66% of its mass since its greatest (known) extent.
If it's true that this is irreversible then I imagine sea levels are certain to rise. According to the article in the first post, if Greenland's ice cap melts, it contains enough water to raise sea levels worldwide more than 20 feet! Places like the Bay Area would be hit hard. Not to mention New Orleans. Are they still considering to patch the levees and rebuild on the "below sea level" land. If so, they are nuts.
There is no end to the predictable and unpredictable results of loss of the polar caps.
Warmer weather and standing water will increase mosquito populations and the malaria pandemic will spread to parts of the world where it has been unknown. Major cities that rely on glaciers or snow pack run-off for water supplies will be devastated (and there are plenty of such cities right here in the western USA.) Oil exploration businesses are already scoping out potential drilling areas that were previously bound up in ice flows. etc., etc., etc.
Fortunately my home is at about 1,200'. However, I would have to float into about the second floor of my office to work. Just saw 'The Day After Tomorrow' last week. I nice semi-worst-case scenario for global warming. All in all, not a pretty picture . . .
Did they mention Florida? Hurricanes could be the least of their problems. http://www.gfdl.noaa.gov/~tk/climate_dynamics/fig5.gif
Did someone say Greenland is shedding it's icecap?
http://www.int.iol.co.za/index.php?clic ... 51&set_id=
...we can move to Greenland.  It would become the 13th larggest country in the world, and probably gain its independence from Denmark. Might live up to its name, too. Always look on the bright side, eh?
On the other hand, if the Yellowstone supervolcano blows its top, we could have a new ice age 
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