The Day After Tomorrow

Predicted Klang Valley map in future according to Max.
(Click to Enlarge)

Looking at the heading of the post, you might be wondering why I am writing such an old movie review. But hey, it’s not a movie review that I am writing here. The story begins with one month ago; I am still busying locating one of my best friends Max Chow. Eventually, found out that he has gone to Taiwan once again. We met up after he return to Malaysia when school starts. As usual, the expected story-telling session took place. This time is no longer about Johor Flood but a more macro issue, Climate Change. It was not long ago, before most of the UTARians are still working on climate change issues especially about the Kyoto Protocol, the Indonesia Bali Climate Change Conference, and et cetera. Of course the reason behind is no other than the academic requirement as we have Business Ethics as one of the subjects. Global warming as a result from green house gasses emission is studied due to our assignment topic requirement. With that, I am grateful that even though I am not on the same page with Max, but at least I could still understand the story that he is telling.

Max claims that the world weather will change drastically in couple of years. His statement is further strengthened with the findings from a study conducted by Wieslaw Maslowski, research associate professor in the Navy school's Department of Oceanography, and fellow researcher Jaclyn Clement Kinney. Forgive me for not mentioning the scientific fact part of the findings as I am not that good in the scientific terminology part. I believe the accent of the study is on regards of the Arctic Ice-free by year 2013, 15 years sooner than the previously "bold" prediction of an ice-free polar ocean by 2030 according to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), an UN-led body which assesses the state of the Earth's climate system.

To me, the ice-melting arctic will result in the rising of ocean level. More water will flow into the sea as the ice got melted. From the researchers’ point of view as according to the ice-albedo feedback effect, open water receives more solar radiation which in turn leads to additional warming and further melting. The more open up area means there will be more absorption and even more melting. It is going to get worse but that is not all, a preliminary assessment by the US Geological Survey (USGS) suggests the Arctic seabed may hold as much as 25 per cent of the world’s undiscovered oil and natural gas reserves. The US believes that diminishing ice coverage will make extracting resources in the North Pole more feasible. Thus, the exploitation on natural resources will speed up the ice-melting process.

I do not know how true it is that someday we might have Christmas with snow in Malaysia. I am not in the position to judge on whether the prediction is too aggressive or whose is too conservative. However, I do know that it is happening which is why I choose to write this post today. I just hope that with my little effort of posting this, those who read it might put in a little more effort in helping to preserve the environment. About the portion of being vegetarian, I am trying very hard now to make sure I take more vegetables in every meal and sometimes become a one meal vegetarian for my lunch. Hopefully like what Max say, we knew we might not be able to change it, but at least do something to slow it down. Let’s just hope that the day after tomorrow will come later.