Dr. James McClintock

Today, we had the privilege to listen to Dr. James McClintock speak to us about his work and research in Antarctica. Specifically studying the life there, McClintock covered topics ranging from what types of life thrive and are prominent to how climate change is affecting not only the wildlife but also the continent itself. We have all heard about global warming and how it negatively impacts animals and the environment, but it was only today that I realized that magnitude of it. One thing that particularly stood out to me was his talk of ice caps receding and melting on a daily basis. The fact that massive sheets of ice are breaking with the frequency they do, to the point where it was no longer a surprise to the scientists there, struck a chord with me. The satellite images of the ice caps near the Palmer Station during the year 1975 and 2006 show a drastic difference.

As someone who is not too familiar with the direct results of global warming, McClintock’s talk certainly opened my eyes about the phenomenon. I am definitely more interested about the topic of Global Warming, as he said our generation is going to play a key role in either exacerbating or resolving it.

Sri, 12th