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I met Joe Maschue one day in his classroom at St. Rose of Lima.
He was a science teacher at the time, and I've always respected him both as a person and as a knowledgeable educator.
We shared the same profession during our careers, so I was taken aback by his letter to the editor in the Aug. 8 edition of the Mirror.
Early on, in his letter, he mentioned that the ocean temperatures have not risen since 2005 and further stated that so-called crisis "statistics… (are presented by) … agenda-driven organizations."
So, I did some research from nationalgeographic.com.
Sure enough, the ocean temperatures continue to rise every year, and they did not stop escalating in recent years. And I would hardly think that National Geographic is an "agenda-driven organization."
I'd be curious to discover where he obtained his statistics. What really caught my eye and concern was Maschue's analogy of rising ocean levels being compared to melting ice in a glass of water.
And I quote: "Try filling a glass with ice, then filling to the top with liquid water. No water will spill over unto the counter after melting."
He may be correct, but the water and the top surface of the ice cubes are very near equal in height or altitude when they occupy the same full glass.
As the cubes melt, a major change in water level would be highly unlikely and almost undetectable.
The total volume in the glass would remain virtually constant to the naked eye.
In nature, however, this is hardly a comparable analogy.
Glaciers, mountain snow packs and large icebergs often attain altitudes greater than sea level.
Some snow packs are found high on mountain tops. If they melt, that water has to go somewhere.
Naturally, it will end up following the pull of gravity and head downhill.
Much, if not all of it, will end up in our lakes and oceans.
A more plausible example can be tried by placing a half inch of water in a large, deep pot.
Next add ice, snow, or ice cubes to form a heap in the pot. I guarantee the original half-inch depth of the liquid water will deepen as the ice or snow melts. The water level will rise.
The difference, of course, is because the ice/snow takes up space above the water, much like it does on earth.
By exploring this later scenario, which correlates more naturally to our earth, it's apparent that ocean levels will indeed rise if our earth's temperatures continue to climb.
Dave Potchak
New Enterprise