Dam Bering Striat?

[Athena]

It is my understanding warm water moving through the Bering Striat is melting glaciers, and this threatens the habitat and lives of the animals that depend on the cold. So I ask, could we dam the Bering Striat or otherwise control the flow of water, to keep the warm water out?

 

I have heard of discussion about connecting Russia with Alaska, and I think this is a great idea for many reasons? How about a dam that is also a highway?

[Moontanman]

The first thing that comes to mind is that the Bering Strait isn't the only source of warm water that enters the Arctic Ocean, to completely control this you would also have to dam up both sides of Greenland at least. Blocking off the water flow might preserve the ice but it would also threaten the lives of all the animals that need to migrate from the Pacific Ocean or the North Atlantic Ocean to the Arctic Ocean and this would cause at as least bad if not worse problems for wild life... You might save a few polar bears but you would loose seals, walruses, whales, fish, krill... the list goes on and on... Dams are always a bad idea for wild life...

[Athena]

The first thing that comes to mind is that the Bering Strait isn't the only source of warm water that enters the Arctic Ocean, to completely control this you would also have to dam up both sides of Greenland at least. Blocking off the water flow might preserve the ice but it would also threaten the lives of all the animals that need to migrate from the Pacific Ocean or the North Atlantic Ocean to the Arctic Ocean and this would cause at as least bad if not worse problems for wild life... You might save a few polar bears but you would loose seals, walruses, whales, fish, krill... the list goes on and on... Dams are always a bad idea for wild life...

 

Wow you are a real party pooper. Can we open the dam during migration periods? It isn't just about saving polar bears, but islands are loosing land to the ocean. A lot of land could be below sea level if the ice keeps melting. As much as 10 % of the world's population is vulnerable. New York and Florida are threatened by the rising sea level.

Edited October 7, 2010 by Athena

[Moontanman]

Wow you are a real party pooper. Can we open the dam during migration periods? It isn't just about saving polar bears, but islands are loosing land to the ocean. A lot of land could be below sea level if the ice keeps melting. As much as 10 % of the world's population is vulnerable. New York and Florida are threatened by the rising sea level.

 

The floating ice of the Arctic Ocean will no effect on the sea level if it melts, it's the Greenland ice sheet that needs to be protected...

[Athena]

Moontanman, would you please explain your statement? There is hot lava under Greenland, right? I am less hopeful of keeping this area cool. In fact, now I think stopping global warming might be impossible. Please build on what you have said.

 

I know you won't like this, and I hope it doesn't get my banned, but this is the Age of Aquarius. Aquarius is the first sign of the Zodiac. It is the Water Bearer. Don't native Americans carry the idea that the earth will be cleansed with water? Perhaps we should build a high tech Noah's ark to save what life forms we can, and consider the management of the planet after the cleansing? Seriously, might a high ark be possible?

[Incendia]

A high tech Noah's ark? Wouldn't that just be a massive zoo that floats on water? Sounds stupid to me...

 

Though if you wanted to link Alaska and Russia:

1. They are going to collide anyway.

2. A tunnel would be better as it would not effect the wildlife as much as a bridge would.

 

About migratory fish and sea mammals living there:

Below is a web-page that lists the various sea creatures living in the Bering Sea [bering strait is just above the Bering sea] and Gulf of Alaska.

Feel free to research whether they are in-dangered/threatened and whether they use the strait for migration and living in:

http://observernet.org/obsforum/BSGOAFishIndex1.html

[jonnyquest]

before i read moontanman's post i was going to say exactly the same thing. dam's are always bad for the environment. in lakes they affect the temperature and ruin the ecosystem. the construction of a dam is just more pollution. environmental concerns aside, the logistics of building a dam in the ocean would be near impossible. the currents and tides of the ocean would make this a near impossible feat. if you're concerned about glaciers melting, take up the climate change cause. we've done the damage to this planet, we can't damage it more by building dams.