"40 More Maps That Explain the World"

I usually love these kinds of things. I collect old maps and old atlases, and not with any kind of precision or as investments. It’s just that I really like maps, so I buy a lot of maps. And whenever I see one of those click-bait articles like this one at the Washington Post — well, I’ll take the bait, every time.

Then I got down to Number 8. That’s pretty cool stuff, seeing the continents altered by rising oceans, and you can go to National Geographic to explore it more in depth. So to speak. However, Max Fisher’s accompanying text was a little much to swallow:

It’s not clear precisely when the polar ice caps will melt completely. But if and when they do, sea levels will rise by 216 feet. This map shows what the world would look like then. Given how many people live near coastlines today, that’s not good.

Now maybe Fisher didn’t quite think that first sentence through [emphasis added], but he’s stating the ice caps will melt. Period. Full stop. It’s not “clear precisely,” but it’s a “when” and not an “if.”

Because the science is settled?