I have been watching Planet Earth on the Discovery channel (great show, btw), and they showed a before/after comparison of the ice caps in summer compared to winter. There is like a 2000 mile (not 100% on that exact number) difference in diameter between the two. Apparently it grows and shrinks every year.

A lot of people are saying that the polar ice caps are melting. Well, yea, but they grow back. So, am i to understand that all the heartbreaking film clips of chunks of ice falling off into the water is just inflamatory nonsense, or it is a fact that each year they are a little less wide (when it is at its peak diameter). I mean, are they just filming something that happens every year?

If you check out Wikipedia for "polar ice caps", they have a good illustration of the difference between Sept. and Feb. of the northern ice cap.

1 more little question. A lot of people are saying that if the ice caps keep melting, some places will be underwater (like Amsterdam, i think). I performed a little experiment on accident. I put ice in a cup of water and forgot about it. After the ice melted, the water level went down. So, since ice is EXPANDED water, wont the water level go down if more ice melts? Just a thought. This is, of course, assuming that the ice caps are just big ice cubes floating in the water.