Earths temperature is slowly rising. In some places, temperatures are rising, causing the ice to melt. People disagree about whether global warming is a problem. Melting glaciers and polar ice may cause flooding in certain areas and some parts of Earth may become too hot and too dry. Global warming may open new areas to settlement and access to natural resources that were previously inaccessible. These, and other uncertainties, mean that scientists cannot be sure of exactly how global warming will affect Earth and its people, however, evidence is becoming more available all of the time.