That is precisely Pape's point: because the North pole is a little floating ice cube in your drink, melting it doesn't make a difference. Its volume is already accounted for in current levels by the displacement of liquid needed for it to float. (Hence why we don't notice big spikes in sea levels during summer or drops during winter.)
By contrast the Antarctic is not a little floating ice cube, but a big ice cube lying on a table. So what if you took it from your table then dropped it into your drink?
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