Sea ice loss another wake-up call on climate change

Bhubaneswar: The escalation of sea ice loss seems to be another wake-up call for global citizens to take action against climate change.

Last week, the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) had confirmed the highest temperature of 38 degree Celsius ever recorded in the Arctic, one of the fastest warming regions on the planet Earth that is heating more than twice the global average.

Also Read: Climate change! Record high of 38 degree C reported in Arctic region

The temperature was measured on December 14, 2021, at a meteorological observing station in the Russian town of Verkhoyansk, about 115 km north of the Arctic Circle, on June 20, 2020, during an exceptional and prolonged Siberian heatwave.

This raised concern among the scientists and environmentalists as this warming caused by carbon dioxide and methane previously locked up below ground are now released as permafrost thaws.

According to a study published in United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), Methane is the primary contributor to the formation of ground-level ozone, a hazardous air pollutant and greenhouse gas, exposure to which causes 1 million premature deaths every year.

Methane, which is also a powerful greenhouse gas, is 80 times more potent at warming than carbon dioxide over a period of 20 years.

With the fast melting of ice in the sea, it severely affects the daily lives.

“It matters because the extent of sea ice affects local ecosystems, regional and global weather patterns, and ocean temperatures and circulation. If Arctic sea ice continues to shrink, we may see a summer ice-free Arctic Ocean by the mid-2040s and the disappearance of polar bears and other animals. However, there are also global consequences. Snow and ice help keep the planet cool because they reflect the sun’s rays back into space. Warmer temperatures mean Arctic sea ice is reduced, ocean temperatures rise, and the warmer water (with a bigger volume) contributes to sea-level rise,” stated Pascal Peduzzi, a climate change expert and Director of GRID-Geneva at the UNEP.

Earlier, the loss of sea ice was reported in 2012. The extent was almost small in 2020, while it was slightly higher in 2021.

The trend is clear. In addition, in 2020, the area of Arctic Sea Ice was the lowest on record for the month of July, Pascal said.

Explaining about the cause of loss of sea ice, he said, “Increasing emissions of greenhouse gases, principally carbon dioxide (CO 2), are to blame. The global trend in the increase in CO2 concentration is not only rising but accelerating. If we compare the same month of May, in 1960 it was +0.9 parts per million (ppm) per year, in 1980 +1.21 ppm; in 2000 +1.83 ppm and in 2021 it is +2.48 ppm/year. Global heating is real. There is a strong correlation in the long-term trends between CO2 emissions and atmospheric CO2 levels and we’re in danger of missing key Paris Agreement goals as the emissions gap widens.”

As the sea ice is on decline it clearly indicates that ocean temperature is rising on the planet.

“Combined with melting glaciers on land, this contributes to sea-level rise, which is accelerating. Between 1994 and 2010 sea-level rise averaged 3.3 mm per year, but since 2010 it has been rising at an average of 4.4 mm per year,” the expert said.

“This warming threatens Earth’s library of life including human existence, he further stated suggesting, “We need to ramp up renewable energy and rapidly phase out fossil fuels. We need to implement nature-based solutions and introduce a circular economy. Solutions exist, but their implementation is too slow. We also need more data and science. Governments need to get serious about climate action.”

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