For the first time, experts and scientists are coming together for a climate summit aimed at preserving the polar regions and their glaciers. Summit organizers confirm that the polar regions are greatly affected by global warming.
The poles are very important for the preservation of different plant and animal species on Earth. The sea ice there also acts as a kind of buffer for land ice. When the ice on land melts and ends up in water, sea levels rise. If there is no ice, it cannot reflect sunlight. This reversal actually helps combat global warming.
Weather institutes have been measuring rising temperatures in Antarctica, for example, in recent years. These temperatures are well above average. The European Climate Service Copernicus reported that sea ice in the region was lower than ever in July, even though it is winter there.
Summer ice in the Arctic may no longer be saved. Even if we succeed in significantly reducing greenhouse emissions, there will likely not be any summer ice in the Arctic between 2030 and 2050, according to research by scientists from South Korea and Germany published on June 6.
The loss of summer ice in the Arctic could have dire consequences for communities and ecosystems “both inside and outside the Arctic,” the scientists wrote. In any case, they will share their findings during the summit with the UN Climate Panel (IPCC).
The One Planet – Polar Summit starts on Wednesday and runs through Friday. Researchers from more than forty countries come to Paris to attend the summit. International institutions, civil society organizations and representatives of indigenous peoples will also have their say.
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