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Retreating Arctic Ice

In 33 years – far sooner than anyone ever imagined – the North Pole could be ice-free.

Researchers say Arctic ice sheets are melting much more rapidly than predicted, and that less and less ice is returning each winter to the poles. As greenhouse gasses accumulate, the planet warms and the ice melts. The more it melts, the more open ocean is exposed. As the sun warms the exposed ocean water, less ice forms around the poles, creating a cycle that researchers warn will soon reach a point of no return.

One scientist predicts that in 20 years, roughly 80 percent of the Arctic sea ice will be gone. Climate scientists have predicted that greenhouse gas emissions, rising at the current rate, could cause a complete melting of Arctic sea ice by 2040. Reducing greenhouse gases, on the other hand, would slow the rate of melting, models have shown.

By deflecting the sun’s rays back into space, the polar ice caps play a critical role in keeping the planet from growing too warm to support life.

Scientists agree that human activity is causing global warming to increase at record rates. What happens next, therefore, is also up to us.

To learn how you can help to slow global warming, go to www.fightglobalwarming.com

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To read more about this and other environmental health issues, go to: www.environmentalhealthnews.org, www.ourstolenfuture.org, or www.healthandenvironment.org