Latest news with #2024ArcticReportCard
Canada News.Net
20 hours ago
- Politics
- Canada News.Net
International Year of Glaciers' Preservation: save the glaciers!
The United Nations has designated 2025 as the International Year of Glaciers' Preservation to highlight the importance of glaciers and ensure that those relying on them, and those affected by cryospheric (1) processes, receive the necessary hydrological, meteorological, and climate services. Glaciers are crucial for regulating the global climate and providing freshwater, essential for billions of people. However, due to climate change, driven mainly by human activities since the 1800s, these vital resources are rapidly melting. The resolution calls on the international community to resolve conflicts through inclusive dialogue and negotiation in order to ensure the strengthening of peace and trust in relations between UN member states as a value that promotes sustainable development, peace and security, and human rights. Contrary to calls on the international community to resolve conflicts through inclusive dialogue and negotiation, Canada has decided to militarize the Arctic, citing the war in Ukraine as a major factor. In fact, much of the Arctic Circle is located in Russia, Canada, and Greenland. Last year the Canadian government affirmed that NORAD (North American Aerospace Defense Command) and NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) will ensure Canadian sovereignty over the Arctic. However, NORAD, which is led by the United States and headquartered in Colorado Springs, is in power, while NATO is headquartered in Brussels. This decision by the federal government gives disproportionate control over the Canadian Arctic and threatens Inuit sovereignty and the balance of the already fragile Arctic ecosystem. The proposed militarization of the Canadian Arctic threatens to further weaken the ecosystem, which is being hit hard by climate change and melting ice. Dramatic changes in the Arctic, including an increase in wildfires, the greening of the Tundra and an increase in winter precipitation, are documented in the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's 2024 Arctic Report Card. The report notes a growing scientific consensus that melting Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets, among other factors, may be slowing important ocean currents at both poles, with potentially dire consequences for a much colder northern Europe) and greater sea-level rise along the U.S. East Coast. Unfortunately, the Trump administration's plan to dismantle the nation's atmospheric research programs and could set U.S. forecasting back to dark age, warns hurricane, weather and ocean scientists. We cannot negotiate with the melting point of ice, is one of the bottom lines of the report from the International Cryosphere Climate Initiative, which includes scientists from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and WMO's Global Cryosphere Watch network. These new findings corroborate recent WMO State of the Global Climate and State of Global Water Resources reports which also have also highlighted the alarming melting affecting the cryosphere. A glacier is a large accumulation of mainly ice and snow, that originates on land and flows slowly through the influence of its own weight. Glaciers are found on every continent. They exist in many mountain regions and around the edges of the Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets. There are more than 200 000 glaciers in the world, covering an area of around 700 000 km2 (RGI, 2023). Glaciers are considered as important water towers, storing about 158 000 km3 of freshwater (Farinotti et al., 2019). Glaciers are a source of life, providing freshwater to people, animals and plants alike. Okjkull (Icelandic pronunciation: [kjktl], Ok glacier) was a glacier in western Iceland on top of the shield volcano Ok.[2] Ok is located north-east of Reykjavik. The glacier was declared dead in 2014 by glaciologist Oddur Sigursson due to its loss of thickness. The plaque was installed on August 18, 2019,[5] with an inscription written by Andri Snr Magnason, titled A letter to the future, in Icelandic and English. The English version reads: Ok is the first Icelandic glacier to lose its status as a glacier. In the next 200 years all our glaciers are expected to follow the same path. This monument is to acknowledge that we know what is happening and what needs to be done. Only you know if we did it. Impact Glaciers and ice caps are critical for sustaining ecosystems and human livelihoods. They provide essential meltwater runoff during dry seasons, supporting drinking water, agriculture, industry, and clean energy production, making these frozen reservoirs vital for global water resources. Climate and cryosphere changes, however, are disrupting the water cycle, altering the amount and timing of glacier melt, causing knock-on impacts on water resource availability while also contributing to sea-level rise. As glaciers continue to shrink and snow cover diminishes, less water will be available for communities, particularly in seasonally dry regions. Increased competition for water resources is expected, with regions like China, India, and the Andes among the most vulnerable. Glaciers that have surpassed their "Peak Water" point-the stage at which meltwater runoff reaches its maximum-will gradually provide decreasing contributions to downstream water supplies, intensifying challenges for water security. Over the past century, despite representing only 0.5% of global land surface area, glaciers have contributed more to sea-level rise than the Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets. Between 2000 and 2023, glaciers are estimated to have lost an average mass of approximately 273 billion tonnes per year, which is equivalent to approximately 0.75 mm per year of global sea-level rise (The GlaMBIE Team, 2025). The continuous retreat of glaciers signals the growing impacts of global warming and creates new hazards while intensifying existing ones. For example, melting glaciers are increasing the risk of hazards such as glacier lake outburst floods, ice avalanches and glacial debris flows, posing dangers to local and downstream communities. However, risk assessments are often not possible due to an absence of data (IPCC, 2019). Therefore, increased observation of the cryosphere is critical for effectively forecasting the impacts of cryosphere-related hazards. ___________________________________________ (1) Cryospheric: The cryosphere is an umbrella term for those portions of Earth's surface where water is in solid form. This includes sea ice, ice on lakes or rivers, snow, glaciers, ice caps, ice sheets, and frozen ground (which includes permafrost).
Canada Standard
20 hours ago
- Politics
- Canada Standard
International Year of Glaciers' Preservation: save the glaciers!
The United Nations has designated 2025 as the International Year of Glaciers' Preservation to highlight the importance of glaciers and ensure that those relying on them, and those affected by cryospheric (1) processes, receive the necessary hydrological, meteorological, and climate services. Glaciers are crucial for regulating the global climate and providing freshwater, essential for billions of people. However, due to climate change, driven mainly by human activities since the 1800s, these vital resources are rapidly melting. The resolution calls on the international community to resolve conflicts through inclusive dialogue and negotiation in order to ensure the strengthening of peace and trust in relations between UN member states as a value that promotes sustainable development, peace and security, and human rights. Contrary to calls on the international community to resolve conflicts through inclusive dialogue and negotiation, Canada has decided to militarize the Arctic, citing the war in Ukraine as a major factor. In fact, much of the Arctic Circle is located in Russia, Canada, and Greenland. Last year the Canadian government affirmed that NORAD (North American Aerospace Defense Command) and NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) will ensure Canadian sovereignty over the Arctic. However, NORAD, which is led by the United States and headquartered in Colorado Springs, is in power, while NATO is headquartered in Brussels. This decision by the federal government gives disproportionate control over the Canadian Arctic and threatens Inuit sovereignty and the balance of the already fragile Arctic ecosystem. The proposed militarization of the Canadian Arctic threatens to further weaken the ecosystem, which is being hit hard by climate change and melting ice. Dramatic changes in the Arctic, including an increase in wildfires, the greening of the Tundra and an increase in winter precipitation, are documented in the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's 2024 Arctic Report Card. The report notes a growing scientific consensus that melting Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets, among other factors, may be slowing important ocean currents at both poles, with potentially dire consequences for a much colder northern Europe) and greater sea-level rise along the U.S. East Coast. Unfortunately, the Trump administration's plan to dismantle the nation's atmospheric research programs and could set U.S. forecasting back to dark age, warns hurricane, weather and ocean scientists. We cannot negotiate with the melting point of ice, is one of the bottom lines of the report from the International Cryosphere Climate Initiative, which includes scientists from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and WMO's Global Cryosphere Watch network. These new findings corroborate recent WMO State of the Global Climate and State of Global Water Resources reports which also have also highlighted the alarming melting affecting the cryosphere. A glacier is a large accumulation of mainly ice and snow, that originates on land and flows slowly through the influence of its own weight. Glaciers are found on every continent. They exist in many mountain regions and around the edges of the Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets. There are more than 200 000 glaciers in the world, covering an area of around 700 000 km2 (RGI, 2023). Glaciers are considered as important water towers, storing about 158 000 km3 of freshwater (Farinotti et al., 2019). Glaciers are a source of life, providing freshwater to people, animals and plants alike. Okjkull (Icelandic pronunciation: [kjktl], Ok glacier) was a glacier in western Iceland on top of the shield volcano Ok.[2] Ok is located north-east of Reykjavik. The glacier was declared dead in 2014 by glaciologist Oddur Sigursson due to its loss of thickness. The plaque was installed on August 18, 2019,[5] with an inscription written by Andri Snr Magnason, titled A letter to the future , in Icelandic and English. The English version reads: Ok is the first Icelandic glacier to lose its status as a glacier. In the next 200 years all our glaciers are expected to follow the same path. This monument is to acknowledge that we know what is happening and what needs to be done. Only you know if we did it. Impact Glaciers and ice caps are critical for sustaining ecosystems and human livelihoods. They provide essential meltwater runoff during dry seasons, supporting drinking water, agriculture, industry, and clean energy production, making these frozen reservoirs vital for global water resources. Climate and cryosphere changes, however, are disrupting the water cycle, altering the amount and timing of glacier melt, causing knock-on impacts on water resource availability while also contributing to sea-level rise. As glaciers continue to shrink and snow cover diminishes, less water will be available for communities, particularly in seasonally dry regions. Increased competition for water resources is expected, with regions like China, India, and the Andes among the most vulnerable. Glaciers that have surpassed their "Peak Water" point-the stage at which meltwater runoff reaches its maximum-will gradually provide decreasing contributions to downstream water supplies, intensifying challenges for water security. Over the past century, despite representing only 0.5% of global land surface area, glaciers have contributed more to sea-level rise than the Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets. Between 2000 and 2023, glaciers are estimated to have lost an average mass of approximately 273 billion tonnes per year, which is equivalent to approximately 0.75 mm per year of global sea-level rise (The GlaMBIE Team, 2025). The continuous retreat of glaciers signals the growing impacts of global warming and creates new hazards while intensifying existing ones. For example, melting glaciers are increasing the risk of hazards such as glacier lake outburst floods, ice avalanches and glacial debris flows, posing dangers to local and downstream communities. However, risk assessments are often not possible due to an absence of data (IPCC, 2019). Therefore, increased observation of the cryosphere is critical for effectively forecasting the impacts of cryosphere-related hazards. ___________________________________________ Source: (1) Cryospheric : The cryosphere is an umbrella term for those portions of Earth's surface where water is in solid form. This includes sea ice, ice on lakes or rivers, snow, glaciers, ice caps, ice sheets, and frozen ground (which includes permafrost). Source: Pressenza
Yahoo
29-03-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Scientists sound the alarm as new study predicts dire consequences of human activity: 'The power to wipe out entire landscapes'
Our overheating planet may cross a dangerous threshold in the coming years, with one new study warning that the Arctic may be "transformed beyond contemporary recognition" if warming continues as expected. Researchers behind a new study have outlined the impacts if Earth's temperature rises by 4.9 degrees Fahrenheit by the end of the century (compared to pre-industrial temperatures). This threshold is expected to be reached even with countries' pledges to curb pollution. "Our paper shows that, already today, mankind has the power to wipe out entire landscapes from the surface of our planet," said the study's co-author, Dirk Notz, a professor for polar research at the University of Hamburg, per SciTechDaily. Notz continued, "It'd be amazing if we could become more aware of this power and the responsibility that goes with it, as the future of the Arctic truly lies in our hands." The Arctic is bearing the brunt of warming around the world, with temperatures in the region rising four times faster than the rest of Earth. The study suggests that the warming projected to occur will have dire impacts across the Arctic, endangering wildlife and entire ecosystems. "Virtually every day of the year would have air temperatures higher than pre-industrial extremes, the Arctic Ocean would be essentially ice-free for several months in summer, the area of Greenland that reaches melting temperatures for at least a month would roughly quadruple, and the area of permafrost would be roughly half of what it was in pre-industrial times," noted the study, which was published by Science. The authors continued, "These geophysical changes go along with widespread ecosystem disruptions and infrastructure damage, which, as we show here, could be substantially reduced by increased efforts to limit global warming." The U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration recently reported another key threshold has been reached in the Arctic. The agency's 2024 Arctic Report Card cautioned that the region releases more carbon dioxide into the atmosphere than it stores. Scientists are using a powerful new AI tool to help forecast future changes in Arctic sea ice up to at least a year in advance. The projections from this groundbreaking model will help policy-makers make critical decisions about how to best protect this important region. Preventing the century-end warming projected in the study will require a concerted effort to cool our planet, including a concerted move away from dirty energy sources and toward cleaner, cheaper options. Do you think America could ever go zero-waste? Never Not anytime soon Maybe in some states Definitely Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. But as individuals, there are plenty of things we can all do to keep our planet cooler. Installing solar panels, opting for induction stoves instead of conventional ranges, and choosing an EV for the next vehicle purchase are all examples of things we can do. Many of these upgrades, like installing solar panels, can also help you reduce your energy bills. Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
Yahoo
19-03-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Scientists issue warning about the Arctic with massive implications for the entire globe: 'We ignore [it] to our peril'
According to the 2024 Arctic Report Card the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration released, the Arctic region has shifted from storing carbon dioxide to releasing it into the atmosphere, per Mongabay. Increased microbial activity, thawing permafrost, and frequent wildfires have turned the Arctic from a carbon storage area into a net carbon emitter. In 2024 alone, wildfires north of the Arctic Circle released 42.3 million metric tons of CO2. The past nine years have been the warmest on record in the Arctic, with 2024 marking the second-warmest year since 1900. These temperatures are causing the permafrost — permanently frozen ground that stores more than half of all carbon in Earth's soil — to thaw rapidly. Do you think America has a plastic waste problem? Definitely Only in some areas Not really I'm not sure Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. "Think of it like a freezer," said Twila Moon, deputy lead scientist at the National Snow and Ice Data Center. "While that chicken's in your freezer, it's good to go for years, no worries. And as soon as you take it out, it's thawing, all the microbes are getting to work." This shift has far-reaching implications for communities worldwide. As the Arctic warms, it disrupts global weather patterns and weakens Earth's natural cooling system. "As we're heating up the Arctic, we're changing the way that our air flows around the planet, and we're actually making it easier for these blasts of Arctic air to come south," Moon explained. The warming has already affected wildlife, with migratory tundra caribou populations declining by 65% over the past two to three decades. September 2024 marked the sixth-lowest sea ice extent in the 45-year satellite record. "This landscape has been storing carbon for us for thousands of years, throughout the Industrial Revolution," Moon said. "[The Arctic] has done a lot of work of taking carbon up for us, instead of leaving it in the atmosphere." Scientists are tracking carbon changes using ground stations and satellites, collecting data from 200 monitoring sites. This high-resolution monitoring helps researchers understand how different parts of the Arctic are responding. Indigenous knowledge helps us understand and respond to Arctic changes. Canada's Ittaq Heritage and Research Centre teaches traditional hunting and harvesting skills while integrating modern technologies. "Inuit hunters are the original researchers of their homelands," wrote Sherry Fox and Mike Jaypoody in the report. "Observation, monitoring, and research skills are all integral parts of being a hunter or harvester." You can help by supporting organizations working on permafrost preservation, reducing your home energy use, and choosing products with lower carbon footprints. Even small actions add up when tackling significant challenges. "This is really a new and different Arctic," Moon added. "We ignore the Arctic to our peril at this point." Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
