#ARCTIC. #SIBERIA. THIS IS TAIMYR. Antarctica is 98 percent covered with ice, and the Arctic is a glacier, while the Arctic zone includes the territories of eight countries: Canada, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Russia, Sweden and the United States. Today, about four million people live in the Arctic, of which 10 percent are indigenous people. The Ecology project creators told Rossiyskaya Gazeta about why the ice is melting and what will happen if the Arctic and Antarctic melt.
Why is the ice melting?
The ice melting is greatly influenced by human activities, the burning of fossil fuels and the accumulation of greenhouse gases. The glacier loss rate has increased by 57 percent since the 1990s, and under current warming trends, two-thirds of Earth’s glaciers can disappear by 2100.
Arctic sea ice has declined by about 10 percent over the past 30 years.
How melting glaciers affect the environment
Global sea levels are rising by 3.2 millimeters per year. Growth is projected to accelerate in the coming decades. Some animal species are in danger of extinction. In addition, migration occurs: butterflies, foxes and plants have migrated further north or to higher, cooler areas.
Precipitation has increased on average around the world, and some regions are experiencing more severe drought, increasing the risk of wildfires, crop loss and drinking water shortages.
What threatens the planet if all the Arctic ice melts?
Antarctica retains approximately 90 percent of the world’s ice and 70 percent of its fresh water. If all Antarctic ice melted, sea levels around the world would rise by about 61 meters.
Scientists give various disappointing forecasts
With about 40 percent of the world’s population living in flood-prone areas, the world will create at least 3.5 billion refugees.
There will be a shortage of drinking water. Salt water will seep into the groundwater.
The ice stores a large number of viruses and bacteria, to which modern humans have no immunity. Therefore, there is a risk of a new pandemic.
Hurricanes and other storms will become stronger, and floods and droughts will become more frequent.
Ecosystems will continue to change: some species will move further north or become more powerful; others, such as polar bears, will not be able to adapt and will go extinct.
How to stop the melting of glaciers
Optimistic scientists believe that with large-scale cuts in greenhouse gas emissions, there is still a small chance of limiting warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius. In addition, researchers say that environmental problems can be avoided by flying less, walking and using public transport instead of personal cars, saving electricity, using renewable energy sources, conserving water and food, planting trees, and recycling waste.
Earlier it became known that Russia is going to use a climate doctrine. Scientists have calculated that preserving permafrost will save five trillion rubles.
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Text: Angelika Stepanova, Photo: Olga Polyanskaya
