Sunday, September 13, 2009

Climate change at Arctic - How to stop it?

The signs of climate change look to be increasing each year, and the most obvious sign looks to be Arctic. In fact many scientists agree that if we want to look for evidence on climate change we shouldn't be looking it further than Arctic. Rising temperatures at Arctic cause ice melting and retreating at very fast pace, in fact if this trend continues in years to come Arctic could become ice free by the end of this century, if not even before. Climate change that is happening at Arctic is only indicator of what will happen to our entire planet in years to come, unless we do something about it. Climate change has the potential to significantly change conditions on our planet and create global environmental disaster.

Current situation at Arctic should be warning to all of us that we should fear the worst if we continue with our massive greenhouse gas emissions. Creatures like polar bears, Pacific walruses, ringed and hooded seals, narwhals and ivory gulls are already suffering because of climate change. Big decline in population of these species is mainly the result of ice loss because these animals need ice to survive. For instance many polar bear cubs are dying when the lairs under the snow in which they are born collapse as the result of unusually early spring rain due to increased temperatures. With more and more ice melting polar animals are losing more habitats and are on the brink of extinction.

Is there a real chance to stop this environmental disaster on Arctic? The world's political leaders will meet in Copenhagen later this year to agree a new climate deal. If they manage to agree on significant greenhouse cuts we could see the difference of this pattern, and perhaps have the chance to avoid seeing the worst that climate change has to offer. But this has to happen now because time is no longer on our side, and only quick action can give us decent hope that Arctic can be saved.

Saving Arctic from climate change impact is not just to save polar bears from extinction, it is really a first important step from protecting our whole planet from climate change. Hopefully politics is not about to make this first step in the wrong direction because quite frankly we do not have enough time to return on the right track if our first step turns out to be wrong one.

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