Climate change is putting the earth to the test and its poles, Arctic and Antarctica, with their warning signs will be the first test of policy makers. Bloomberg outlines some projects under study
In recent weeks, Alaska has experienced record temperatures, scientists have released a “report card” showing an inexorable deterioration in the Arctic climate, and researchers have warned that an ice shelf in Antarctica could collapse by a few years, dramatically increasing the region’s contribution to sea level rise.
These are signs on a dismal path. They show that damage to the cryosphere, the portions of the Earth’s surface where ice predominates, is progressing faster than many have predicted. After a year of promises – at the United Nations climate conference in Glasgow and elsewhere – 2022 must be the year of concrete action, especially at the poles of the Earth – Bloomberg writes in his editorial.
The annual Arctic Health Check produced by the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration provided a troubling snapshot. For the eighth year in a row, air surface temperatures in the Far North were at least 1 degree Celsius (1.8 degrees Fahrenheit) above the long-term average. In April, the post-winter volume of sea ice – a crucial indicator – reached its lowest level since recording began.
Since 1980, the Arctic has warmed nearly four times faster than the rest of the world. This is partly due to the feedback loops. The retreat of sea ice exposes the darker ocean, which absorbs sunlight rather than reflecting it, and therefore causes more melting. And a similar story with the thinning of the ice sheets and the reduction of snow cover. The permafrost – which contains twice the carbon load of the current atmosphere – is thawing and releasing methane, which in turn is warming the atmosphere and worsening the thaw.
Antarctica tells a similar story. An ice shelf held the giant Thwaites Glacier in place like a cork, but researchers last month said hot water was melting it from below, while an undersea mountain’s grip locked it in place. is loosening. The increase in the fracture could simply shatter it. If Thwaites Glacier melts completely, it would raise global sea level by about two feet, threatening coastal cities.
What should be done
Reducing global emissions is obviously essential. But these efforts will not do enough to prevent a looming crisis in the polar regions. Policymakers should view the cryosphere as a testing ground for the kind of large-scale technological interventions that may soon be needed in other areas as climate change intensifies.
To get started, we need a stronger governance forum for the clusters. Existing structures – most notably the Arctic Council and the Antarctic Treaty – have helped maintain peace and advance scientific goals, but neither is suitable for making political choices. A UN-sponsored effort to oversee climate technology at the poles could help lay the groundwork for significant new experiments.
Several such projects are already being studied. Some are clever if far-fetched, like a plan to coat seasonal Arctic ice with a reflective glass powder, thereby increasing its reflectivity and decreasing feedback loops. Some are plausible, but require further study and risk assessments, such as efforts to distribute hydrosols to increase the luminosity of surface water; using wind power to pump water to the surface during the Arctic winter, where it should freeze and thicken quickly; or injecting sulfates into the lower stratosphere to reduce temperatures and ice loss.
(Extract from the foreign press review by eprcomunicazione)
