Effects Global Warming in the Arctic

Arctic warming will have a broad impact across the world, resulting in a sharp increase in harmful greenhouse gases and significant changes in global weather patterns that can disrupt lives and livelihoods of hundreds of millions of people.

That’s according to a new study released today by the World Wildlife Fund, who found that Arctic sea ice melting faster than expected, with major implications far beyond the region. These include changes in patterns of temperature and precipitation in North America and Europe that will affect agriculture, forestry and water supply.

“This is not about the Arctic, it means that what the North Pole to the world and this study really serious about painting a picture of the future if it continued to warm and melt,” said Dr Martin Sommerkorn, “Warming in the Arctic will have negative consequences not only for polar bears, but for people across America and around the world. Put simply, if we do not keep the Arctic cold enough, people around the world suffer. ”

With sea ice expected to recede to near record levels later this month, a study, the Arctic Climate Feedbacks: Global Implications, found growing evidence that some of the anticipated impact on the atmosphere has emerged. The report also predicts that the negative impacts of Arctic warming could make the global climate change is more severe than indicated by other recent projections, including the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s 2007 assessment.

“The planet‘s alarm system blaring loud and we had to get up and take action,” said Keya Chatterjee, acting director of WWF’s climate change-US. “We must pass legislation in the U.S. and secure a global agreement to cut our emissions now and prepare for rapid arising from climate change.”

Frozen Arctic lands and wetlands store more than twice as much carbon as is held in the atmosphere, the warming trend continues, the soil will thaw and release more carbon dioxide and methane into the atmosphere as, at a rate much faster than previously estimated. Atmospheric levels of methane, a very potent greenhouse gas, has increased steadily over the past two years, and many believe the increase is driven by the melting Arctic.

The report also concluded that sea level will likely increase by more than one meter in the year 2100 – more than twice the amount given in the IPCC’s 2007 assessment. Related flooding of coastal areas will affect more than a quarter of the world’s population.

In December 2009, governments of 191 countries will meet in Copenhagen, Denmark, for the final round of negotiations for a new global agreement on climate change. WWF has joined with other NGOs to produce a climate model for the Copenhagen agreement which provides a blueprint for achieving reductions of emissions required to avoid the possibility of arctic entries.

Note:

* A video interview with Dr. Sommerkorn, and clips from the multi-media presentation that accompanies available for download from http://www.divshare.com/folder/587835-7d0
* Model climate treaty and the Arctic Climate Feedbacks: Global Implications of this report is available at http://www.panda.org/arctic
* Last week, the WWF launched a national public awareness campaign to raise awareness of climate change impacts in the United States and improve the climate legislation by Congress. For more information and to view the ads visit www.actforourfuture.org.

About World Wildlife Fund
WWF is the world’s leading conservation organizations, working in 100 countries for nearly half a century. With the support of almost 5 million members worldwide, WWF is dedicated to providing science-based solutions to preserve the diversity and abundance of life on Earth, stop the degradation of the environment and combat climate change