Scientists issue urgent warning as Arctic data reveals alarming trends: 'Overwhelming amount of change happening'

According to experts, worrying developments in the Arctic are being compounded by current domestic and geopolitical events. Arctic sea ice levels are at record lows, and some areas will soon be ice-free entirely in the summer months. 

What's happening?

The Arctic is in terminal decline, and the loss of sea ice and thawing permafrost will have global consequences. Permafrost acts like a giant freezer for organic matter, including dead plants and animals. When it thaws, it releases harmful greenhouse gases instead of trapping them.

The loss of sea ice is a death knell for the Arctic's wildlife and the 400,000 Indigenous people who call the Arctic home. Current events will make monitoring and mitigating this terminal decline far more difficult.

The United States' position as a global leader in environmental science has been facing governmental cuts on the heels of the Elon Musk-led Department of Government Efficiency. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, which monitors conditions in the Arctic, has been ordered to cut 10% of its workforce.

Russia has almost half of the Arctic's landmass, but because of the ongoing war in Ukraine, Russia is currently a pariah state in the global community. This diplomatic isolation means that vital Arctic research is essentially on pause until hostilities cease.

As Kim Holmén, a climate and environment scientist at UiT the Arctic University of Norway, told Scientific American: "The lack of Russian data is a great loss for humankind and our ability to discover change and, in extension, build knowledge that allows robust prediction of future change."

Why is the Arctic sea ice important?

Twila Moon, deputy lead scientist at the National Snow and Ice Data Center, describes the Arctic as "our planetary air conditioning system." The Arctic's sea ice acts as a mirror, reflecting the sun's energy away from the Earth. Without it, more energy is absorbed by the world's oceans, making climate conditions much worse.

"There's just an overwhelming amount of change happening in the Arctic right now," Moon told CNN.

One of the last bastions of Arctic sea ice will be an area covering parts of Greenland and Canada. The "Last Ice Area" will be the final refuge for several Arctic species, such as polar bears and walruses. Once it goes, scientists say, so will they. 

What can be done about the decline of the Arctic?

The long-term solution is to curb harmful pollution and replace fossil fuels with clean renewable energy. A bilateral agreement between Canada and Denmark (which oversees Greenland's foreign policy) to protect the Arctic would be another good step forward.

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Understanding the problem is key to solving it, and though current conditions may make that difficult, there's still plenty that can be done at the local level. Additionally, contacting your local representative about the cuts to research can lead to positive change. There are some useful online tools to help with this. 

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