Environment & Energy
Related: About this forumHeatwaves at both of Earth's poles alarm climate scientists
Startling heatwaves at both of Earths poles are causing alarm among climate scientists, who have warned the unprecedented events could signal faster and abrupt climate breakdown. Temperatures in Antarctica reached record levels at the weekend, an astonishing 40C above normal in places. At the same time, weather stations near the north pole also showed signs of melting, with some temperatures 30C above normal, hitting levels normally attained far later in the year.
At this time of year, the Antarctic should be rapidly cooling after its summer, and the Arctic only slowly emerging from its winter, as days lengthen. For both poles to show such heating at once is unprecedented. The rapid rise in temperatures at the poles is a warning of disruption in Earths climate systems. Last year, in the first chapter of a comprehensive review of climate science, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change warned of unprecedented warming signals already occurring, resulting in some changes such as polar melt that could rapidly become irreversible.
The danger is twofold: heatwaves at the poles are a strong signal of the damage humanity is wreaking on the climate; and the melting could also trigger further cascading changes that will accelerate climate breakdown. As polar sea ice melts, particularly in the Arctic, it reveals dark sea that absorbs more heat than reflective ice, warming the planet further. Much of the Antarctic ice covers land, and its melting raises sea levels.
Scientists warned that the events unfolding were historic, unprecedented and dramatic. Michael Mann, director of the Earth System Science Centre at Pennsylvania State University, said the extreme weather being recorded was exceeding predictions to a worrying extent. The warming of the Arctic and Antarctic is cause for concern, and the increase in extreme weather events of which these are an example is a cause for concern as well, he said. The models have done a good job projecting the overall warming, but weve argued that extreme events are exceeding model projections. These events drive home the urgency of action.
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2022/mar/20/heatwaves-at-both-of-earth-poles-alarm-climate-scientists
Justice matters.
(6,925 posts)Locrian
(4,522 posts)but we can't even get people to wear a mask or get a vaccine.
I have little hope we can convince everyone of the urgency.
The rich will just double down on trying to extract the remaining wealth to create their fortified castles (I mean targets ) to try to "ride it out"
Mickju
(1,800 posts)Response to milestogo (Original post)
jfz9580m This message was self-deleted by its author.
milestogo
(16,829 posts)This is not a good time to be born.