Arctic melting faster than expected

THE Arctic is being affected more severely than previously thought, indicating climate change is far worse than any previous predictions so far.

A team of 150 of the world’s top scientists have said they are convinced by their latest research of the serious threat being posed and have called on politicians to take appropriate action at the United Nations climate change conference in Copenhagen in December.

Their call follows a €25 million research project called Damocles, which was mostly funded by the EU.

The scientists said they used for the first time a combined range of sciences to understand climate change in the Arctic.

“We are deeply concerned that the most recent carbon dioxide emission estimates are even higher than the most extreme Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) scenario.

“Unless emissions are curbed significantly, we are not expecting a stabilisation of the Arctic’s climate system,” the scientists said.

Dr Jean Claude Gascard, the scientific coordinator of the European Arctic research project Damocles, said they were surprised at how fast and strong the Arctic is reacting to global warming.

Greenhouse gasses trigger a catalogue of changes that melts ice and a complete meltdown could occur in the next few decades, he said.

This would lead to drastic changes in ecosystems and food shortages due to animal migration.