A new integrated EU policy for the Arctic has been adopted. The extent of ice-covered ocean at the North Pole, and extending further south to Alaska, Canada, Greenland and Russia, reached its summertime low of 3.7 million square kilometres last week before starting to grow again. Climate change in the Arctic Earth's northernmost regions are a global warming hotspot, with some areas experiencing up to three times the warming of the rest of the world, Casas-Prat said. Pan-Arctic The Last Ice Area Barents Sea Beaufort, Bering & Chukchi Seas Canada Finland Greenland Norway Russia Sweden United States Outside the Arctic. The Arctic environment is being affected by events taking place far outside the region. In the 1980s, the ice cover was about 2.7 million square kilometres bigger than current summer levels. The resulting rapid reduction in Arctic multi-year sea ice has had, and will continue to have, profound consequences for the peoples and communities of the Arctic. International guidelines for ships operating in Arctic waters have been recently updated. The white area shows the average minimum extent of sea ice in summer as of 1975. Soldier describes 'insane' experience of helping with Melbourne COVID-19 quarantine, Demand for property has reached fever pitch, latest ABS figures suggest, Cambodia has zero deaths from COVID-19. This specialization starts with an in-depth look at the physical geography of the Arctic and its key climate features, including the ocean's floating sea ice cover, the Greenland Ice Sheet, and patterns of temperature, precipitation, snow cover and permafrost. Stand up to the abuse of power by polluters who disproportionately harm communities of color and low-income communities. Called SOLO 100, the project will see Mark Wood venturing alone and unaided across the remaining Arctic sea ice on Earth in order to get people talking about climate change.“Not everyone can see how we directly impact the planet; and what we don’t see, we tend to ignore. By MATTHEW LEE May 7, 2019 GMT. Changes to the Arctic brought about by warming temperatures will likely allow more exploration for oil, gas, and minerals. The last in a series on Climate Change. An arctic fox tracked with a satellite collar carries a goose egg on Bylot Island, Nunavut, in the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. The Coast Guard has two operational polar icebreakers and has received funding for the procurement of the first of at least three planned new polar icebreakers. Justis Huni wants it all. The Arctic Ocean and Climate Change: A Scenario for the US Navy. All parts of the cryosphere are sensitive to climate change, and they all play important roles in the global climate system. 1 of 6. Climate change is warming up the Arctic twice as fast as the rest of the world. This service may include material from Agence France-Presse (AFP), APTN, Reuters, AAP, CNN and the BBC World Service which is copyright and cannot be reproduced. News Stories Publications The Circle. Large commercial fisheries exist in the Arctic. Action. This year's melt is second only to 2012, when the ice shrank to 3.4 million square kilometres, according to the US National Snow and Ice Data Centre (NSIDC), which has been keeping satellite records since 1979. These changes have potential consequences for weather in the United States, access to mineral and biological resources in the Arctic, the economies and cultures of peoples in the region, and national security. Offered by University of Colorado Boulder. Earth is our only home and we must do everything we can to protect it. Studies show that the warming of the Arctic and the melting of sea ice change weather further south by altering the jet stream and other waves that move weather systems. Under the Endangered Species Act, the polar bear was listed as threatened on May 15, 2008. Russia in recent years has enhanced its military presence and operations in the Arctic, and the United States, Canada, and the Nordic countries have responded with their own increased presence and operations. As the Arctic thaws, Indigenous Alaskans demand a voice in climate change research. … Since the 1950s a stark rise in global temperatures has been observed. Changes in the Arctic could affect threatened and endangered species, and could result in migration of fish stocks to new waters. By Richard Stone Sep. 9, 2020 , 11:55 AM. The United States is working with other countries regarding the management of Arctic fish stocks. Summer sea ice extent has declined by 45% over the last three decades, allowing increased shipping activity. Health Minister among those concerned as NT Government cuts funding to parole rehab program, Olympic gold and a heavyweight belt? The dramatic loss of ice and erratic weather caused by climate change are putting unprecedented pressure on Arctic Peoples, testing their adaptive capacities and threatening their way of life. "Absolutely we're seeing climate change at work because the warm summers become warmer and the cold winters aren't as cold as they were," Mr Serreze said, noting there's been a downward trend over the last decade, with slight jumps up and down due to natural factors. It has been connected to increased winter storminess in the east of the US, says climate scientist Jennifer Francis of the Woodwell Climate Research Center in Massachusetts. The Arctic is warming at a rate of almost twice the global average. The seven other Arctic states are Canada, Iceland, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Denmark (by virtue of Greenland), and Russia. The Arctic Research and Policy Act (ARPA) of 1984 (Title I of P.L. Under the Endangered Species Act, the polar bear was listed as threatened on May 15, 2008. Climate change: Arctic sea ice reaches second record low . While climate change may be abstract in some places, here in the Arctic it is concrete, and becoming unsettlingly familiar. Report to Congress on Changes in the Arctic, Member Services call 800-233-8764 or 410-268-6110, VIDEO: Blue Angels Fly Legacy Hornets For Last Time. By Lianne Kolirin, CNN. But due to the climate emergency, warmer temperatures have meant dramatic changes to seasonal ice fluctuations, including when ice shows up, how much of it shows up and how long it hangs around for. Climate components in the Arctic. This video focuses on the problems faced by the Arctic. Stories and interactives exploring our environment and seeking solutions to climate change. The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) sets forth a comprehensive regime of law and order in the world’s oceans, including the Arctic Ocean. This research will develop a better understanding of, and ability to predict, Arctic marine changes. The Arctic is warming more rapidly than most other parts of the world, and many impacts of climate change are now observed throughout the region. China’s 2018 Arctic Policy vows to address climate change in the Arctic and to protect its vulnerable environment, but details are missing. Greenland glaciers are now releasing hundreds of gigatonnes of melted ice into the oceans each year. It focuses on strengthening international cooperation, tackling climate change, enhancing environmental protection and promoting sustainable development in this region of enormous environmental and economic importance. Letizia Diamante. Climate change missing as US defends Arctic policy. What happens in the Arctic will affect us all and this exhibition is … Record low extents of Arctic sea ice over the past decade have focused scientific and policy attention on links to global climate change and projected ice-free seasons in the Arctic within decades. The Department of Defense (DOD) and the Coast Guard are devoting increased attention to the Arctic in their planning and operations. 98-373 of July 31, 1984) “provide[s] for a comprehensive national policy dealing with national research needs and objectives in the Arctic.” The National Science Foundation (NSF) is the lead federal agency for implementing Arctic research policy. This has ramifications for the entire planet, as change spreads through interconnected global networks that are environmental, cultural, economic and political. Warming that causes permafrost to melt could pose challenges to onshore exploration activities. Studies show that the warming of the Arctic and the melting of sea ice change weather further south by altering the jet stream and other waves that move weather systems. Without urgent action to cut greenhouse gas emissions, the world will continue to feel the effects of a warming Arctic: rising sea levels, changes in climate and precipitation patterns, increasing severe weather events, and loss of fish stocks, birds and marine mammals. In a Nov. 16 correspondence in the journal Nature Climate Change, Screen suggested that evidence for mid-latitude impacts of Arctic warming has weakened since 2016. Ice in the Arctic Ocean melted to its second-lowest level on record this summer, triggered by global warming along with natural forces, say US scientists. China’s growing diplomatic, economic, and scientific activities in the Arctic have become a matter of increasing curiosity or concern among the Arctic states and other observers. Although there continues to be significant international cooperation on Arctic issues, the Arctic is increasingly viewed as an arena for geopolitical competition among the United States, Russia, and China. The first Arctic-focused collection of animal tracking studies reveals variations in wildlife migration, reproduction and daily movements. Published online 6 November 2020 . These components together form the cryosphere. On July 29, 2020, the Trump Administration announced that career diplomat James (Jim) DeHart would be the U.S. coordinator for the Arctic region. From September to March, the amount of sea ice in the Arctic can double or triple. The United States is not a party to UNCLOS. The Arctic Council, created in 1996, is the leading international forum for addressing issues relating to the Arctic. These changes are most likely caused by a combination of natural variability of the high-latitude climate system, anthropogenic changes in the radiation balance and subsequently in atmospheric and oceanic heat transports, and feedbacks in the air/sea-ice/ocean coupled system. As climate change is a circumpolar challenge, the EU is ready to work with the Arctic states, indigenous peoples and relevant Arctic regional and multilateral fora to share experience, expertise and information on climate change, impacts, adaptation and resilience, with a view to developing an ambitious climate adaptation agenda for the Arctic region. Updated 1513 GMT (2313 HKT) September 25, 2020 . The WWF Arctic Programme Wildlife Arctic Climate Change Ocean Communities Oil and gas Shipping Governance. Climate change adaptation is a pressing issue in Greenland.The term climate change describes long-term changes to the climate system. Arctic climate change is also expected to affect the economies, health, and cultures of Arctic indigenous peoples. In 2000, the USARC along with representatives from the National Ice Center, the Oceanographer of the Navy, the office of Naval Research, Measurements of Earth Data for Environmental Analysis (MEDEA) and the U.S. Coast Guard met to map out national and strategic issues surrounding Naval operations in an ice-free or ice …