Conservation Groups React to Arctic Sea Ice Minimum Announcement | WPN World People News

The National Snow and Ice Data Center announced today that the Arctic sea ice appeared to have reached its minimum extent on September 16 for the year of 3.41 million square kilometers (1.32 million square miles). This is the lowest seasonal minimum extent in the satellite record since 1979 and continues the long-term downward trend in Arctic ice extent. The sea ice extent will now begin its seasonal increase through autumn and winter.

“Greenland Ice Sheet melting is a significant contributor to the projected 1.6 meter sea level rise by century’s end, which would be calamitous for low-lying islands and coastal areas around the world including Florida and much of the U.S. mid-Atlantic.”

Ellen Baum, a Senior Scientist at Clean Air Task Force and Erika Rosenthal, an attorney with the International Program at Earthjustice, have the following statements on the announcement:
“This announcement is proof that things are worse than ever in the Arctic. The news out of Greenland is equally disturbing, which has also seen record levels of melting this year. These data represent an urgent call to act now to reduce short-lived climate pollutants, especially methane and black carbon, which are much more potent warming agents than CO2,” said Ellen Baum with Clean Air Task Force. “Governments can and should work together in making mitigation of these climate warming pollutants a top priority.”

“When Arctic sea ice retreats, the darker water below absorbs more incoming sunlight further warming the region and increasing melting of continental ice such as the Greenland Ice Sheet,” said Erika Rosenthal, an Earthjustice attorney. “Greenland Ice Sheet melting is a significant contributor to the projected 1.6 meter sea level rise by century’s end, which would be calamitous for low-lying islands and coastal areas around the world including Florida and much of the U.S. mid-Atlantic.”

Source: EarthJstice