Climate Change In The Arctic

Beautiful Denmark.

I just got back from a climate change conference in Copenhagen, Denmark called “The Arctic as a Messenger for Global Processes.” Reflecting the escalating interest—and mounting anxiety—about the issue, the conference drew a sell-out crowd of around 400 participants from all eight Arctic nations: Canada, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Russia, Sweden, and the US. Denmark isn’t far enough north to count as Arctic, but ice-encased Greenland, which is a self-governing Danish dependency, certainly passes the test. And it’s home to lots of species like polar bears, walruses and whales that will feel the impacts of climate change, so mitigating these effects has become a major priority for Denmark.

It probably won’t shock anyone reading this that shifts and trends projected by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC, the foremost international authority on climate change assessment that was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2007) are starting to show up in the Arctic. The ominous surprise, though, is that the ecological consequences are already so intense and widespread, and that the process seem to be picking up speed.  And as the title of the conference implies, what’s happening in the Arctic foreshadows what’s coming down the pike for the rest of the globe.

Here are a few of the latest findings presented by the Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Program of the Arctic Council, a high level intergovernmental forum that facilitates collaboration among Arctic nations:

• The past 6 years (2005-2010) were the warmest period ever recorded in the Arctic. Temperatures in the permafrost have already risen as much as 2°C and will increase 3-7°C within the next century.
• Throughout the Arctic, snow cover and sea ice are covering less area, forming later in the fall and disappearing earlier in the spring.
• The Arctic’s biggest, most permanent bodies of ice—multiyear sea ice, mountain glaciers, ice caps, and the Greenland ice sheet—have been melting away faster since 2000 than they did in the 90’s.
• Arctic sea ice will vanish completely in summertime as soon as 2025. Until recently we didn’t expect ice-free summers till the 22^nd century—in our grandkids’ lifetime. Now we realize, with an audible gulp, that it’s practically right around the corner.

These facts can be a little abstract, however. So what are the “real life” consequences for wildlife and people of the Arctic? Here are some examples. We associate snow with cold, but it’s also great insulation for plants and small animals. Snow covers them like a blanket and keeps them toasty all winter. But less snow means less warmth and less shelter, and plants and animals that depend on this insulation can’t survive exposure to the harsh Arctic winter.

A survey of sea ice in the Arctic.

Warming in the Arctic also means more rain instead of snow. When rain falls on top of snow, it forms a tough crust that makes it hard for reindeer and other grazing animals to get at the plants under the snow, so they may go hungry.

As mountain glaciers melt, more water flows in streams and rivers, and they get colder. But once the glaciers are gone, they’re gone forever; the flow will stop, and the waterways will warm up. Freshwater species that are sensitive to temperature changes will likely decline and may disappear. This will also make it tricky for governments to plan for hydropower and drinking water in affected regions. More meltwater means more energy and more available drinking water. But when the glaciers are gone, where will that electricity come from, and what will people drink?

Ice roads across frozen lakes and bays are vital distribution arteries for getting supplies to remote Arctic communities, at least during the winters. But if these waterways no longer freeze, or if the ice is too thin, then what? Imagine the massive costs of replacing this nature-derived infrastructure with paved roads and bridges.

Most of us don’t live in the Arctic, but what happens there can affect us directly. Here’s an example: Remember the epic storms of “Snowpocalypse” in the winter of 2009-2010? (I was snowed in for a week, so I’ll never forget it!) Climate scientists believe this was caused by a deterioration of the polar vortex—a ring of winds that continuously zooms around the North Pole and keeps cold air locked up in the Arctic. In December of 2009, temperatures in the Arctic were a whopping 9°F above normal. This destabilized the air flow pattern and some of that frigid air broke loose and spilled down the East Coast of the US all the way to Florida. This wasn’t the first time the polar vortex weakened, but it was the most extreme case in the last 145 years.

This is just a little taste of what’s in store for humans and wildlife in a warming world. Climate change is already making life more difficult for countless plants and animals, and we suspect this is only the tip of the iceberg–so to speak.

Learn more about what Defenders is doing to combat climate change and help wildlife adapt.