Ships are framed by pieces of melting sea ice in Frobisher Bay in Iqaluit, Nunavut on Wednesday, July 31, 2019. Scientists are telling the global climate conference in Egypt that the loss of summer Arctic sea ice is now inevitable. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick
Scientists are telling the global climate conference in Egypt that the loss of summer Arctic sea ice is now inevitable.
The report, delivered today at the COP 27 meeting in Sharm el-Sheikh, says there’s no way that the complete disappearance of summer sea ice in the Arctic can be avoided.
The State of the Cryosphere report says complete melting will take place in at least one year before 2050 even if global warming is held to 1.6 degrees Celsius.
The report calls the melting a terminal diagnosis for an entire ecosystem.
The report also says the Arctic Ocean is growing increasingly acidic, harming the growth of shellfish.
It adds that, for the first time, methane emissions from melting permafrost were recorded to be rising.
World leaders are meeting in the Egyptian resort town this week to focus on efforts to fight climate change and help low-income countries adjust to it.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 7, 2022.
