Robert Corell: Why the Arctic Matters at All - 3 May 2017
Presentations
Why are changes in the Earth’s Climate System in and across the Arctic important to the peoples of the Arctic and for the rest of the world? Warming in the Arctic is occurring at twice the rate elsewhere in the world. This is driving sweeping changes that will impact communities in the Arctic and all over the world. Scientist have documented that the sea ice has lost 80% of its mass, the permafrost is thawing as rates unseen for 100’s of thousands of years. The glaciers of Greenland are adding to sea level rise at unprecedented rates.
Why it Matters to People in the Arctic and for the Rest of the World: First, Arctic communities are at the front lines of extreme weather events, facing collapsing infrastructure, threatened food security, and growing health concerns. Meanwhile, warming temperatures and melting ice are opening the Arctic to increased shipping and resource extraction.
Second, these major changes in the Arctic will be explore as they are already affecting the rest of the world: (a) Sea Level Rise, (b) Opening of the Seaways, (c) Weather Extremes, (d) Ocean Acidification, (e) Thawing Permafrost, and (f) Changes in Governance and the Geopolitical Landscape.
