Arctic sea ice shrinks to smallest ever summer level; EAC publishes 'Protecting the Arctic' report
Thu 20 September 2012
View all news
Arctic sea ice cover fell to its lowest ever level this summer according to the National Snow and Ice Data Centre (NSIDC). At below 1.54 million square miles, Arctic sea ice cover was 45% below its average September level in the 1980s and 1990s. With sea ice reduction opening up opportunities to drill for fossil fuels, the Environmental Audit Committee has called for a moratorium on drilling until environmental protection and protocols are in place.
With one week remaining in the 2012 melt season the NSIDC said the rate of ice loss for August was the fastest observed for the month of August over the period of satellite observations. The rapid pace of ice loss in 2012 was dominated by large losses in the East Siberian and the Chukchi seas, likely caused in part by the strong cyclone that entered the region earlier in the month and helped to break up the ice. However, even after the cyclone had dissipated, ice loss continued at a rate of 30,000 square miles per day.
Reported in The Guardian, a Cambridge University Sea ice expert Nick Toberg said: "This is staggering. It's disturbing, scary that we have physically changed the face of the planet. We have about 4m sq km of sea ice. If that goes in the summer months that's about the same as adding 20 years of CO2 at current [human-caused] rates into the atmosphere. That's how vital the Arctic sea ice is."
Meanwhile, a new report on 'Protecting the Arctic', published by the cross-party Environmental Audit Committee of MPs looks at the effect that climate change is having on the Arctic. It warns that a collapse in summer Arctic sea-ice, increased methane emissions from thawing permafrost, melting of the Greenland ice-sheet and changes to the thermo-haline circulation could all have disastrous consequences for the world - pushing up sea levels and transforming weather patterns.
Temperature rises in the Arctic are already affecting the UK's weather, according to evidence submitted to the inquiry. The UK is warming more slowly when compared with the rest of continental Europe, as the decrease in the thermo-haline circulation means that less heat is being brought to Britain by the Gulf Stream.
Chair of the Committee, Joan Walley MP, said: "The shocking speed at which the Arctic sea ice is melting should be a wake-up call to the world that we need to phase out fossil fuels fast.
"Instead we are witnessing a reckless gold rush in this pristine wilderness as big companies and governments make a grab for the world's last untapped oil and gas reserves."
The report points out that there are already more proven fossil fuel reserves in the world, than can be burnt safely if we want to keep global temperature rises below dangerous thresholds. The MPs accuse the Government of failing to demonstrate how future oil and gas extraction from the Arctic can be reconciled with commitments to limit the overall temperature increase to 2 degrees Celsius. They call on the Government to rethink its approach to combating climate change by tackling the supply of fossil fuels, as well as demand.
The Committee also focused on the opportunity for oil and gas exploitation in the Arctic resulting from lower sea ice cover and technological improvements in drilling. The Commitee calls for a halt on oil drilling in the Arctic until:
- A pan-Arctic oil spill response standard is in place
- A stricter financial liability regime for oil and gas operations is introduced.
- An oil and gas industry group is set up to peer-review companies' spill response plans and operating practices, reporting publicly
- Further independent research and testing on oil spill response techniques in Arctic conditions is conducted
- An internationally recognised environmental sanctuary is established in at least part of the Arctic
Related Links
< Back to news list