Arctic ice sheet at lowest level of the year

Global warming is having a devastating impact on the Arctic, where temperatures are rising four times faster than most regions of the world, Greenpeace warned. According to the NGO, the melting Arctic ice will have “terrible consequences” for the oceans and the animals that live there.

Ice reflects the sun’s rays better than dark water
This is also deadly for the climate: the white Arctic ice sheet reflects the energy of the sun’s rays back into space and thus helps in the fight against global warming. However, the dark water absorbs this energy and supports rising temperatures. “At the same time, oil companies want to use the retreat of the Arctic ice sheet for oil production,” Greenpeace said.

“The Arctic is the refrigerator of our planet. But we leave the doors wide open. Governments around the world seem to be waiting for the Arctic ice sheet to completely disappear before taking action. But then it will be too late. Politicians must act immediately. We need an intact Arctic to slow down the climate and species crisis,” said Lukas Meus, marine expert at Greenpeace in Austria.

Greenpeace calls for a network of marine protected areas
The environmental group called for a network of marine protected areas in the Arctic where industrial activities such as oil exploration are banned. The decisive factor here is a new high seas conservation agreement, which could enable extensive marine protection areas, including in the Arctic. The last round of negotiations for the deal in August failed. A new date for the next negotiations has not yet been announced.