(Newswire.net — December 10, 2015) — Most Canadians think that the Arctic is a remote, even mysterious place. This cold wilderness is something they don’t know much about, but it is also something they are proud of, when it comes to their history and identity. Canadians should become more aware of the importance of the Arctic, since the Arctic makes up about 40 percent of Canda landmass and two thirds of the coastline of Canada and it is home to the Inuit people who have inhabited this area for ages, as well as a natural habitat of narwhal and polar bear, two animal species that can’t be found anywhere else on the planet.
The truth is, the Arctic is invaluable for both Canadians and the rest of the world. This ice-packed area functions as a protector for the planet and here is why: it is consistent and predictable when it comes to weather patterns; it reflects heat off the Earth, which keeps the sea levels consistent; it traps carbon in the sea ice and it protects us from climate change by reflecting heat (a phenomenon called albedo effect).
Sadly, this summer was the hottest summer ever and recorded the fourth lowest level of summer sea ice. Also this winter, the Arctic saw the lowest record for maximum sea ice extent, which means that these stable features of the Arctic have started to change due to climate change.
What is happening is that the Arctic has started to melt and global stability is now at stake in the sense that sea levels will rise and this process will speed up in the next hundred years, which will cause millions of people move to new locations.
The Arctic, acting now as an air conditioner, will stop doing what it has been doing for ages: cooling the planet. Global warming will be intensified as well as CO2 concentration in the atmosphere. Together with the increase of extreme weather events, all these phenomenas will make the world more instable than than it is today.
People and animal species that live in these areas will have much less area where they look for food, which in time could lead to species extinction and immigration of the people.
This is why global temeperature has to be limited to 1.5 degrees Celsius, not 2 degrees as it was suggested at the beginning of the Paris climate talks. Okalik Eegeesiak, Chair of the Inuit Circumpolar Council, which represents Inuit people in Canada, Greenland, Chukotka and Alaska, said:” We are seeing significant climate related impacts in the Arctic at 1 degree, so 1.5 degrees is more than enough since the Arctic is warming at least twice as fast as the rest of the world, the 2 degree limit being discussed here in Paris will lead to dramatic and irreversible effects on Arctic communities”.
Ronny Juneau, Seychelles Ambassasor for Climate Change and Small Island Developing State Issues said: “Canada recently joined the chorus that has been building here in Paris. I call on all my fellow leaders to commit to the 1.5 target”.
It seems that it is imperative to save the Arctic, so that it can go on with its job, which is protecting the planet.