Tag Archives: Antarctic

Cost of Climate Change, Environment

Canada’s northern wildfires projected to slow global warming — at a high cost

Canada’s National Observer, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

The climate-driven wildfires currently razing Canada’s northern forests and darkening skies across the continent may have an unexpected effect: according to a new study, the fires may reduce global warming and sea ice melt in the Arctic.

The rising impact of blazes in Canada and Siberia’s boreal regions over the next 35 years will slow warming by 12 per cent globally and 38 per cent in the Arctic, according to recent climate modelling research at the University of Washington (UW). But the study’s authors warn that while the study may sound positive, it’s just one part of a trend that overall spells major trouble for northern ecosystems. 

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Cost of Climate Change

The Next 18 Months May Be Critical

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By Roy L Hales

The heat wave that toppled European temperature records last month, reduced half of Greenland’s ice sheet to slush. Though wildfires are common in northern regions, there is no record of anything corresponding to what is transpiring today. Close to 5.5 million hectares are ablaze in northern Russia, and another million in Alaska. As a BBC environmental correspondent recently stated, the next 18 months may be critical if we hope to halt the rise of global temperatures at 1.5 degrees.

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Animals

One Man’s Experience Of The Changing Antarctic

By Roy L Hales

Mike Moore spends six weeks in the Antarctic most winters. Since 2001, he has worked as  a zodiac driver, naturalist and lecturer for 14 seasons. Up until five years ago, he found it really hard to tell how the climate was changing. Since then, the public has been barred from visiting some glaciers because of crevices. In other areas, bare rock stands where there was once ice. The once clear deep Antarctic waters have become murky. New species have moved into the area and old ones are disappearing. In this morning’s program, Moore describes one man’s experience of the changing Antarctic

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