Climate Change and the Arctic

May 17, 2023 Webinar Recording
In collaboration with the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), this session centered on climate change in the Arctic region. The discussion included how rising temperatures, melting sea ice, and other impacts are altering the region in profound ways as well as potential solutions for addressing these pressing environmental challenges.
Speakers:
Trond Rudi, Charge d'Affaires, Royal Norwegian Embassy in Abu Dhabi
Melinda Webster, Arctic Sea Ice Working Group Lead - World Climate Research Program, WMO
David Jose Vivas Eugui, Chief of Section, Economic Affairs, UNCTAD
Gunn-Britt Retter, Constituency Member, LCIPP - UNFCCC
Dagfinnur Sveinbjörnsson, Emissary on the Third Pole, Climate and the Oceans, Arctic Circle
- -
This webinar is also part of the 28-for-28 Event Series by the United Nations in UAE to engage with the public on topics related to climate ahead of the Climate Change Conference (COP28).
- -
#UNinUAE #cop28 #climateaction #arcticcircle
‪@UNClimateChange‬ ‪@UNCTADOnline‬ ‪@worldmetorg‬

[@OldScientist]

As regards the melting of Arctic Ice, the records nearly always seem to start in 1979. Strange that, considering it was a year of record extent for Arctic Ice. Even so, data from NOAA (2022 Arctic Report Card) show winter (March) ice coverage has hardly changed since '79, and that the summer (September) coverage trend had stopped declining since 2007. How inconvenient! Didn't someone predict in 2007 Arctic ice free by 2010, or 2015, or 2013, or in 5 years? Or was it in 2008 the Arctic ice sheet would melt away. Also predicted in 2008 North Pole ice free in ... 2008 ... or in 10 years. 2009 prediction: Arctic ice free in 2014. 2012 prediction: snow will be gone by 2020. And 2013 star prediction: Methane catastrophe in 2 years because of ice free Arctic. 2018 prediction: zero chance of permanent ice in Arctic by 2022. The Arctic Ice is still there, and it's stopped shrinking.
If you consider global sea ice cover, it was basically flat from 1981 to 2008, rose until 2010, stayed level until 2015, dropped until 2018, and then rebounded almost all the way back to the 1990-2000 average. Nobody predicted theses changes, nor can they explain them. The changes have no relationship to the concentration of CO2 in the atmosphere.
The climate crisis/emergency/apocalypse is make-believe.
Multiyear ice is an unproductive habitat as far as marine organisms are concerned: first year (seasonal) ice over continental shelves is the most productive and this is where the vast majority of polar bears, seals, fish, whales, and sea birds are found. Therefore the decline of extremely thick multiyear ice (>4 years old) could be seen as an unconcerning development with regards to the wildlife in the region, especially since 2-3 year old ice that can be used as a resting/hunting platform for seals and polar bears hasn't declined in summer since 2007. In fact, biologically, the Arctic is in good shape with all its regions showing a positive trend in primary productivity over an extended period (2003-2022). This has resulted in more food for seals, walruses, bowhead whales and polar bears, which are hence maintaining or expanding their populations.
There's no "death spiral" in the region as some people reported. In fact, there is, as I say, no evidence of any crisis/emergency. That is silly nonsense designed to scare people.