What is the solution to climate change in Antarctica?
Antarctica is losing a staggering 150 billion tons of glacier ice a year, and this rate of ice loss is accelerating. The main cause is ocean warming, which not only melts the ice sheet directly but also thins the floating ice shelves that hold the ice sheet on land. As the ice shelves lose strength, they allow more ice to flow into the sea, raising the sea level. The sea ice that surrounds the continent has been shrinking since 2016. This winter’s maximum sea ice extent was 1.75 million km2 below the 1981–2010 average, which means that an area the size of Libya was effectively missing. The Southern Ocean around Antarctica also absorbs a large amount of carbon dioxide (CO2) from the atmosphere, slowing the rate of climate change. However, it can only absorb so much CO2, and absorbing excess amounts increases the acidity of the water, harming marine life.
We need to make deep cuts to our carbon emissions to slow the progress of the climate crisis and help protect Antarctica from runaway climate change. The world is transitioning to a carbon-neutral economy, but it’s not happening fast enough. Here are some simple steps you can take to help reduce our global emissions today.
Before you jump in the car, think about other options. Maybe you can catch public transport, use a pushbike or e-bike, or walk. Cut back on flying by taking holidays locally and attending work meetings and conferences online. Do what you can to reduce your energy use. Choose the most energy-efficient appliances you can, and turn off the light when you leave the room. All of these small things come together to send a strong message to the markets that we are ready for change.
The air above Antarctica is also heating up, causing surface melting that can trigger the collapse of ice shelves. In March 2022, East Antarctica was hit by the most extreme heatwave ever recorded on Earth, with temperatures soaring 38 °C above normal. If this heatwave had occurred in the summer, temperatures above the melting point would have been reached in the coldest place on the planet for the first time. The shape of the land under the ice affects its vulnerability. The West Antarctic Ice Sheet, which could raise global sea level by over three metres, depends on the Thwaites Glacier’s stability. This part of the ice sheet rests on a downward-sloping submarine bed, making it prone to irreversible retreat.
In a new study, scientists argue that time is running out to save this unique ecosystem and that if the right decisions are not made to preserve Antarctica in the next ten years, then the consequences will be felt around the world. Reducing the effects of climate change means reducing our CO2 emissions. This means everyone is making the effort to turn off lights, recycle, walk to work, take public transport, and so on. This will make the world a better place for all of us. Scientists and tourists can act to minimise their environmental impact in Antarctica. As scientists working with the British Antarctic Survey, we complete an Environmental Impact Plan before fieldwork. We camp only on snow (so we don’t move rocks and cause environmental damage), remove all waste (including human waste), and remove old depots and rubbish where possible. Sustainable science and tourism in Antarctica require taking positive action to minimise environmental impacts.
We also have some important decisions to make. For example: Transition to renewable energy, improve energy efficiency, implement carbon taxes or cap-and-trade systems to incentivize reductions in carbon emissions, strengthen the Paris Agreement, global cooperation, afforestation and reforestation, invest in carbon capture and storage (CCS) technologies to remove CO2 directly from the air or from industrial emissions, continue and expand research on climate change impacts in Antarctica, including ice sheet dynamics, sea level rise, and ecosystem changes, establish and enforce Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) around Antarctica to protect marine biodiversity and ecosystems, develop comprehensive monitoring systems to track changes in ice thickness, temperature, and other environmental parameters, regulate and limit tourism in Antarctica to minimize environmental footprint and ensure that visitors follow strict environmental guidelines, build and maintain infrastructure that can withstand the changing climate conditions in Antarctica, implement adaptive management practices to protect and restore vulnerable ecosystems affected by climate change, launch campaigns to raise awareness about the importance of Antarctica in the global climate system and the need for urgent action to mitigate climate change, develop educational programs to inform the public and policymakers about the impacts of climate change on Antarctica and the broader implications for the planet, and advocate for stronger climate policies at local, national, and international levels.
