France has pledged to allocate €1 billion ($1.07 billion or £880 million) for polar research by 2030, responding to escalating scientific apprehension about the accelerated melting of global ice caps and glaciers.
During a summit in Paris, French President Emmanuel Macron underscored the pressing need for action, stating that the transformation of the Earth’s ice, referred to as the cryosphere, is an existing and intensifying threat. This transformation, already impacting millions and poised to affect billions, carries manifold direct and indirect consequences.
According to The Guardian, a new polar science vessel will spearhead this initiative, while France advocates for a moratorium on seabed exploitation in polar regions. Multiple countries, including the UK, Canada, Brazil, and 19 others, have endorsed this call.
John Kerry, the US special presidential envoy for climate, conveyed a video message since he couldn’t attend the Paris summit. In the message, he cautioned about understanding tipping points where reclamation is impossible.
Concerns about rising temperatures at both poles, leading to heatwaves, have arisen among scientists. Described as “gobsmackingly bananas,” this year, deemed the hottest on record, possibly in the last 100,000 years, has witnessed ocean temperatures significantly exceeding normal levels. The Earth’s ice caps, crucial for the “albedo effect” that reflects sunlight back into space, play a vital role. Their melting could trigger rapid climate change by diminishing this reflective capability.
Pam Pearson, founder and director of the International Cryosphere Climate Initiative, emphasized that while climate change may be perceived as a secondary issue compared to wars and national security, negotiations are impossible with the melting point of ice.
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