Climate Change and Arctic Impacts

Climate change and its effects in the Arctic may be the most serious environmental issue threatening the Arctic environment. Average annual temperatures in the Arctic have increased by approximately double the increase in global average temperatures. It is beyond dispute that human activities are causing global warming, as even the U.S. government now admits. The direct impacts of global warming include higher temperatures, sea-level rise, melting of sea ice and glaciers, increased pre-cipitation in some areas and drought in others. Indirect social, environmental, economic and health impacts will follow, including increased death and serious illness in poor communities, decreased crop yields, heat stress in livestock and wildlife, and damage to coastal ecosystems, forests, drinking water, fisheries, buildings and other resources needed for subsistence.

During the past several decades, the Arctic has warmed at an alarming rate, and it is projected to continue to warm by as much as 18 degrees Fahrenheit by 2100.(3) This warming trend has had a devastating impact on Arctic ecosystems, including sea ice, permafrost, forests and tundra.(4) Warming has contributed to increases in lake temperatures, permafrost thawing, increased stress on plant and animal populations and the melting of glaciers and sea ice. Research has revealed decreases in both sea ice extent and cover.

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