UK’S carbon emissions melt ice equivalent to four major cities in one year
The UK’S carbon emissions in 2018 are linked to the loss of more than 1,000 sq km of Arctic sea ice, conservationists have said.
WWF has calculated the impact of the UK’S pollution using research that reveals the reduction in average sea ice cover in the Arctic in September for each tonne of carbon dioxide added to the atmosphere.
The conservation charity warned the carbon emissions put out by the UK last year equated to the loss of an area of ice greater than the size of Edinburgh, Cardiff, Manchester and Birmingham combined.
The Arctic is warming more than twice as fast as the average for the world with severe impacts for wildlife, WWF warned, as it called on the UK government to declare a “climate emergency”.
Rod Downie, chief polar adviser at WWF said: “What is happening in the Arctic is nothing short of a crisis and the world needs to wake up and act.
“Sea ice decline is one of the most visible signs of climate change on our planet.
“And it’s not just crucial to Arctic people and species like polar bears and walrus, but to the health of the planet as a whole.
“The bright surface of the ice reflects sunlight away from the planet and back into space, helping to keep our planet cool.
“But when this ice melts, it is replaced by dark ocean which absorbs the sun’s rays, heating up our planet.”
He said the 12 lowest Arctic sea ice extents in the satellite record have all occurred in the past 12 years.
Arctic sea ice reaches its lowest extent for the year around September at the end of the summer melting season before winter weather causes the ice cover to increase again.
WWF wants the government to make climate action a priority and end support for fossil fuels, including stopping fracking and airport expansion.