‘Ice-free Alps’ in just 80 years

THE Swiss Alps could lose all their ice by the end of the century.

Researchers said the devastating scenario would take place if global carbon emissions stayed at current levels. Retreating glaciers will devastate skiing, tourism and wildlife in the Alps, and reduce the amount of fresh water across central Europe.

Even if temperatures are curbed, Alpine glaciers are still expected to shrink by 50 per cent over the next three decades.

Published in the journal The Cryosphere, the research into glacier melting was presented at the European Geosciences Union conference in Vienna yesterday.

A separate study by the World Wide Fund for Nature found carbon dioxide emissions from the UK result in the loss of around 386 square miles of Arctic sea ice a year.

Spokesman Rod Downie said: ‘Sea ice decline is one of the most visible signs of climate change. And it’s not just crucial to Arctic people and species like polar bears and walrus, but to the health of the planet.’