The Science of Where Magazine in dialogue with Dr. Julienne Stroeve from the University of Manitoba.
In a reflection for The World Economic Forum, Julienne wrote that ‘since 1979, the Arctic’s summer ice cover has decreased by almost 13% per decade due to rising global temperatures. In June this year, scientists announced that the Arctic’s summer sea ice is in jeopardy – even in a low emissions scenario. Although polar regions might feel remote and unrelated to our daily lives, the extreme changes experienced there affect humans, economies and societies across the globe. To make this connection more palpable, the Global Collaboration Village, a World Economic Forum initiative in partnership with Accenture and Microsoft, is introducing a new Polar Tipping Points Hub‘.
Julienne points out, for The Science of Where Magazine, that ‘the Polar Tipping Point Hub helps the general public better understand current climate tipping points, the temperatures at which these tipping points will be reached and the implications of crossing these thresholds. Our current way of life is dependent on the polar regions remaining snow and ice covered. Once these tipping points are reached, the changes will impact the planet for millennia to come. Sea level rise in particular is one of those results that will take 1000s of years to reverse‘.
Still at our Magazine, Julienne highlights the importance of the Metaverse: ‘I believe we need to do a better job at visually showing the implications of climate change and how it will impact us all. Visual tools are able to better illicit an emotional response that charts/graphics‘.
Finally, we ask Julienne how serious the climate situation in the Earth’s poles is: ‘I believe the situation is becoming dire. We have been pretending as if a 1.5 or 2C warmed world is realistic but at the moment it is not and the implications of crossing the cryospheric thresholds will lead to rapid and irreversible climate changes that will span many generations to come‘.
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