Artic Sea Ice Melting Faster, Reforming Slower
Imagine Texas slowly melting into the ocean and after 8 years it completely disappeared. It’s inconceivable, but that’s exactly what happened to Arctic sea ice. Recent satellite imagery reveals between 2000 and 2008 maximum sea ice extent was nearly 280,000 square miles less than the Artic average between 1970 and 2000, roughly the size of Texas.
Melting sea ice puts Artic animals and plants a risk, as well as humans. Glacial ice acts as giant mirrors reflecting sunlight back into space. Loss of ice diminishes this effect and could worsen global warming. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has urged the United States and the international community to act against climate change, saying we have no time to lose.
