Arctic – Page 4 – Anne-Maria Yritys

Arctic Climate Change Affects the Whole World

November 3, 2017January 4, 2018 by Anne-Maria Yritys, posted in Change Leadership, climate action, climate leadership, Global Climate Change

Many of you are probably aware of the fact that Finland holds the Chairmanship in the Arctic Council 2017-2019. The Arctic Council is the leading intergovernmental forum for addressing issues concerning and related to the Arctic Region. (U.S. Department of State – Diplomacy in Action – Arctic Council). The Arctic Council was established by the Ottawa Declaration in 1996, and its members consist of the eight countries with territory above the Arctic Circle: Canada, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden, Russia and the United States. (U.S. Department of State – Diplomacy in Action – Arctic Council).

According to the Ministry For Foreign Affairs of Finland, Finland during its Chairmanship in the Arctic Council will strengthen the Arctic cooperation and emphasize the implementation of the Paris Agreement on climate change and the UN sustainable development goals.

The Finnish Meteorological Institute, on the other hand, highlights the already available expertise of the Arctic region in Finland, stating that climate change is more rapid in the Arctic region compared to the rest of the world.

Learn more about the implications of Arctic climate change by watching U.S. Department of State´s video “The Global Implications of Arctic Climate Change”:

Why Ban Oil Drilling in Arctic Waters?

November 3, 2017January 4, 2018 by Anne-Maria Yritys, posted in Change Leadership, climate action, climate leadership, Global Climate Change

How many reasons to ban oil drilling can you come up with? Write your reasons and arguments on the lines below:

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If the space in these lines was not enough, you can send me an article/essay about the topic “Why Oil Drilling Should Be Banned”. Maximum length of article/essay: 800 words.

I will read all of the articles/essays personally and publish (with your permission of course) the best three articles/essays on my website and on Twitter @annemariayritys and @GCCThinkActTank.

Send your article/essay by November 30th through my contact form:

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Thank you for your response. ✨

Looking forward to reading your article/essay with arguments for “Why Oil Drilling Should Be Banned”.

You may find some inspiration by watching CAP/seeprogress´s video “Oil and Ice: The Risks of Drilling in Alaska´s Arctic Ocean”:

Why Does The Arctic Region Influence Climate Change Worldwide?

November 2, 2017January 4, 2018 by Anne-Maria Yritys, posted in Change Leadership, climate action, climate leadership, Global Climate Change

Repetition is the mother of learning, so in order to really understand what is happening with our global weather patterns and climate, we have to repeat what is happening in the Arctic region until we internalize what is going on in the North Pole and the whole Arctic region.

The Arctic region, which consists of the Arctic Sea and adjoining seas, Iceland, the Faroe Islands, parts of the U.S.A., Canada, Greenland, Norway, Sweden, Finland and Russia, is home to millions of people, thousands of animal species and a unique environment. It has been an important source of food for a vast amount of world population through e.g. its fish population, and the region also holds around 25% of the world´s untapped oil reservoirs – oil reservoirs that some countries and companies would like to exploit, without any concern about the region´s sustainability or environmental well-being.

Within a few years only, the Arctic Sea will become completely ice free during summer months for the first time in human history. This, equally, seems to be a welcomed news to some corporations that see the possible economic benefits of shortened trade routes from Asia to Europe, careless about the environment.

The problem of a warming Arctic region is that the dangers and damages upon the Earth´s atmosphere and climate are far more concerning and pose a real threat to all life upon our planet. In my previous posts I have written many arguments to why climate change in the Arctic is detrimental, even dangerous for the whole world. According to already existing research, the warming of the Arctic region accelerates climate change all around the world. It also releases increasingly much carbon dioxide and methane into Earth´s atmosphere, damaging our planet even more with these harmful greenhouse gases.

Expand your knowledge about the Arctic region and its influences on our whole planet by watching Earth Institute´s “Warming Arctic, Changing Planet”:

Arctic Climate Change a Global Problem

November 2, 2017January 4, 2018 by Anne-Maria Yritys, posted in Change Leadership, climate action, climate leadership, Global Climate Change

Climate change in the Arctic is a global problem. Why? If you have not yet read my previous posts about climate change in the Arctic region, you will find the response by doing so. You can access some of my previous posts here:

Why is The Arctic Experiencing Social & Environmental Changes?

What is Arctic Climate Change?

Changes In Temperature & Storm Patterns Affecting The Arctic Life

The Arctic Climate is Warming Dangerously Quickly

Heavy Metals & POPs Concerning Pollutants in the Arctic Region

Why is the Melting of Arctic Sea Ice Dangerous?

Why We Must Protect The Arctic Region

What is The Albedo Effect?

What Does Thawing Permafrost Signify?

Why Are Sea Levels Rising Worldwide?

Why Does Arctic Ice Extent Decrease?

How Do Temperature Shifts Impact the Climate and Environment (in The Arctic)?

Arctic Fisheries About to Disappear

Why is The Gulf Stream About to Halt?

What Contributes to Ocean Acidification?

Acidic Oceans a Threat to Arctic Life

If you are a global citizen, you are perhaps already aware of the fact that everything we do upon this planet has an effect upon life elsewhere. When you eat breakfast in the morning, you have already depended upon about half of this world. When production plants and dirty industry sectors are being transferred to developing countries where production costs are only a fraction of those in industrialized countries, savings may be possible for a certain time period. Nevertheless, it does not remove the problems of unsustainable production, or transport.

For example: many Finnish and international well-known brands have outsourced all of their production to countries like Bangladesh, Cambodia, China and Turkey, just to name a few. The consumer pays exactly the same price as before, for a branded design product that now has only been designed in the country of origin, but produced with the lowest labor costs possible in a country with low labor costs. Does this make any sense? I have personally noticed how the quality of these brands has suffered, and I am not willing to pay anything for e.g. a Finnish expensive brand product which has not been produced in Finland. Why would anyone want to pay a high price for a design product which is no longer produced where it originates? There is a difference between capitalism and sustainable capitalism.

In short, the more the Arctic region warms and is affected by climate change, the more will this affect and have an impact upon our global climate as well.

Learn more about why climate change in the Arctic region is a global problem by watching Link TV´s “Melting Arctic: Assessing the Global Impact”:

Acidic Oceans a Threat to Arctic Life

November 1, 2017January 4, 2018 by Anne-Maria Yritys, posted in Change Leadership, climate action, climate leadership, Global Climate Change

In my previous post, What Contributes to Ocean Acidification?, I explained briefly what contributes to ocean acidification and why this is so harmful to our marine ecosystems. The response to why this is a serious threat to life in the Arctic region is thus quite simple, when we understand what contributes to ocean acidification and how this affects our ocean´s overall well-being.

The more greenhouse gases released into Earth´s atmosphere, a significant amount of which end up in our oceans, the bigger the damage in our marine ecosystems. When around nine million (9.000.000) people die each year worldwide due to pollution only, we can only imagine what all of the pollution, including dangerous toxins such as greenhouse gases, does to our atmosphere, our waters and our environment in general. In many parts of the world, e.g. coral reefs are already suffering and dying due to all of the pollution and toxins absorbed by our ocean´s and other water sources. Coral reefs are living beings, small animals, which are extremely important to our marine ecosystems. If we lose our corals due to human-caused release of toxins such as greenhouse gases, we will ultimately destroy ourselves.

ALL of our marine ecosystems are already endangered and damaged. What makes the Arctic region especially vulnerable is its unique ecosystem, which has until now been protected by thick layers of ice and permafrost. When glaciers melt, ice sheets melt, and permafrost melts, the release of dangerous and harmful greenhouse gases, especially methane, accelerates and causes even more damage to our (marine) ecosystem.

Learn more about Arctic Ocean Acidification by watching Nordisk Samarbejde´s video:

What Contributes to Ocean Acidification?

November 1, 2017January 4, 2018 by Anne-Maria Yritys, posted in Change Leadership, climate action, climate leadership, Global Climate Change

Ocean acidification is a serious threat to our planet and our marine ecosystems. The term ocean acidification signifies changes in the ocean´s natural pH balance, with pH in chemistry referring to the acidity and/or alkalinity of a solution on a logarithmic scale where seven (7) is neutral. The lower the pH of the solution, the higher the acidity and the higher the pH, the lower the acidity. pH is also a measure of the hydrogen ion concentration of a solution. (Academic Brooklyn).

Lower pH levels have also been measured in soils around the world, meaning that e.g. farming soils have in many places become more acidic due to a number of reasons, including poor soil management. pH can and is also measured in us human beings: some people even exercise alkaline diets with the thought that our bodies are healthier the more pH-balanced they are. Thus, eating and drinking habits that lead to our bodies becoming more acidic are thought as of being responsible for many health problems. A healthy human being has, on the average, a body pH of 7.4.

Since healthy and balanced pH levels are important for everything living on our planet, including ourselves, we can only guess what the consequences are when a normal pH becomes imbalanced: even small variations in a healthy pH can lead to significant changes in health, not only in us human beings but also in our soils and in our marine environments. Therefore, imbalances in our ocean´s pH levels and ocean acidification should be taken seriously.

The main cause of ocean acidification as per today is our oceans intake of carbon dioxide. All human activities on the planet release greenhouse gases into our atmosphere, with the amount of CO2 in our atmosphere being higher than ever before in human history. Up to 40% of all greenhouse gases in Earth´s atmosphere are being absorbed by our oceans, with e.g corals acting like trees in forests: corals in our oceans absorb toxins and pollution in the same way as our trees in our forests. Needless to say, this leads not only to a collapse in our coral ecosystems, but an immense amount of greenhouse gases in our marine environments that become more and more acidic. With the Arctic region warming, it releases a significant amount of both CO2 and methane (a significantly more powerful greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide), which leads to increased acidification all over our planet, destroying our world´s natural (pH) balance and making everything around us more acidic.

Learn more about ocean acidification by watching randomSFstuff´s video “Ocean Acidification Explained”:

Why is The Gulf Stream About to Halt?

October 31, 2017January 4, 2018 by Anne-Maria Yritys, posted in Change Leadership, climate action, climate leadership, Global Climate Change

The Gulf Stream is a strong current in the Atlantic ocean, starting in the Gulf of Mexico and leading all the way to Northern Europe, affecting the climate and weather conditions, and bringing for example warmer weather to Northern Europe by affecting the region´s atmosphere. Learn more about the Gulf Stream e.g. at LiveScience.

When greenhouse gases warm our oceans, this affects everything in our marine ecosystem. While the melting Arctic region, including glaciers and the Arctic Sea in general becoming ice free (with a current prognosis during summer months each year), affects the world´s climate by warming it, changes in the Gulf Stream could lead to a collapse in temperatures in Europe. According to some studies, at least parts of Europe could, instead of warming, become freezing cold, if and when the Gulf Stream halts and stops bringing warm weather to Europe.

While some speak about global warming, the correct term is in fact climate change. Even more precisely, anthropogenic climate change, something caused upon our planet solely and purely by us human beings and our many environmentally damaging activities, including the burning of fossil fuels and releasing ever more greenhouse gases into our planet´s fragile atmosphere. Is our planet warming or freezing? What ever is taking place, these changes in our climate(s) around the world are quite significant.

Learn more about the Gulf Stream through Kurzgesagt – In A Nutshell´s “The Gulf Stream Explained”:

Arctic Fisheries About to Disappear

October 31, 2017January 4, 2018 by Anne-Maria Yritys, posted in Change Leadership, climate action, climate leadership, Global Climate Change

Why are Arctic fisheries under threat and about to disappear? Or, should we rather ask, why are so many arctic (marine) species under threat? The likelihood of Arctic fisheries disappearing increases when fishing is no longer possible and/or profitable. When the Arctic marine environment changes due to climate warming, a vast majority of Arctic marine species, including fish and algae, are severely threatened. Over-fishing is a problem in itself, but to thrive and to survive, all living beings in the Arctic waters need ideal conditions, including water temperature. When the ocean conditions change and become damaged through various human-caused activities, this naturally has an impact upon all life under water.

Human-caused threats to fishing and marine life in the Arctic region include climate change and warming overall, causing the natural environment of these species to change so drastically that some of them may complete lose their habitat. Other species may migrate due to climate change. There are already examples of this, e.g. tuna fish migrating further into the west in the Atlantic ocean, away from the eastern coastline in the United States. Ocean acidification, the increase of acidity disrupting our ocean´s natural pH level, is another major problem for all marine life. How will the release of additional greenhouse gases, carbon dioxide and methane, affect life underwater in the Arctic? Taken into consideration that these gases are harmful to all life upon Earth, the must pose major risks and lead to severe consequences in the sea/ocean ecosystem.

Greenpeace, WWF, ScienceDaily and Barents Observer are among useful organizations for learning more about climate change and its effects upon our environment, flora and fauna.

Learn more about the threats to marine life and fishing in the Arctic region through Free Documentary´s “Ice Race – Exploitation – THE END of Fishing?” (Full Documentary):

How Do Temperature Shifts Impact the Climate and Environment (in The Arctic)?

October 31, 2017January 4, 2018 by Anne-Maria Yritys, posted in Change Leadership, climate action, climate leadership, Global Climate Change

I am neither a meteorologist nor a geologist, but I know from personal experience, media and research that changing weather patterns and temperature fluctuations are common in most places on Earth. Especially in the Arctic region, where changes/differences in temperatures may vary very quickly, from e.g. -20 degrees Celsius one day and +5 degrees Celsius the next day. This is common e.g. in whole Finland.

My knowledge about the importance of micro- and macro climates also goes back to my oenology/wine studies, whereby e.g. vineyards in the same region are affected by a number of things, such as compass point, soil composition, hours of sunlight, rainfall, humidity, and overall growth conditions. In fact, regardless of how favorable a micro climate is, and regardless of how knowledgeable a winemaker is, e.g. viticulture and wine making are largely affected by climate and weather. Two vineyards in the same region may have huge differences e.g. in quality, depending upon how favorable the vineyard´s micro climate is, in addition to the expertise of the winemaker. This only as an example of how sensitive our climates are to variations, especially in terms of agriculture, farming and e.g. oenology.

Now back to the Arctic region. If and when even large temperature variations in the Arctic region are commonplace, why should we be concerned about shifting temperatures in the Arctic region?

The problem with the changing temperatures in the Arctic region today is that the temperature fluctuations and variations are no longer what they used to be: not only are there variations in the temperatures overall, but the whole region in general is warming at an alarming rate: so fast that the sea ice extent in the Arctic sea is disappearing during summer months, leaving the ocean surface blank and wide open, allowing for the shallow Arctic sea to absorb the sun´s rays in a way that warms the region faster and faster all the time. In addition to that, the constant climate change and warming in the Arctic is causing permafrost thawing. When this happens, dangerous greenhouse gases, especially methane, are being released into Earth´s atmosphere.

Our world is already combating greenhouse gas emissions and working towards lowering the greenhouse gas emission rates in our atmosphere, but at the current rate we are not fighting greenhouse gas emissions fast enough. Now, greenhouse gas emissions are at a higher level than ever before. If this development continues, we are facing completely new dangers and risks, some of which climate scientists may already be aware of, but what is not yet commonly being discussed on media.

The dangers of climate change and the release of greenhouse gases are a real risk for all of us, which is why everyone must take action to tackle this, not in future, but starting immediately. Watch ClimateCentral´s video “Arctic Changes: The Big Picture” to learn more:

Why Does Arctic Ice Extent Decrease?

October 30, 2017January 4, 2018 by Anne-Maria Yritys, posted in Change Leadership, climate action, climate leadership, Global Climate Change

Glaciers are melting, ice and snow sheets are melting, and the Arctic sea ice is melting at a rapid rate, so fast that it is estimated to disappear completely during summer months within only a few years, or by 2040. Why is this happening? According to some researchers and scientists, the Earth´s weather is being changed and manipulated on purpose through geoengineering. (GeoEngineering Watch). GeoEngineering Watch reports that for example chemical ice nucleation is an important tool for geoengineers, with geoengineered snow storms being created by experimenting human beings (geoengineers).

Whether caused by geoengineering human beings or not, it is a fact that glaciers, ice sheets, and Arctic sea ice are melting rapidly, affecting not only the climate in the large Arctic region, but all over our planet. When the ice and snow covers disappear in the Arctic, it causes permafrost to thaw and climate change accelerating faster than ever.

This is caused by the albedo effect, whereby the black ocean/sea surface absorbs increasingly much of the sun rays´ heat, unable to reflect as much of its energy and heat back into the atmosphere in comparison with thick ice and snow covered surfaces. This constantly warming climate in the Arctic region thus accelerates and accelerates, causing even more of the ice and snow covers to melt, warming the region and the whole world to an extent that has never earlier been seen in history. And, this is all anthropogenic, i.e. caused by us human beings.

How much worse is this made by and through geoengineering? This is a topic not yet much discussed. What is discussed openly today is the anthropogenic climate change caused by e.g. the release of greenhouse gases and other toxins into Earth´s atmosphere, including CO2. When climate change continues and intensifies in the Arctic region, it also causes more and more carbon dioxide and methane being released into our global atmosphere, the consequences of which lead to the greenhouse effect on our planet to become even worse.

Learn more about the Arctic sea ice decrease by watching NASA Goddard´s video “Older Arctic Sea Ice Disappearing”:

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