Paris, France (AP) — Melting glaciers are an “unprecedented challenge for humanity,” proclaimed French President Emmanuel Macron on Friday, emphasizing the need for cooperation among nations to cut down emissions, preserve the environment, and invest in scientific research on Earth’s icy ecosystems.
This much-needed collaborative effort is being overshadowed by the ongoing warfare in Ukraine and the latest Israel-Hamas war, diminishing the international focus and hindering global unity, stated Macron in Paris.
The collapse of the cryosphere due to climate change poses significant immediate and long-term challenges for humanity, Macron continued, referring to the areas of Earth with water in solid form, including glaciers.
Furthermore, the melting of the ice caps has far-reaching implications for biodiversity, sea level rise, coastlines, drinking water scarcity, migration, increased CO2 emissions, and the possibility of new pandemics.
Macron highlighted, “All these threats are real,” and urged urgent cooperation despite rising global conflicts and tensions hampering peace and stability.
The Paris Peace Forum, which Macron addressed, witnessed participation from leaders and diplomats of about 40 nations, with notable absence of Russia, whose territory includes part of the Arctic.
Nations at the summit issued a call to action to address human-caused climate change and biodiversity loss due to melting ecosystems, taking the first step by establishing a high-level group to address the impact of melting on coastal areas and mountainous regions.
Climate scientist Ruth Mottram stressed the importance of scientific collaboration in the polar regions but expressed concerns over the disruption caused by Russia’s war on Ukraine, stating that “relations will remain strained until the conflict is resolved.”
Miriam Jackson, a climate scientist, called for politicians to take action to mitigate the effects of melting glaciers, which is affecting billions through rising sea levels and unpredictable river flows, emphasizing the significance of global responsibility to reverse these changes where possible.
In mountains from the Alps to the Himalayas, glaciers are vanishing at alarming rates due to rising temperatures, with studies predicting complete disappearance by the century’s end.
While human-caused climate change points to the irreversible loss of glacier mass in the short run, scientists believe that drastically reducing emissions can minimize future melting.
The Earth’s poles are also experiencing rapid changes, with the Arctic losing sea ice due to global warming, and dramatic ice sheet melt in the frozen Antarctic, vanishing glaciers, and unusually high temperatures.
