A top scientist has warned we need to start refreezing the Arctic Ocean as soon as possible, if we are to save many of the world’s largest megacitie

We need to start refreezing the Arctic Ocean as soon as possible to save our megacities

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2021-05-26 22:00:08

A top scientist has warned we need to start refreezing the Arctic Ocean as soon as possible, if we are to save many of the world’s largest megacities from sinking within 30 years.

Sir David King laid out the stark picture of what could arise after a speech given by the former governor of the Bank of England, Mark Carney. Carney’s BBC Reith Lecture on climate and finance was interesting enough, but it was the question from Sir David that made me sit up.

Sir David was the chief scientific adviser to both the Blair and Brown governments and is currently the chair of Independent SAGE, which has been alerting the public about what government action is actually needed during the pandemic.

He asked what should be done about the Arctic icecap melt passing the irreversible tipping point that scientists have been warning about for decades - although whether this point has been reached is still a matter of debate for many in the scientific community.

When I spoke to Sir David after the lecture, he explained that a climate tipping point occurs when levels of carbon in the atmosphere pass a point whereby the earth’s own thermodynamic processes take over and trigger greater heating. By then, even if we immediately halt all new carbon emissions, the planetary heating increases regardless. The Arctic ice-cap melt, he said, is one of these tipping points.