News about the collapse of an Antarctic ice bridge linking the Wilkins ice shelf to two islands was quickly followed by new research showing that the Arctic ice is thinning dramatically as well as shrinking in extent.
One factor that could help to slow the melting of the Arctic, but which has not yet received serious consideration at an international level, would be to cut the amount of “black carbon” – soot – that we spew into the air. Black carbon darkens ice when it falls, causing it to absorb more heat, and may be responsible for half of the warming effect in the Arctic, according to recent research published in Nature Geoscience. Cutting down on soot would not only remove large amounts of air pollution, but, according to some scientists, could be much quicker and easier than cutting carbon dioxide emissions.
On current form, the chances of this being agreed also look small, however.
