The Wilkins Ice Shelf, an area double the size of the Melbourne metropolitan area is within days of being separated from the Antarctic mainland. The ice shelf has been retreating for most of the last 20 years but the collapse of the Wilkins Ice bridge, which was once over 100km wide may now allow ocean currents to erode the area even faster.
Christian Lambrechts, of the United Nations Environment Program commented that while the shelf itself will not have an immediate impact on global seal levels, it’s disappearance may destabilize the glaciers feeding into it. He goes on to explain that the collapse “will expose a new expanse of sea surfaces that absorb an increased amount of solar radiation, contributing to continued and accelerated warming.”
Gartner estimates that IT contributes 2% of all global CO2 emissions, almost as much as the airline industry.
The earth’s Arctic and Antarctic regions are warming faster than any other area of the planet.
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