Where is Antarctica heading?

What will Antarctica look like in 2070? Will it be transformed almost beyond recognition? Will global warming lead a huge loss of ice, major sea level rise, radical upheaval to ecosystems, and a massive in growth in human presence and resource extraction?

In a paper published in Nature in 2018, ‘Choosing the future of Antarctica’, a group of scientists explore two scenarios. In one, greenhouse gas emissions continue unchecked, causing irreparable change. In the second scenario, ambitious action to limit emissions greatly reduce the impacts on both Antarctica and the Southern Ocean.

You don’t need to be a specialist to understand this highly readable article. And it holds a vital message – by contributing to actions to limit greenhouse gas emissions, we can all help protect the Antarctic’s vulnerable beauty and its unique habitats. There is a choice and its ours to make!

Read the paper here.