Heat Wave in Antarctica Poses Questions During Worldwide Pandemic
Climate change is a subject matter being put to the back of the mind as the world continues to try to deal with the economic and social conundrum that is COVID-19. Yet the environmental issue still remains a pivotal threat to the world as seen in late January when Antarctica experienced its first recorded heat wave which saw extreme maximum and minimum temperatures recorded over January 23rd to 26th at the Casey research station in Antarctica’s east.
Principal scientist from the Australian Antarctic Division Dana Bergstrom says the hot summer would most likely lead to long-term disruption. As she states that “higher temperatures can also cause heat stress in plants and animals that have adapted to cold Antarctic conditions”.
However, as the COVID19 pandemic continues to disrupt the economic stance of the world, carbon emissions are being considerably lowered. Notably in China, CO2 was down an estimated 18 percent between early February and mid-March due to falls in coal consumption and industrial output according to calculations first published by climate science and policy website CarbonBrief. Venice as another example is now for the first time in decades seeing clear water seeing the return of animals in the canals.
Which then poses the question, could the lowered CO2 emissions from COVID19 minimise the threat of climate change & heat waves in places like Antarctica? Dr King a researcher from the university of Wollongong isn’t convinced as lower CO2 emissions recorded worldwide still might not make a direct impact, “as many of the main sources of emissions are continuing such as electricity, heat reduction and agriculture”.
Andrea Dutton, a climate scientist at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, agreed with Dr King as she stated that “In terms of direct, physical impacts, yes we’re seeing a slowdown in some emissions, but of course, what really matters is cumulative emissions. If it’s short lived, it’s not really touching the tip of the iceberg”.
So while it is great to see CO2 emissions dropping considerably from the pandemic the threat of climate change is still remains a impending threat to the planet and all inhabitants within it.
