Image from MIT |
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The polar regions are crucial for the global environment in many ways. They contain much of the world's remaining large tracts of wilderness areas. They have profound effects on the global climate. And they are significant indicator regions, showing up climate changes before they can be detected elsewhere. In March 1994, the fastest sustained atmospheric warming since world-wide temperature records began 130 years ago - 0.5 degrees Celsius per decade since 1947 - was reported in the Antarctic Peninsula by British Antarctic Survey (BAS) scientists. BAS spokesperson Dr John King stated at the time: "The rise is the fastest we have on record ... people should be looking to the future for the consequences could be quite dire." |
