Two weeks ago, I visited the Arctic. I saw the remains of a glacier that just a few years ago was a majestic mass of ice. It had collapsed. Not slowly melted \u201d\u201d collapsed. I traveled nine hours by ship from the world\u2019s northernmost settlement to reach the polar ice rim. In just a few years, the same ship may be able to sail unimpeded all the way to the North Pole. The Arctic could be virtually ice-free by 2030.<\/p>\n
Scientists told me their sobering findings. The Arctic is our canary in the coal mine for climate impacts that will affect us all.<\/p>\n
I was alarmed by the rapid pace of change there. Worse still, changes in the Arctic are now accelerating global warming. Thawing permafrost is releasing methane, a greenhouse gas 20 times more powerful than carbon dioxide. Melting ice in Greenland threatens to raise sea levels.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, global greenhouse gas emissions continue to rise.<\/p>\n