Rapidly warming Arctic has entered a ‘new regime’

illuminem summarizes for you the essential news of the day. Read the full piece on POLITICO or enjoy below:

🗞️ Driving the news: The Arctic has shifted from a carbon sink to a carbon source for the first time in thousands of years, according to NOAA’s Arctic Report Card
• Wildfires, thawing permafrost, and warming temperatures have accelerated carbon and methane emissions, marking a new climatic "regime" in the region

🔭 The context: Nine of the last ten years have been the warmest on record in the Arctic, leading to unprecedented rain, rapid plant growth, and shrinking sea ice
• Permafrost thawing releases ancient carbon stores, while wildfires exacerbate emissions and destabilize the landscape

🌍 Why it matters for the planet: The Arctic’s transition intensifies global warming through feedback loops, including heat absorption from reduced ice cover and increased atmospheric moisture
• These changes impact global ecosystems, regional Indigenous populations, and planetary carbon cycles

⏭️ What's next: Scientists warn that the Arctic may not recover its role as a carbon sink due to accelerating climate shifts
• Melting permafrost threatens local infrastructure, while increasing accessibility to Arctic routes raises geopolitical and environmental concerns

💬 One quote: “The Arctic of today is vastly different from the Arctic of decades ago,” - Twila Moon, deputy lead scientist at the National Snow and Ice Data Center

📈 One stat: Wildfires in the Arctic since 2003 have released 207 million metric tons of carbon into the atmosphere

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