A study by a non-governmental organization, published its results yesterday, Thursday, warned that the world's ice cover is at risk. According to the study, a potential increase in global temperatures by two degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels would have catastrophic consequences for glaciers, ice caps, polar seas, and permafrost on Earth. The study, prepared by the International Glaciological and Climate Initiative, pointed out that recent research indicated that a significant reduction in greenhouse gas emissions alone is capable of preventing permanent consequences on the "global ice cover," which represents areas of the land covered by ice and snow for at least part of the year.
The study urged participants in the upcoming global climate negotiations to strive to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius compared to pre-industrial levels. The goals of the Paris Climate Agreement are to keep global warming below two degrees Celsius; however, the United Nations stated this week that global climate commitments are far from achieving this goal. The study stated, "Based on what we have learned about the ice cover since the signing of the Paris Agreement in 2015, it appears that limiting warming to 1.5 degrees is not much better than limiting it to two degrees," according to Agence France-Presse.
The authors of the study and global scientists warned that the melting of ice caps would lead to "significant and possibly rapid and permanent increases in sea levels" if global temperatures rise by two degrees Celsius. The world will also witness significant melting of glaciers, with some possibly "disappearing completely," according to the French agency.
