ASOC
Climate Crisis in Antarctica
Antarctica is at a crossroads. The global climate crisis is interrupting natural processes across large parts of Antarctica and the Southern Ocean.
As we stand on the brink of catastrophic change, the actions we take over the next decade will determine the course of human civilization for generations.
What’s happening?
CLIMATE CRISIS IN ANTARCTICA
The polar regions are the first to be affected by the heating climate, and dramatic changes are already underway in Antarctica.
Floating ice shelves are melting rapidly, raising concerns about sudden, uncontrollable sea level rise. The Antarctic Peninsula, a popular tourist destination, is one of the most rapidly warming places in the Southern Hemisphere, with average summer temperatures increasing by over 5°F (3°C) between 1970 and 2020.
Since the 1970s the Southern Ocean has absorbed as much as 75 percent of the excess heat created by humans, and 40 percent of the carbon dioxide. Warmer, more acidic oceans are already impacting Antarctic ecosystems, with many penguin colonies shrinking, and in some cases disappearing altogether.
CLIMATE CRISIS IN ANTARCTICA
What are the impacts?
Antarctica and its ice, ocean and ecosystems play a critical role in regulating the global climate. Together they help slow global heating, drive important ocean currents, and contribute to the drawdown of millions of tons of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.
The climate crisis is disrupting these delicate systems. They are changing rapidly, with effects that will be felt around the world.
Humans
Human activity is causing changes in our climate, and the natural systems that support life as we know it.
Penguins
Between 1980 and 2020, several penguin colonies on the Antarctic Peninsula vanished.
Ice
Antarctic ice is changing. Collapsing ice shelves could lead to several feet of sea level rise by 2100.
Ocean
The Southern Ocean is slowing climate change by absorbing excess heat. But it comes at a cost.
Why it’s important
CLIMATE CRISIS IN ANTARCTICA
What happens in Antarctica as the planet heats will affect all of humanity. A warming Southern Ocean threatens to slow global ocean circulation and drive extreme weather events across the globe. Find out more.
Melting Antarctic ice has the potential to raise global sea levels by hundreds of feet. Even a few feet of sea level rise would be catastrophic for millions of people, destroying critical sources of freshwater and farmland with saltwater, and displacing millions of people. Find out more.
CLIMATE CRISIS IN ANTARCTICA
What ASOC is doing
ASOC advocates for policies that will build Antarctic ecosystem resilience in the face of climate change. We work to build awareness of the impacts of climate change on the Antarctic environment through public advocacy, reporting to Antarctic governance meetings, and conducting outreach to governments.
CLIMATE CRISIS
How we work
As the only environmental NGO invited to observe Antarctic Treaty meetings, we represent the Antarctic conservation community at the highest levels of Antarctic governance. We work within the system to address the climate crisis in the following ways.
Adaptation
We support adaptive management systems which incorporate uncertainty and respond to new information.
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Adaptation
We support adaptive management systems which incorporate uncertainty and respond to new information.
We promote the implementation of specific climate adaptation strategies, including:
- Biosecurity measures to prevent competition from invasive species
- The expansion and improvement of CCAMLR’s Ecosystem Monitoring Program (CEMP).
- Establishing a Southern Ocean Sentinel program.
Advocacy
ASOC advocates for science-based policies within the existing Antarctic governance framework.
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Advocacy
ASOC advocates for science-based policies within the existing Antarctic governance framework.
As the only official environmental NGO observer in the Antarctic Treaty System, our primary focus is on building Antarctic ecosystem resilience in the face of the climate crisis. We advocate for policies that reduce the stress on Antarctic ecosystems from human activities such as fishing, tourism, and scientific research. We strongly support deep cuts to global carbon emissions, which represent the greatest threat to the integrity of Antarctica today.
Find out more about building climate-safe fisheries and tourism industries.
Photo credit: Bob Zuur
Protection
ASOC strongly supports the establishment of a representative network of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) across the Southern Ocean.
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Protection
ASOC strongly supports the establishment of a representative network of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) across the Southern Ocean.
Designated MPAs are the most effective way to protect ocean ecosystems.
They protect biodiversity, while mitigating the impacts of a changing climate and providing reference areas for scientific research.
Protecting large areas from fishing and pollution will provide refuges for vulnerable species whose habitat may be changing dramatically.
Science
ASOC acknowledges and supports the world-class climate research conducted by Antarctic researchers.
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Science
ASOC acknowledges and supports the world-class climate research conducted by Antarctic researchers.
We present timely, science-based policy proposals at meetings of Antarctic governance organizations, providing Treaty parties with reliable information on how to protect the Antarctic environment. We also share this information with the broader public, promoting actions to help secure a climate-safe future.
Photo credit: NASA
Implementation
ASOC supports the full and effective implementation of the Protocol on Environmental Protection to the Antarctic Treaty.
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Implementation
ASOC supports the full and effective implementation of the Protocol on Environmental Protection to the Antarctic Treaty.
Antarctica’s Environmental Protocol provides a legally binding set of conservation measures that covers most activities in the Antarctic Treaty area. However, although it entered into force in 1998, some important provisions of the Protocol still haven’t been put in place. For example, we are still waiting for a system of protected areas to be created, and a liability regime to be established.
ASOC campaigns for full and effective implementation of the Environmental Protocol so Antarctica will be governed to the highest standard of environmental protection possible.
Video: courtesy of Richard Sidey
What you can do
climate crisis
It’s not too late to act. The greatest threats to Antarctica today come from right here – where we live. As Antarctica nears irreversible tipping points, we must take urgent action now to secure a safe climate future.
