Tales from the Anthropocene: At the world’s northernmost civilian air research station, as far away from local pollutants as you get, we se the grim reality of global climate change. Towering above Ny Ålesund, at 79 degrees north, lies the Zeppelin station. \n\nWe measured well over 424 ppm today. That’s CO2 parts per million. And that’s not just a number. It’s a number that tells us that we’ve spent almost all our carbon budget, if we want to adhere to what we agreed in Paris and Glasgow. Those particles will remain in the atmosphere for centuries, together with all those we are yet to emit. First time I was up here, a decade and a half ago, we were at around 385 ppm. And worried. Because in pre-industrial times, ppm was around 278 ppm. Excess CO2 in the atmosphere is a key driver of global warming. \n\nHowever,15 years ago, there was still a massive ice cap in Kongsfjorden, just below here. Not now. It’s gone. Then, the buildings down in New Ålesund stod safely and firmly on top of the permafrost. Not now. Today, we need to rebuild many of them, as the ground thaws. It thaws faster than anyone predicted. The further north, the faster the warming process. \n\nClimate change is a real and present danger. It’s serious. Dead serious. And it can all be observed from this beautiful Arctic spot, just some 1200 km south of the North Pole.\n\nIt’s time for far more serious #climateaction.

2022-01-28 16:50:49

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