A new study finds that the Arctic has been warming nearly four times faster than the globe, which is a higher ratio than most scientists have predicted. The phenomenon, known as Arctic amplification, indicates that climate models systematically tend to underestimate the speed of increasing temperatures.
This news comes as U.S. House is expected to pass the Inflation Reduction Act, a landmark piece of legislation which strives to bring down U.S. emissions of greenhouse gases by incentivizing the purchase of electric vehicles and energy-efficient appliances, and a quickening pace of renewable-energy installations.
Robert W. Orttung is a research professor of International Affairs at the George Washington University Elliott School of International Affairs and Director of Research for Sustainable GW. He is the author of Urban Sustainability in The Arctic.
In response to findings that the Arctic is warming much faster than previously predicted Orttung offered this analysis:
"With new evidence showing that the Arctic is warming four times faster than the rest of the planet, scientific data keeps showing that the situation is more urgent than we had previously thought. Congress's recent action is a step in the right direction, but more is needed. The recent spate of floods, fires, and droughts shows that we need better ways to respond to the immediate crises and a concerted effort to address the root causes."