Desperate times, desperate measures

The more impact we have on the climate, the faster the ice will melt in the Arctic. [...] The state of the Arctic The Arctic is like the canary in the coalmine; its dramatic melting is a warning that there is too much of certain greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, the effects of which are felt first in the Arctic. [...] The inhabitants of the Arctic are acutely aware of their role as canaries and of the dramatic regional impacts of climate change—to which they have contributed so little.4 As a harbinger of things to come, the frozen landscapes and seascapes of the Arctic are thawing. [...] At the end of the melting season of 2007, in mid-September, the sea ice extent was 24 per cent below the yearly minimum of 2005, and 37 per cent below the recorded average.5 The sea ice extent at the end of the melting season—the yearly minimum—is a good indicator of the overall health of the ice cap. [...] Considering the conflicting and often narrowly defined interests of states, how they prioritize them in the Arctic and the consequences of double exposure, it is particularly important that non-state actors and non-dominant states are brought to the table to balance the discussion.