Tundra Turning

For millennia, the Arctic tundra has served as a carbon 'sink'. Its generally icy surfaces, have effectively trapped organic material for extended periods. There's been, however, a recent complete transformation. Wildfires in this region, have converted the tundra into a net source of carbon dioxide emissions. Carbon dioxide is a 'greenhouse gas' causing planetary heating, by trapping solar radiation. That further increases thawing. The Arctic tundra is, consequently, now spewing out stored methane gas. Methane is another 'greenhouse gas' with a potency thirty times that of carbon dioxide. The US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration notes that, in 2023, the Arctic tundra's annual surface air temperature was the second warmest on record. Records go back to 1900. Currently, the Arctic is warming at four times the average global rate (https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/dec/10/arctic-tundra-carbon-shift). Some folk may simply see the heating of the tundra, creating further business opportunities. It will be easier to move shipping into and through the area. Deposits of hydrocarbons (oil and methane gas) will be more accessible in areas like Alaska. These, however, will accelerate the melting of the tundra. That may well prove a 'tipping point', from which there's no returning. If this happens, the unique biota (animal and plant life) of the Arctic will be completely destroyed. And the climate consequences prove globally devastating.