Climate Change in the Arctic - The Changing Arctic Environment: The Arctic Messenger - page 247

impact of global warming be on exchanges of contaminants between such compartments?
AMAP has published two reports (in 2002 and 2011), plus another jointly with the Stock-
holm Convention on persistent organic pollutants (also in 2011), that have examined this
question and we have already reviewed present knowledge in the persistent organic pollut-
ants (POPs) and heavy metals chapters.
Climate warming and associated changes in the global carbon cycle are causing the
CO 2 content of the world's oceans to increase. This has resulted in a decline in seawater
pH, particularly in near-surface waters. In 2013, the AMAP produced an Arctic Ocean
Acidification Assessment . An accompanying summary for policymakers was presented to
the Arctic Council at its eighth meeting in Kiruna, Sweden, in May 2013. This reinforced
the SWIPA conclusion urging member states “to reduce the emission of carbon dioxide
as a matter of urgency”. In the subsequent Kiruna Ministerial Declaration, the ministers
stated that they “recognize that Arctic States, along with other major emitters, substantially
contribute to global GHG emissions and confirm the commitment of all Arctic States to
work together and with other countries under the UNFCCC to conclude a protocol, another
legal instrument or an agreed outcome with legal force no later than 2015, and urged all
Parties to the Convention to take urgent action to meet the long-term goal aimed at limiting
the increase in global average temperature to below 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial
levels”. Once again, the big question is whether these words will lead to the actions that are
needed. For other issues faced by the Arctic Council, such as dealing with POPs and mer-
cury, Arctic Council countries did call for, supported and then quite quickly implemented
international mitigative actions. Thus far, however, this step has proven to be elusive as far
as climate is concerned. This political paralysis is a vital issue we will come back to in the
last two chapters. However, before we reach that point in our story, we must hear in greater
detail what the Arctic Messenger has to say about Arctic warming.