Impacts

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Greenpeace has led several expeditions to the Poles since 1997 to document the effects of global warming.

In the Antarctic, enormous ice shelves are breaking off as a result of warming temperatures. During its Antarctic expedition in 1997 the Greenpeace ship MV Arctic Sunrise circumnavigated areas that had previously been inaccessible due to ice. The warming temperatures pose grave threats to the continued existence of native species of plants and wildlife, such as penguins.

In the Arctic, ice thickness has declined by over 40 percent and an area larger than the Netherlands is disappearing every year. Scientists predict Arctic sea ice could melt entirely by the end of the century. This warming is affecting native peoples of Alaska whose lives are intricately connected to the natural environment. Furthermore, wildlife that depends upon the ice shelves to find food, such as polar bears and walrus, are diminishing.

In the Pacific, the most dramatic impact of global warming lies just below the water's surface. Coral reefs, critical to the well-being of the Pacific community of nations, are dying at an unprecedented rate due to rising ocean temperatures. Loss of these reefs will have far-reaching implications for tourism, coastlines, food supply and more.

Discover the real face of climate change on our recent trips to Patagonia and Svalbard.