The Arctic environment decline in sea ice is leading to more o-zone depletion and more mercury contamination. NASA has studied the Arctic Ocean and the layer of sea ice that has been thinning. The thin sea ice shows more cracks and is a result of the increased global warming in the past 50 years.
Sea ice controls the way bromine escapes into the air, and when too much bromine escapes into the air it can turn an un-reactive form of mercury into a reactive form. The danger in all of this is that sea ice is declining and can ultimately have a chain effect that harms animals. If there is too much exposure to mercury, major nerves and brains cells can be harmed in the indigenous animals. When the sea ice melts, as a result of global warming, the sea ice can melt into the oceans and further affect the food web for arctic animals. At home you can slow down global warming by transitioning to CFL light bulbs and recycling house hold plastics, paper, and glass. The Arctic is being affected by the entire world and having an impact on animals. It is vital that humans take action to preserve a healthy atmosphere so the food web is not altered.
http://www.climatewatch.noaa.gov/article/2012/a-sea-change-in-the-arctic-atmosphere
Mercury is really bad so we definitely need to do our part to slow down global warming. Thanks for the tips on what we can do at home i will definitely be recycling more.
ReplyDeleteI didn't know that all of these things could happen just because of global warming, but thanks for letting this be known. Also thanks for the tips at home about the recycling we can do to help make this a safe place for us and animals.
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