Arctic Warming Accelerates

A United Nations Environment Programme report indicates that Arctic permafrost has shrunk by 18% compared to the 20th century, with thawing depths increasing by an average of 0.15 meters annually. Each cubic meter of thawed permafrost releases 3.2kg of CO₂ and 0.8kg of CH₄, exacerbating climate warming. Arctic species like polar bears face severe mercury contamination (originating from industrial emissions over a century ago), which accumulates through the food chain, posing a dual threat to their survival.