The United Nations Environment Programme has issued a report on the dangers of the warming cryosphere, or the Earth's frozen regions, which make up over half of the world's land surface.
What's happening?
Warming temperatures caused by air pollution have put cryospheric regions at risk. As ice melts, dormant fungi, bacteria, and viruses have the potential to reactivate.
This poses a major public health risk to people who live in these areas and billions more whose water sources originate from frozen regions.
Some of these organisms may survive while others may not. The latter case can lead to a loss of microbial diversity, which is essential to maintaining a healthy ecosystem. It may also enhance existing pathogens and increase antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in humans.
Why is the warming cryosphere important?
Melting ice poses various threats to residents living in cryospheric regions. In addition to causing extreme weather events such as flooding, thawing of ancient bacteria and fungi can change the local environment. It can even lead to the release of more carbon into the atmosphere, exacerbating the warming planet.
For example, as a study published in the journal Current Opinion in Genetics & Development explained, the thawing of carbon-rich permafrost soils can lead to a loss of soil carbon due to microbial activity. The soil carbon turns into carbon dioxide and methane, which contribute to the accumulation of heat-trapping gases in the atmosphere.
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Additionally, microbial diversity is important to humans because it impacts our AMR, making it harder for us to treat pathogens. As AMR becomes a more urgent issue, advancements in medical treatment and technology become less effective. The World Health Organization has said AMR makes infections harder to treat and standard procedures, such as chemotherapy, riskier.
The cryosphere is home to 670 million people across the Alps, the Andes, Greenland, Hindu Kush Himalaya, Siberia, and the Tibetan Plateau, according to Meteored, which noted that there are "billions more who live in areas with water originating from those frozen areas."
What's being done about the warming cryosphere?
The United Nations has issued guidance on how to slow warming. The organization emphasized the reduction of black carbon pollution.
Black carbon particles absorb more heat, which accelerates glacial melting. They stem from appliances and products that use dirty energy, such as diesel engines and cook stoves.
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For instance, people can swap out their dirty energy appliances and help decrease black carbon pollution. They can explore electric vehicle options or next-gen home appliances, both of which save money in the long run.
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