What impact is global warming having on Antarctica? Experts to give evidence on the Antarctic environment
The Environmental Audit Sub-Committee on Polar Research will be holding its first evidence session examining the UK and the Antarctic environment with leading academics in environmental sciences.
Meeting details
Across two panels, MPs will be discussing with experts the climate and environmental changes that have been observed in Antarctica. They will be exploring the current state of the physical environment and what we can predict of how it will respond to future warming, along with how Antarctica’s precious ecosystems are responding to change.
The first panel will specifically discuss the role of Antarctica in the global climate and how warming is affecting air temperatures, ice sheets and oceans around the continent. It will also consider how Antarctica is contributing to global sea level rise.
The second panel will focus specifically on ecosystem change in Antarctica, and how well the regions flora and fauna will adapt to warming on and around the continent. The panel will also consider how invasive species and pollutants affect native species, and the implications of increasing human activity in Antarctica.