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The past seven years in the Arctic have been the hottest seven years since 1900, according to the 2022 Arctic Report Card, a new federal assessment of the region released Tuesday. The Arctic continues to warm more than twice as fast as the rest of the globe, with even greater warming in some locations and times of year, the report states.
The warmer temperatures are causing summer to come earlier and winter to start later, decreasing the length of the snow season. For example, snow cover in June across the region has declined around 20 percent in recent decades. The shorter winters were a critical factor in the widespread wildfires in Alaska this summer. More than 2 million acres burned across the state by July, while wildfire smoke worsened air quality.
Warmer temperatures are also increasing the amount of rain across the Arctic. According to the report, Arctic precipitation has significantly increased since the 1950s across all seasons. Three main factors are likely increasing precipitation in the Arctic. First, warmer air can hold more moisture. Second, as sea ice retreats, storms can suck up more open ocean water. And third, storms are passing over warmer water before reaching the Arctic, feeding them with more energy.
Rising temperatures could also be driving a new phenomenon in Arctic Alaska that's turning streams and rivers orange. Scientists hypothesize that the warming is causing underlying permafrost to degrade, releasing sediments rich in iron that oxidize and turn a deep rusty orange when they touch water and air. The oxidation process may also be making the water more acidic.
Five ways to support Indigenous-led conservation
A new article from the Center for American Progress highlights five ways scientists, NGOs, and governments can support Indigenous-led conservation work. The five takeaways include: inviting Indigenous identity into conservation work, lifting up Indigenous traditional ecological knowledge, centering Indigenous values in conservation, helping Indigenous peoples achieve the responsibilities they carry, and supporting tribal and Indigenous advocacy.
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Progress on tribal co-management will be slow and incremental in the years to come, and a change in power to a Republican-led administration could easily halt this progress. What gives me hope is that in just three generations we have seen a transformation of the self governance of Native Nations in this country and the inertia of these wins are not easily stopped.”
