Scientists have been studying the Arctic, which they believe is critical to understanding our planet's climate and climate changes.
Prior to 1850, an estimated 1,400 to 1,850 billion metric tons of organic carbon accumulated in the Arctic, reflecting the billions of years the Earth has been in existence.
Since 1850, an additional 350 billion metric tons of organic carbon has accumulated, primarily from fossil-fuel consumption and human activities.
That means at the current rate, we will have doubled the amount of organic carbon by the year 2665.
What does this mean for the future of our planet?
It means all this carbon will be released into the atmosphere as carbon dioxide and methane, melting the ice at the polar regions, causing oceans to rise, coastal areas to flood, some islands to disappear completely, and the temperature of the planet to rise substantially - creating stronger storms both in the summer months (hurricanes and tornadoes) and winter months (winter storms).
What do you think? Do you believe this is occurring because of some natural phenomena or do you believe humans could be leading the planet - or portions of it - to extinction?
