A Chinese scientific expedition to the North Pole says Arctic warming is speeding up. Huge amounts of snow and ice are melting in the Arctic, affecting climatic conditions in the whole Northern Hemisphere.
The Arctic refers to the area above the Northern Latitude of 66.33 degrees. During a recent trip, the Chinese Arctic Scientific Expedition team found that thawing is not only changing the climate and environment of the Arctic Region -- but is threatening the whole Northern Hemisphere. The scientists warn that if temperatures continue to rise at the current rate, half of the ice cap in the Arctic may disappear in less than 50 years. This would change the Eco-environment of the entire planet. The past 30 years has seen the biggest rise in temperature in the Arctic Ocean, Europe, Asia and North America for the past 400 years.
(CCTV.com September 1, 2003)
