On February 25, temperatures at the North Pole rose above freezing.
While a single weather event is never solely attributable to anthropogenic climate disruption (ACD), climate scientist Sarah Myhre tweeted about weather anomalies such as this: “Single weather events can also be used as exemplars — good examples — of what changes are characteristic of climate change, including heat events, fires, extreme storms, winter warming, the changing of seasonal timing, the redistributions of ocean ecosystems.”
Amelie Meyer, a researcher of ice-ocean interactions with Norway’s Polar Institute told The Age that to have these kinds of warm temperatures at the North Pole in February is “just wrong,” adding, “It’s quite worrying.”
Scientists around the globe are stunned by the event. Daily mean temperatures across the region were comparable to those usually seen in May. February 23 saw temperatures in northern Greenland at 43°F. The average high temperature there for that month is -20°F.
To see more stories like this, visit “Planet or Profit?”
Climate science lecturer Andrew King at the University of Melbourne told The Age that these exceedingly warm temperatures at such high northern latitudes during the dead of winter “are really extreme.”
Why Is Greenland Warmer Than Europe?
King went on to add that “parts of Greenland are quite a bit warmer than most of Europe.” And he wasn’t the only climate scientist scratching his head.
On February 24 climate scientist Zack Labe tweeted: “Cape Morris Jesup (#Greenland’s northernmost observation station) is now reporting temperatures well above freezing today… +6.1°C at the latest observation! Crazy!”
The average high temperature for that location in February is -20°F, making Friday’s reading a stunning 63°F warmer than average. This would be the equivalent of Denver seeing a 112°F day in February.
Across much of the rest of the Arctic in late February, these July-like temperatures — more than 45°F above normal — covered tens of thousands of square miles.
In another shocking development, Alaska’s Bering Sea lost a full one-third of its ice in only eight days.
All of these events underscore a warning issued by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration in its 2017 Arctic Report Card.
The report, which was published in December, warned “the Arctic environmental system has reached a ‘new normal’, characterized by long-term losses in the extent and thickness of the sea ice cover.”
The NOAA scientists emphasized that recent warm temperatures are no aberration. They are part of a trend toward a radically different planet.
NOAA’s report concluded that the “Arctic shows no sign of returning to [the] reliably frozen region of recent past decades.”
Help us Prepare for Trump’s Day One
Trump is busy getting ready for Day One of his presidency – but so is Truthout.
Trump has made it no secret that he is planning a demolition-style attack on both specific communities and democracy as a whole, beginning on his first day in office. With over 25 executive orders and directives queued up for January 20, he’s promised to “launch the largest deportation program in American history,” roll back anti-discrimination protections for transgender students, and implement a “drill, drill, drill” approach to ramp up oil and gas extraction.
Organizations like Truthout are also being threatened by legislation like HR 9495, the “nonprofit killer bill” that would allow the Treasury Secretary to declare any nonprofit a “terrorist-supporting organization” and strip its tax-exempt status without due process. Progressive media like Truthout that has courageously focused on reporting on Israel’s genocide in Gaza are in the bill’s crosshairs.
As journalists, we have a responsibility to look at hard realities and communicate them to you. We hope that you, like us, can use this information to prepare for what’s to come.
And if you feel uncertain about what to do in the face of a second Trump administration, we invite you to be an indispensable part of Truthout’s preparations.
In addition to covering the widespread onslaught of draconian policy, we’re shoring up our resources for what might come next for progressive media: bad-faith lawsuits from far-right ghouls, legislation that seeks to strip us of our ability to receive tax-deductible donations, and further throttling of our reach on social media platforms owned by Trump’s sycophants.
We’re preparing right now for Trump’s Day One: building a brave coalition of movement media; reaching out to the activists, academics, and thinkers we trust to shine a light on the inner workings of authoritarianism; and planning to use journalism as a tool to equip movements to protect the people, lands, and principles most vulnerable to Trump’s destruction.
We urgently need your help to prepare. As you know, our December fundraiser is our most important of the year and will determine the scale of work we’ll be able to do in 2025. We’ve set two goals: to raise $150,000 in one-time donations and to add 1,500 new monthly donors by midnight on December 31.
Today, we’re asking all of our readers to start a monthly donation or make a one-time donation – as a commitment to stand with us on day one of Trump’s presidency, and every day after that, as we produce journalism that combats authoritarianism, censorship, injustice, and misinformation. You’re an essential part of our future – please join the movement by making a tax-deductible donation today.
If you have the means to make a substantial gift, please dig deep during this critical time!
With gratitude and resolve,
Maya, Negin, Saima, and Ziggy