She is only 33 years old and has already undertaken nine expeditions to the Antarctic: Sea ice researcher Stefanie Arndt is investigating how global warming is changing the polar regions forever. The effects are affecting the entire planet.
Ms. Arndt, why is the melting of the polar ice caps a threat to all of us?
The Arctic and Antarctic shape the weather across the planet. You need to know: Currents in the atmosphere and in the oceans are decisive for our weather, and these currents are based, among other things, on temperature differences. The polar regions are something like the cooling compartments in this cycle. The problem is that the polar regions are heating up faster than other regions of the world – especially the Arctic. The temperature difference decreases and the currents weaken.
What are the consequences?