The climate changes that await our planet are already clearly visible in Antarctica, and humanity has no right to ignore this signal. This was stated by the director of the National Antarctic Scientific Center Evgen Dykyi during the All-Ukrainian Forum “Ukraine 30: Ecology”, which started today, June 7, 2021.
“Sometimes, to better understand what’s going on in your home, you have to step away and look from the outside. It is Antarctica that allows us to step away as far as possible and see many important things, ” said Evgen Dykyi.
According to him, it is very clearly seen from Antarctica that our planet is a single mechanism. Therefore, the processes taking place in the polar regions directly affect Ukraine and vice versa.
“You especially understand this when in Antarctica you study how glaciers melt and a cold-water mass is formed in the Weddell Sea, and then this cold-water mass comes here to Europe and forms the climate, which we all feel today. And in Antarctica, we “catch” the products of the pharmaceutical industry, fragments of plastic bottles that were thrown away somewhere, including Ukraine. And you physically feel how small our planet is and how much we all depend on each other, ” emphasized NASC Director.
He noted that now it is impossible to hide from global processes in any corner of the world. Therefore, you need to understand what is happening on the planet as a whole, see your place in these processes and look for ways of adaptation.
“The climate that was in our childhood does not exist any longer and will never be again. And the climate in which our children will live will be even more different from the current one. In Antarctica, this is very clearly visible, because the processes that will come here in Ukraine take place earlier, and we actually take on the role of guards who are trying to warn all of mankind”, – said Evgen Dykyi.
At the same time, he noted that when humanity hears such signals and takes the necessary measures, it has a positive effect. For example, this is the case with the “ozone hole”, opened just above our station, at the time when it belonged to Great Britain.
“This ozone hole should already be healed by 2070, as there was a tough political will in the fight against harmful substances, huge resources were invested. And this gives the results that we are one of the first to measure at Vernadsky, ” summed up the head of the Center.
During the forum there was also a live broadcast from the Ukrainian Antarctic Akademik Vernadsky station.
“While we are at the epicenter of climate change and directly see their impact on our planet, we urge everyone to make every effort, starting from the household level, to prevent irreversible processes or at least delay them and avoid catastrophic consequences,” – this was the main message of the scientists from the station.