A recent study which was published last week seems to confirm that the white snows of the continent of Antartica, in our south pole, may not remain white, and is already turning green.
The report also states that the color change to green is due to a microscopic algae which 'blooms' on the snow, turning large swathes of the landscape green. And as earlier reports suggest, the warming there has already exceeded 1.5 °C over pre-industrial temperatures, it is expected that it is only going to spread further with rising temperatures.
These algae's were found mostly around the coastal areas which are anyways more warmer than other areas. But with temperatures rising steadily, the algae blooms are expected to start moving into the hinterland and proliferate further.
The study also stated that
marine birds and mammals affect the growth of the green snow algae. The excrements of these animals are rich, nutritious fertilizer for the algae’s bloom and more than 60 per cent of the green snow algae spread were found near a penguin colony. Other hot-spots include a birds’ nesting site and spots where seals come ashore.
How long it will take is anyone's guess, but the chilling reminder is of the fact that with rising temperatures the snow could melt and raise sea levels to a point where many of our coastal cities would be submerged. And almost every culture/religion in the world seems to reiterate that this did happen in ancient history too.
I do not know whether this is another false alarm, but it is a reminder that man should change its outlook on life for the future. The present lock-down is a stark reminder that humans don't know s**t when it comes to nature and the planet, so the sensible thing to do would be to rethink the 'systems' we have created, all in the name of civilization.
