Climate Change Warms Arctic, Cools Antarctica
The division between the Antarctic ice and the open water
The poles with similar weather conditions are experiencing the exact opposite effects cause by climate change. Climate change is reported to be causing westerly winds that sweep across most of Antarctica from the Southern Ocean, "protecting" it from the effects of global warming. The only area of Antarctica that is severely effecte is the Antarctic peninsula which is not shielded by the winds from the impacts of climate change. The Arctic, however, is doing exactly the opposite; it is melting at unprecedented rates. Consequently, it is contributing to rising sea levels and essentially affecting others countries. The Arctic and the Antarctic are home to a very unique ecosystem of plants, animals and humans (Arctic only). Within the next century, Arctic ice mass is expected to decline by 20% and temperature to increase by 7 degrees.