REYKJAVIK, Iceland – Although faced with fresh evidence of global warming, the United States and other members of the Arctic Council on Wednesday failed to make any recommendations to combat a problem most scientists say is causing sea ice to melt and temperatures to rise.
The council met to consider a new scientific report suggesting the Arctic is warming up much faster than the rest of the planet.
Some delegates on the council, a respected international panel that advises governments on Arctic issues, seemed to blame their group’s inaction on America’s rejection of the Kyoto Protocol, which requires industrial nations to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases. The Bush administration prefers voluntary measures to save the environment.
“We no sooner leave the science proper than we enter into politics,” said Bryndis Kjartansdottir, speaking on behalf of the Icelandic ministry, which chaired the one-day meeting.
The study, compiled by 300 scientists and released earlier this month, said the Arctic is particularly vulnerable to warming from industrial greenhouse gases. One reason is that when snow and ice melt, the exposed, bare ground absorbs more heat.
Sea ice in the Arctic has already decreased about 8 percent in 30 years, resulting in the loss of 386,100 square miles of ice, according to the report.
Delegates said the findings will help inform governments about global warming, but declined to make any specific recommendations in a declaration adopted Wednesday.
Paula Dobriansky, the U.S. under secretary of global affairs, told the council’s closing news conference that she was happy with that decision.
The council is comprised of eight nations – Canada, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Russia, Sweden and the United States – and six indigenous peoples of the Arctic, including the Saami Peoples of Norway and Finland and the Inuit Circumpolar Conference.
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