If the arctic peatlands warm up by just one degree Celsius as a result of global warming – and experts say this will happen – then all efforts to reduce carbon dioxide as agreed in the 1997 Kyoto Protocol will have been undone.

Experiments conducted in the north of Sweden by a group of scientists, including Dutch geophysicist Ellen Dorrepaal of the Free University in Amsterdam have incontrovertibly proved that this is the case. The authoritative scientific magazine Nature has dedicated a lead article to the issue.

An increase in temperature of just one degree Celsius suffices to increase the natural carbon dioxide emissions of the gigantic peatlands around the North Pole by a whopping 60 percent. It has been known for a long time that this was a possibility, but it was no more than a theory. However, it has now been proved with solid data that just a little global warming will set off a huge snowball effect. It is expected it will take no more than 20 years for the one degree Celsius increase to become reality.
 

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Minimal effect
This new data adds a new significance to the coming climate talks scheduled to be held in Copenhagen at the end of the year. It also raises the question of whether Kyoto served any purpose if it had only such a limited effect, but Dr Dorrepaal strongly disagrees:

"You know, Kyoto was a very good start because it made politicians and people around the world aware of the importance of international agreements and fortunately there is now also a willingness in the United States to join in...”

Carbon sink
One third of our planet's natural carbon dioxide is stored in the huge peatlands around the North Pole in the form of organic plant material, which is what peat is, after all. In addition to the tropical rainforests, the Arctic peatlands are one of the planet’s most important 'carbon sinks'.

So far, the Arctic frost has prevented the peat from decomposing and releasing its carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. To prove the theory regarding additional carbon dioxide emissions, Ellen Dorrepaal and her colleagues in northern Sweden built big transparent Perspex tents without roofs, allowing the wind and rain to reach the peat, while the Perspex walls retained just enough solar warmth to raise the temperature by one degree Celsius. 

Shocking
Even though they expected an increase in carbon dioxide emissions, even these experienced scientists were shocked to find the actual increase was 60 percent. And yet, Dr Dorrepaal feels the efforts to fight climate change are not pointless and even calls the upcoming conference in Copenhagen more important than ever:

"Let’s just hope that more solid agreements will be concluded in Copenhagen so carbon dioxide emissions caused by human interference can be seriously reduced, hopefully leading to a reduction in global warming. And thus preventing natural carbon dioxide storage systems like the peatlands in Lapland, northern Canada and Siberia from going up in flames before our very eyes".

Because the Dutch geophysicist knows one thing for sure: doing nothing will only make matters worse...