Subject of Intent
Rising Sea Levels
“Big Print” Intention Statement
Reduce the loss of ice mass from the Greenland ice sheet.
“Small Print” Intention Statement
Achieve at least a 10% decrease in the rate of ice loss across Greenland in Q2 of 2025 compared to the average data of the first half of the last 10 years, as measured by the Mass and Height Change index on the Polar Portal website.
Suggested Start Time
ASAP
Suggested Length
Three months
Background
Concern about the melting of the polar ice caps began in the late 1970s and early 1980s, when the first satellite images of sea ice became available. Over the years, sea ice has been melting at around 13% per decade, and it is currently estimated that about 95% of the oldest ice in the Arctic region has been lost, according to the World Wildlife Fund. This phenomenon directly results from global warming, largely driven by anthropogenic activities. In addition to contributing to sea level rise, the melting of the polar ice caps triggers other severe effects, such as higher global temperatures. The process creates a feedback loop: the warmer the climate becomes, the faster the ice melts—threatening coastal communities, damaging crops, affecting wildlife, and releasing large amounts of methane (a potent greenhouse gas) trapped in permafrost.
Greenland is a critical part of this picture, as its massive ice sheet covers about 80% of the island and is now melting at unprecedented rates. The region has warmed approximately seven degrees Fahrenheit since 1991—far more than the global average. Greenland currently loses around 234 billion tons of ice each year, a rate seven times faster than in the 1990s. This meltwater contributes to sea level rise both directly and indirectly: not only does surface melt drain into the ocean, but it also accelerates the movement of glacial ice through subglacial channels known as moulins. If the entire ice sheet were to melt, it could raise global sea levels by more than seven meters..