This Norwegian village is one of the fastest-warming places on Earth. How can its people save it?

A Norwegian village ranks among the fastest-warming places on Earth, The Guardian reported on 21 October.

Ketil Isaksen, a climate scientist at the Norwegian Meteorological Institute, said in a Barents Observer article of 2 July 2022 that the northern Barents Sea region warms 2 to 2.5 times faster than the Arctic average. He said it warms 5 to 7 times faster than the global average. In 2019, the Barents Observer said Longyearbyen is likely the fastest-warming town in the world and that houses are sagging as the ground thaws.

Polar Journal reported on a Finnish Meteorological Institute study led by Daan van den Broek. It found a record August 2024 average of 11 °C at the airport near Longyearbyen. The polar climate limit is 10 °C. The study said it was the warmest month since 1899. The summer as a whole was also the warmest recorded.

Coverage: The Guardian, The Barents Observer, Polar Journal