Reserves of oil, gas and minerals lie beneath the seafloor and pose a major threat to sensitive marine habitats and species.
Intense human presence and tourist developments is taking its toll on marine life.
Heavy ocean traffic is endangering marine habitats.
ecosystems in this region appear to be much more open to damage from a low level of pollutants than warmer climates
Volcanoes used to be the main source of atmospheric sulfur dioxide; today people are.
animals in this area such as polar bears and even humans, may carry high pollutant concentrations from eating local foods
Smog is contributing to global warming
Carbon dioxide from cars, planes, and power plants have raised levels in the atmosphere higher in the last 150 years than they have been for hundreds of thousands of years.
Deforestation leading to billions of tons of carbon releasing into the Earth's atmosphere.
contamination of snow, waters, and organisms with "imported" pollutants is a phenomenon of the past few decades and appears to be increasing
Slash-and-burn is a primary threat to global warming.
Destroying the homes and habitats for animals and people who live in the region.
Pollutants on land make their way into the ocean, harming the entire marine food chain, including humans.
many organisms in this frozen region accumulate and store organic pollutants and toxic metals.
Chlorofluorocarbons used in refrigerants and aerosol propellants are deteriorating the Earth's ozone layer.
Extreme winds in this area carry airborne pollutants over the central Arctic Basin.
Clearing land to utilize it for farming causes the nutrients in the soil to deplete quickly which leads to more clearing.
Acid rain is caused by sulfur dioxide and other chemicals released into the atmosphere.
90% of the world’s fisheries are overfished meaning that billions of fish die needlessly every year.
Logging will lead to trees running out before human necessities are met.
