Ice in Antarctica retreated 1.5 million square kilometers in September

The frozen surface of the sea in the Antarctica fell 1.5 million square kilometers this September with respect to the average in a similar month in the past, revealed this Monday the secretary general of the UNAntónio Guterres, who has just returned from a trip to the white continent.

That area is equivalent to the sum of the territory of Germany, France, Spain and Portugal, he said in a press conference at the UN to report on his trip. “Antarctica is crying for us to do something”Guterres said in one of his usual solemn statements.

Guterres insisted that the effects of the Antarctic melt “They do not stay in Antarctica, because we live in an interconnected world”and recalled its consequences: rise in sea level, penetration of salt water into the land, effects on crops and risks to coastal homes, especially serious in cities at sea level and small islands.

The Secretary General insisted that the cause of all this destruction is clear: fossil fuels, and said that if global warming is not reversed, “l“Sea levels could rise ten meters.”

COP28, which begins in Dubai on November 30, will be the time to act with three primary objectives: triple the generation of renewable energy, double energy efficiency and bring clean energy to the entire world by 2030, Guterres detailed.

And regarding the information – revealed today by the BBC – that the Emirati government was going to take advantage of COP-28 to close oil agreements, in clear contravention of the spirit of the summit, Guterres was categorical: “I can’t believe it’s true.” said.