Â鶹´«Ã½

Skip to main content

Antarctica gets a Glasgow Glacier ahead of climate summit

Share
ROME -

Britain is naming a thinning Antarctic ice mass the Glasgow Glacier, to symbolize the vast implications for the world of a climate conference that starts Sunday in the Scottish city.

More than 120 world leaders will join British Prime Minister Boris Johnson in Glasgow for the COP26 summit. Britain is calling the gathering one of the world's last chances to keep alive the goal, agreed in Paris in 2015, of limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels.

Scientists from the University of Leeds in England have studied a chain of glaciers in the Getz basin of Antarctica, and found their journey from land to ocean sped up by an average of 25 per cent between 1994 and 2018 due to climate change, shedding 315 gigatonnes of ice and contributing to rising global sea levels.

The glaciers, which lie in the British Antarctic Territory, will be named after cities that have hosted climate conferences, reports or treaties, including Rio, Kyoto, Paris and Glasgow.

Johnson said that "by naming this glittering giant of nature after the city where next week humankind will gather to fight for the future of the planet, we have a stark reminder of what we are working to preserve."

Urging leaders of the Group of 20 major economies, meeting this weekend in Rome, to raise their carbon-cutting commitments, Johnson said the Glasgow meeting "represents our best chance" to "keep the goal of 1.5 degrees alive."

Johnson has been pressing leaders from some of the G20's biggest carbon emitters -- including India, Australia and China -- to make quicker and deeper cuts to their emissions. But he had little in the way of firm commitments to show for it as he prepares to head back to the U.K. and said he rated the chances of success for the Glasgow summit as 6 out of 10.

CTVNews.ca Top Stories

A Nova Scotian YouTuber has launched a mini-truck bookmobile.

Infectious disease physician Dr. Isaac Bogoch says whooping cough is most risky for unvaccinated infants, children and older people.

Local Spotlight

Cole Haas is more than just an avid fan of the F.W. Johnson Wildcats football team. He's a fixture on the sidelines, a source of encouragement, and a beloved member of the team.

Getting a photograph of a rainbow? Common. Getting a photo of a lightning strike? Rare. Getting a photo of both at the same time? Extremely rare, but it happened to a Manitoba photographer this week.

An anonymous business owner paid off the mortgage for a New Brunswick not-for-profit.

They say a dog is a man’s best friend. In the case of Darren Cropper, from Bonfield, Ont., his three-year-old Siberian husky and golden retriever mix named Bear literally saved his life.

A growing group of brides and wedding photographers from across the province say they have been taken for tens of thousands of dollars by a Barrie, Ont. wedding photographer.

Paleontologists from the Royal B.C. Museum have uncovered "a trove of extraordinary fossils" high in the mountains of northern B.C., the museum announced Thursday.

The search for a missing ancient 28-year-old chocolate donkey ended with a tragic discovery Wednesday.

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police is celebrating an important milestone in the organization's history: 50 years since the first women joined the force.

It's been a whirlwind of joyful events for a northern Ontario couple who just welcomed a baby into their family and won the $70 million Lotto Max jackpot last month.