9: Are Emperor penguins heading for extinction? | Dr Peter Fretwell
New research suggests there's been a shocking 22% drop in the Emperor penguin population in Antarctica over just 15 years - more than double previous estimates and outpacing even the most pessimistic projections.
In this episode, we speak to Dr Peter Fretwell about his findings, and how he uses satellite technology to count Emperor penguin colonies in some of Earth's most remote and inaccessible locations. We explore why these majestic birds are uniquely vulnerable to climate change, with their breeding cycles entirely dependent on stable sea ice conditions that are rapidly disappearing.
Why are emperor penguins disappearing faster than scientists predicted? What complex factors beyond melting ice are threatening their survival? Could they really be facing extinction by 2100? And how do researchers monitor wildlife populations that humans can barely reach?
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Beyond the Ice helps you unpack the latest news in climate science with the experts at British Antarctic Survey. Our planet is changing at a rate and scale unlike anything seen in human history - and Earth's frozen places are the front line. After all, what happens in Antarctica doesn’t stay in Antarctica.
Beyond the Ice is also available as a LinkedIn Newsletter. Subscribe here:
https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/beyond-the-ice-7114973466654560256/
Beyond the Ice is edited and presented by Em Newton.
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8: Discovering a hole in the ozone layer | Jonathan Shanklin, Prof John Pyle & Prof Lucy Carpenter
Forty years ago, British Antarctic Survey scientists made a world-changing discovery: a hole in Earth's protective ozone layer above Antarctica. In this episode, meteorologist Jonathan Shanklin recounts how his routine measurements at Halley Research Station revealed data points literally 'falling off the graph' - the first evidence linking chlorofluorocarbons to ozone depletion.
Professor John Pyle explains how this evidence led to the Montreal Protocol, now ratified by every country worldwide and hailed as the most successful international environmental agreement ever. Atmospheric chemist Professor Lucy Carpenter brings us up to date: the ozone layer is recovering but faces challenges from climate change and extreme wildfires.
What lessons can this remarkable story of scientific discovery, political action and environmental recovery teach us about tackling today's climate crisis? And how close are we to seeing the Antarctic ozone hole finally close?
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Beyond the Ice helps you unpack the latest news in climate science with the experts at British Antarctic Survey. Our planet is changing at a rate and scale unlike anything seen in human history - and Earth's frozen places are the front line. After all, what happens in Antarctica doesn’t stay in Antarctica.
Beyond the Ice is also available as a LinkedIn Newsletter. Subscribe here:
https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/beyond-the-ice-7114973466654560256/
Beyond the Ice is edited and presented by Em Newton.
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7: The least sea ice, ever? Lows in the Arctic | Dr Caroline Holmes
In February 2025, there was less sea ice on Earth than ever recorded. It's the coldest time of year in the Arctic, and the freeze up of Arctic ice is nearing its maximum - but that maximum is looking small, significantly below the record lows for winter we saw in 2017. Polar climate scientist Dr Caroline Holmes explains what's influencing these lows in Arctic sea ice, and how it fits into the global climate.
Will the Arctic be 'ice free in summer by 2100'? How do climate scientists actually come up with these headlines? What's going on inside those predictive 'climate models' we always hear about? And what do you say to a sceptic who says we've seen this all before?
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Beyond the Ice helps you unpack the latest news in climate science with the experts at British Antarctic Survey. Our planet is changing at a rate and scale unlike anything seen in human history - and Earth's frozen places are the front line. After all, what happens in Antarctica doesn’t stay in Antarctica.
Beyond the Ice is also available as a LinkedIn Newsletter. Subscribe here:
https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/beyond-the-ice-7114973466654560256/
Beyond the Ice is edited and presented by Em Newton.
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6: How are the LA wildfires linked to climate change? | Dr Ella Gilbert & Dr Thomas Bauska
Wildfires are devastating the city of Los Angeles, fuelled by a perfect storm of dry conditions and intense mountain winds. In this episode of Beyond the Ice, we break down the weather and climate factors behind this ongoing disaster. Climate scientist Dr Ella Gilbert and ice core expert Dr Thomas Bauska explain how our changing climate is making such disasters more frequent and intense, and discuss what needs to be done to adapt to this new reality.
We also take a step back to look at what new research into ice cores has recently revealed about major wildfires in Earth’s ancient past. How did scientists find out about wildfires that took place thousands of years ago? And can this tell us anything about the relationship between major climate shifts and wildfire events?
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Beyond the Ice helps you unpack the latest news in climate science with the experts at British Antarctic Survey. Our planet is changing at a rate and scale unlike anything seen in human history - and Earth's frozen places are the front line. After all, what happens in Antarctica doesn’t stay in Antarctica.
Beyond the Ice is also available as a LinkedIn Newsletter. Subscribe here:
https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/beyond-the-ice-7114973466654560256/
Beyond the Ice is edited and presented by Em Newton.
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5: Why does melting Arctic ice matter? | Dr Kelly Hogan & Professor Kate Hendry
The Arctic is warming four times faster than the rest of the planet. So far, so bad - and scientists are seeing changes there now. Fresh off scientific fieldwork in the Arctic this summer, marine geophysicist Dr Kelly Hogan and marine biogeochemist Professor Kate Hendry reflect on what they saw and studied in this spectacular and important environment.
Through the lens of their science projects - KANG-GLAC and SiCLING - they explain what the consequences of a melting Arctic could be, how these frozen environments are connected to the 'normal' climate we enjoy today, and how understanding the past could be the key to predicting what changes await us in the future.
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Beyond the Ice helps you unpack the latest news in climate science with the experts at British Antarctic Survey. Our planet is changing at a rate and scale unlike anything seen in human history - and Earth's frozen places are the front line. After all, what happens in Antarctica doesn’t stay in Antarctica.
Beyond the Ice is also available as a LinkedIn Newsletter. Subscribe here:
https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/beyond-the-ice-7114973466654560256/
Beyond the Ice is edited and presented by Em Newton.
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Unpack the latest news in climate science with the experts at British Antarctic Survey. Our planet is changing at a rate and scale unlike anything seen in human history - and Earth's frozen places are the front line. After all, what happens in Antarctica doesn’t stay in Antarctica.
Beyond the Ice is also available as a LinkedIn Newsletter. Subscribe here:
https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/beyond-the-ice-7114973466654560256/
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