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It’s normal for Arctic sea ice — the stuff floating on the water’s surface, not the large ice sheets we’re used to hearing about in climate coverage — to melt in warmer seasons, but not completely. 

That could change by the 2030s, when research suggests the Arctic could see its first summer with no sea ice at all. And that’s a problem, said 

, a climate scientist with the Environmental Defense Fund.

When the ice melts, "we are replacing the very reflective ice surface with dark ocean water. And that means more sunlight will get absorbed by the Arctic ocean, and that means more warming globally,” Sun explained on this week’s episode of Climate Cast. 

But new research from Sun and her colleagues shows 

summer sea ice could be saved if we aggressively reduce methane emissions

 alongside carbon reductions. And she said the technology to do so is not only available now, it’s relatively affordable.

To hear more from Sun, click play on the audio player above or subscribe to the Climate Cast podcast.

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By the 2030s, research suggests the Arctic could see its first summer with no sea ice at all. But quick action on methane could help.

By 2030, research suggests the Arctic could see its first summer with no sea ice at all. But quick action on methane could help.

Methane reduction could help save Arctic sea ice

Arctic summer sea ice rapidly declines as temperatures increase

Courtesy of the Environmental Defense Fund

Likelihood of preserving Arctic summer sea ice in 2100 

Reducing methane emissions could play a significant role in saving Arctic sea ice

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