The Dilemma of Human Effort–Will You Succumb to Putrid Hell, Or Beg For Forgiveness?

Climate change is real. It’s happening. And we are not prepared for it. The Arctic's winter sea ice cover has reached its smallest maximum extent since its tracking nearly half a century ago. Latest data from National Snow and Ice Data Center and Nasa, on Mar 22, 2025, shows how the sea ice has reached its lowest recorded annual high point. The ice covered about 14.33 million square kilometers, which is slightly below the previous record set in 2017. 

To simplify it, Arctis sea ice grows during cold winter months, and reaches its biggest size in late February or early March. It melts as spring and summer arrive back into its smallest size in September. Satellites are used to note this cycle every year, and the data clearly shows us the picture of how ice changes over time. In 2025–this year, it was not only the smallest winter peak, but it also came ten days later than usual.

This is not a new phenomenon. This is a part of a long-term trend. All of the top 10 smallest winter ice extents have happened since 2007, and the sea ice has been shrinking every season for decades. The main reason? You guessed it–global warming. It is happening much faster in the Arctic than other parts of the world. In fact, it is warming about four times faster than the global average. This rapid warming means that less ice forms in winter and more ice melts in summer. The overall amount of ice is steadily decreasing.

This is a wake-up call. The loss of sea ice will have big consequences for the planet. Sea ice acts like a giant mirror, it reflects sunlight and heat back into space. Without ice, the dark ocean absorbs the heat and warms up the Arctic even faster, and speeds up the melting process. This is a viciously dangerous cycle. These changes can even affect the weather patterns far beyond polar regions as well. Regions where you and I live. Regions where our loved ones spend their days.

At the same time, the Antarctic–the other side of the world, is also seeing record low sea ice. In early 2025, global sea ice cover dropped to its lowest, according to Copernicus Climate Change Service–a strong signal of how climate change is having an impact on different parts of the world, especially both the polar regions.

The future holds no promising miracles. If this continues, we might come across zero sea ice before the middle of this century. The long term decline in ice covers shows that the Arctic is now at its warmest in at least 4,000 years.

The common stories of animals attacking humans due to declining wildlife unfolds an entirely new aspect. Less ice will make it harder for animals such as polar bears to survive. The result? Human-wildlife conflict as animals edge closer to human settlements. However, less ice would result in new shipping routes in the Arctic. But is that price we are willing to pay for destruction? 

The wars fought earlier heavily affected wildlife. But this time this isn’t human vs. human. This time it’s a war against mother nature. Fortunately for us, the earth forgives those who ask for sincere forgiveness. On the other hand, the ones who stand corrupt, succumb to the darkness of putrid hells.