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A single adelie penguin on marine ice.
Photo: CLAIRE CONCANNON / RNZ
New Zealand’s neighbor in Antarctica is making cuts in research programs that will inevitably have flow on the effects for Kiwi researchers – at a time when it takes more than ever.
The alarm over Donald Trump’s comprehensive financing cuts spread to the distant corners of Earth, afraid that the US scientific research in Antarctica will be hit hard and to spread the work of New Zealand on the frozen continent.
Uncertainty has been dragging on weeks ago, but some Antarctic scientists have already lost their jobs and programs are at risk after cuts at $ 9 billion (NZ $ 15.3b) from the National Science Foundation, which finances polar research.
The US News Nature website reports that the Trump government has already removed construction funds previously reserved to update its largest MCMurdo base, while several program officers were fired and rehired.
The New York Times reported that one of those scientists who lost their job was David Porter, who supported New Zealand scientists at a 10 -week expedition in the Antarctic Ocean.
“This is a fast -moving chaotic time,” says RNZ’s Our change world Presenter Claire Concannon, who was in Antarctica in November and has just released a series, Ice Voices of the Sea.
“If the cuts happen to National Science Foundation, it’s hard to see how it would not affect New Zealand research in Antarctica.”
The US is one of the greatest financiers of Antarctica Research, with three bases on the continent, including McMurdo a neighbor near the New Zealand Scott base itself.
Concannon said the collaboration between the two goes beyond science for logistics.
“There is a huge and huge work that remains behind the scenes to have the foundations there, to keep them working, to have the infrastructure, to have the security you need.
“The US team keeps the South Polo Road through the Ross Ice shelf, making sure there is no slit there that will be a danger.”
The extension of the cuts is not yet clear, but the subject is so sensitive that the director of Antarctic research project Rob McKay refused to talk to The details.
In an and email, he said the two countries have worked together in Antarctica since the 1950s and have been working on the assumption that US support and collaboration will be underway.
Earlier this month, Antarctica New Zealand announced a boost for Antarctic and Antarctic Ocean research, after receiving a new strategic financing from the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBI) catalyst.
“Up to five million dollars in five years will advance in the joint Antarctic survey between New Zealand and the United States, contributing significantly to the global scientific understanding,” a statement said.
But the uncertainty about future financing makes planning difficult, says Professor Gary Wilson, vice -vice -conducting research at the University of Waikato and president of the Antarctic Research Scientific Committee (SCAR), which leads and develops all scientific activities between 46 countries.
“Time is not on our side,” says Wilson. “That’s why it will potentially be a blow to what we do.”
This year alone, we reached the lowest global marine ice, Antarctica recorded the second lowest length of sea ice in summer and the smallest length of sea ice in winter already recorded.
US programs are not the only ones facing financing insecurity, Wilson said.
“We are all struggling a little about financing, as we get out of the Covid years and we are trying to restart economies around the world. Many countries are making choices about how they spend money.
“The challenge for us is that Antarctica can’t wait. We’re already seeing the planet last year has reached 1.5 degrees (Celsius) above pre-industrial levels and is on the way to being another warmer degree in the next decade or 15 years.”
He said that New Zealand Antarctic scientists collaborate with researchers from various countries, allowing them to work on a larger scale than New Zealand could pay on their own.
Despite the uncertainty scientists around the world, through the SCAR, they are working towards major collaborative programs to mark a fifth international polar year in 2032.
Wilson said we have the tools to combat climate change, but more urgency is needed and zero carbon should no longer be the goal.
“We need to think of negative carbon. To do this, I don’t mean how we will take CO2 out of the atmosphere in a technical sense, I mean, in fact, the planet does it naturally and there are many carbon sinks that we don’t pay attention.
“There are tools available to us that we could use to start making a difference, we just don’t make good enough progress.”
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