The Arctic Ocean is heating up at a much faster pace than the rest of the Earth. Temperatures over parts of the Arctic will increase as much as 54 degrees Fahrenheit this month in comparison to previous decades. The scientists who write for the Arctic News blog warned humans could become extinct by the year 2026 if climate initiatives are ignored across the globe. Artees Brigida Santos has the story for us from Los Angeles, Brigida. What's causing such a staggering increase in Arctic temperatures? Simon, what's causing this is a variety of different types of feedback. Now for example, when there is a lot of snow and ice, what happens is sunlight reflects back into the atmosphere, but as ice and snow begin to melt, we see the water increasing in temperature because it's absorbing more sunlight. And what this does is it causes temperatures to get closer between the Arctic and the equator. As a result, wind and storm patterns change as can the direction of sea currents, which only works to pull warmer water and air into the Arctic, and this further heats up temperatures. The most dangerous thing about all of this is that it actually causes methane to escape from the Arctic sea floor into the atmosphere, and that's because carbon is usually absorbed and stored in frozen soil, but as that soil melts, methane is able to escape. And because carbon dioxide emissions don't reach their greatest impact for 10 years after their released, we've really yet to see these effects. And all of this feedback could raise the global temperature, 18 degrees Fahrenheit above pre-industrial levels, all by the year 2026. So without climate action scientists are now warning that, quote, within just one decade, the combined impact of extreme weather falls in soil and air quality, habitat loss, shortages of food, water, shelter, and all of the basic things we need to sustain life can threaten most, if not all life on earth, with extinction. Now at the end of 2016, temperatures at the North Pole were eight times higher than average temperature increases across the globe. And this month, in February, the forecast shows that parts of the Arctic Ocean will be 54 degrees Fahrenheit higher than they were between the years 1979 and 2000. And this is something that is shocking for an area of the world that doesn't get a lot of sunlight at this time of year, Simone. It really is shocking, Brigida. Okay, so we have a clear problem here. Now we need a plan. Do scientists recommend anything? They do. So of course, they recommend international climate action, much like the Paris Agreement. However, the problem with that is that at the end of last year, global temperatures were well over the 2.7 degree Fahrenheit guardrail that were set by the Paris Agreement. So the scientists here at the Arctic News blog, who are covering this topic extensively, say that individual nations, states, and governments really need to do their part in setting their own parameters and guidelines for controlling greenhouse gases. They're also talking about implementing something similar to a carbon tax, which they call a feed bait system. These would be fees that are added to products known to pollute the earth that would then go into cleanup projects. So that's something that they are recommending in order to lower the temperatures and prevent us from in extinction by 2026, Simone. Nine years, not too far away. RT Correspondent, Brigida Santos. Thank you.