It can be agreed by most people that the Arctic as one of the last wildernesses in the world is invaluable. For the earth's bio- and cultural diversity the Arctic as it appears today, covered with ice and snow, is irreplaceable and most environmental organizations agree that reducing climate change is the only way to preserve this fragile nature.
The Pew Environmental Group has, however, estimated the financial value of the Arctic sea ice to the world by estimating the value of the area in terms of the climate services it provides. According to the organizations preliminary calculations the loss of Arctic snow, ice and permafrost is estimated to cost the world in 2010 US$ 61 billion to $371 billion in lost climate cooling services. By 2050, the cumulative global cost is projected to range from US$2.4 trillion to $24.1 trillion; and by 2100, the cumulative cost could total between US$4.8 trillion and $91.3 trillion.
To learn more about the Pew Environmental Group and their melting Arctic sea ice project, please visit the Pew Charitable Trusts homepage