Arctic ice acts as the Earth's air conditioner, and its loss could lead to drought, heavier snowfall and increasingly intense hurricanes. As much as we may not always appreciate snow and ice, it's important to remember that these forms of water reflect the light from the sun back into space. Liquid water absorbs more of the sun's light - and therefore its heat energy. Less arctic ice and snow and more water in the Arctic Ocean mean that the North Pole is acting like an air conditioner that has lost its coolant. Heat energy increases, and because energy does not simply go away, it can reappear in the form of destructive weather events — which means that the U.S. may see more intense drought, heavier snowfall and increasingly intense hurricanes and other storms.
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