On thinning Arctic ice, U.N.'s Ban urges climate deal

An aerial view of a small melt-lake towards the side of Helheim glacier on south east Greenland near Sermilik Fjord in this August 21, 2009 handout photo released September 2, 2009.

ARCTIC OCEAN ICE SHEET (Reuters) - Standing on increasingly vulnerable Arctic sea ice, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon made an impassioned plea for politicians to seal a global climate pact this year.

Ban said the Arctic, where temperatures have been rising faster than elsewhere, was "ground zero" for climate research and a warning to politicians to move fast toward a deal to slash emissions of greenhouse gasses stoking global warming.

"Here on the polar ice I feel the power of nature and at the same time a sense of vulnerability," Ban told Reuters after disembarking from Norwegian coastguard ice breaker "KV Svalbard" to walk on the sea ice and talk to Arctic researchers.

"We must do all we can to preserve this Arctic ice. This is the political responsibility required of global leaders and we count on their commitment," he said late on Tuesday.

The Arctic ice cap has been shrinking faster than scientists expected, as air and water temperatures rise, and may disappear totally during summers before 2050, research shows.

As the reflective ice cap melts, it reveals darker waters which absorb more solar energy and accelerate climate change.

Moving northward through increasingly thick sea ice for nearly two hours, the coastguard vessel met an Arctic research ship some 1,000 km (600 miles) from the North Pole -- a latitude of more than 80 degrees North.

There, researchers showed Ban how they measure the ice's thickness, temperature and other qualities in the hope of finding out why more of it has been drifting out of the Arctic Ocean in past years to melt in the relatively warmer North Atlantic.

To protect against polar bears, spotted in the area hours earlier, guards armed with rifles and flare guns controlled the perimeters of the ice sheet.

DEMONSTRATING LEADERSHIP

Ban said he expected the 100 or so world leaders who will take part in climate talks in New York this month to "demonstrate their leadership" and reinvigorate negotiations before December's main meeting in Copenhagen.

Ban is also fighting to renew his leadership credentials after a scathing memo from a Norwegian diplomat criticized him for weak rule and warned of a potential flop in Copenhagen.

The Copenhagen talks are due to work out a replacement for the Kyoto protocol which limits emissions until 2012. But a deal remains elusive until the world's industrialized countries strike a deal with developing states led by China and India over the scope of emission curbs and how to pay for them.

Ban said he was "working hard" with leaders to agree emission reduction targets for developed nations of at least 25 percent by 2020, compared to 1990 levels. Already announced cuts fall well short of the target.

"We must seal the deal in Copenhagen. That is a must," he said, adding the December 7-18 talks may produce the framework for a climate pact but not resolve all the details.

"I do not expect that we will be able to agree on all details in Copenhagen, time is too short," Ban said.

Melting sea ice does not lead to higher sea levels but warmer Arctic temperatures are also melting glaciers, whose run-offs fill oceans with more water.

"Unless we stop this trend, we will have devastating consequences for humanity," Ban told reporters.

(Editing by Janet Lawrence)