Polar paleoenvironmental perspectives on modern climate change

In today’s rapidly changing climate, society needs a better understanding of climate impacts on sea level, ice sheets and glaciers, sea ice, ocean circulation, ecosystems, biodiversity, and other aspects of planet Earth. Paleoenvironmental records provide a unique and invaluable source of insight into these complex issues, and place recent observations into a broader historical context. This essay discusses why paleoclimate reconstructions from polar regions provide critical information to help anticipate possible future climate impacts. By highlighting some key research examples, this essay explains the value of expanding proxy-based research in Arctic/Antarctic regions, and makes a case for paying greater attention to the lessons already distilled from it.