Forget climate change, now space junk will destroy the Arctic!

New Delhi: We're sure everyone is aware by now, about how the Arctic region and its creatures are suffering the dire consequences of climate change and global warming. In a nutshell, the region is warming up twice as fast as the rest of the world.

However, there is a massive stretch of open water in the Arctic, called Baffin Bay, that is under Canadian control and is known and used as a refuge by fantastic megafauna like seals, polar bears, seabirds, and whales.

If climate change wasn't enough, unfortunately, this refuge is not expected to last for long, due to an intrusion from space. You heard that right!

If reports by Grist.org are to be believed, toxic debris from a Russian satellite is expected to come crashing into this pristine environment this Saturday.

The junk in question, that is going to disturb the tranquil surroundings of the Arctic, is actually a stage from a rocket, courtesy Russia's Rokot program which launches commercial satellites.

As per reports in The Star, the Rokot program uses Cold War-era missiles, which rely on a toxic chemical called hydrazine to fuel their launch.

Needless to say, environmentalists, activists and environmental associations alike are not exactly happy about this.

The Star quoted Greenpeace Arctic campaigner Alex Speers-Roesch, who said that, “Dumping these chemicals from a ship would be a clear violation of international and Canadian law, and it is no more acceptable when it is dumped from the air.”