'' Positive feedback mechanisms amplify changes occurring in the climate . In the case of the Arctic region there is a sort of vicious circle of warming occurring . White ice sheets perform an important function in moderating global temperature by reflecting heat from the sun back into space . But they have begun to melt as the earth has warmed . The result is more dark sea water which absorbs heat , which in turn warms the earth more and encourages further melting . Globally , sea levels are now expected to rise more than double the IPCC 's most recent forecast of 0.59 meters before the end of the century . This will put millions of people in coastal regions at risk . World food production is also feeling the heat as yields of wheat , maize and barley had dwindled in recent months . In Europe , ecosystems in the North and Baltic Sea are believed to be experiencing their warmest temperatures since records began . And the Mediterranean is likely to experience an increased frequency of droughts . The WWF report also highlights a 2007 study conducted by the British Antarctic Survey . `` Widespread acceleration
LONDON , England -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Climate change is happening faster than previously predicted according to a new World Wildlife Fund report . The WWF say climate change threat has worsened in the 15 months since the IPCC last reported . Bringing together some of the most recent scientific reports and data , `` Climate change : faster , stronger , sooner '' reveals that global warming is accelerating more rapidly than the predictions made in the IPCC 's Fourth Assessment Report published in 2007 . One of the most concerning aspects of recent data is evidence that , in some places , the Arctic Ocean is losing sea ice 30 years ahead of current IPCC predictions . Summer sea ice is now forecasted to completely disappear in the summer months sometime between 2013 and 2040 -- something which has n't happened for over a million years . The report 's author , geoscientist Dr Tina Tin told CNN : `` Arctic sea ice is melting much faster than everybody had been expecting . Why ? Well , maybe it 's because the positive feedback mechanisms have kicked in much quicker than we have been able to quantify .