The rate of climate change in the Arctic is now more than twice the global average. Arctic ecosystems are changing accordingly, and may not be able to adapt to the changes naturally. From March 2007 to March 2009, roughly 50,000 people from more than 60 nations were involved in research to uncover some of the secrets of the Arctic and the Antarctic. The International Polar Year 2007-2008 was the largest ever coordinated research programme covering the Earth's polar regions. This unique book presents the current state of the poles and assesses the future changes to polar ecosystems and geophysical processes which could affect the rest of the planet.