The Arctic could be ice-free in just a few years, scientists have found. The region sits at the northernmost point of the globe, is a unique ecosystem characterized by areas of permanent snow and ice. But, if the Earth continues to face damaging levels of emissions, the Arctic could see "summer days with practically no sea ice as early as the next couple of years. According to researchers, the ocean is ice free when it has less than 1 million square kilometers, or 38