Human Fossil Fuel Emissions May Have Halted Emerging Ice Age, Study Finds Human Fossil Fuel Emissions May Have Halted Emerging Ice Age, Study Finds By Helene Elliott on October 23, 2026 A new study of the Barnes Ice Cap on Baffin Island suggests that rising carbon emissions in the 20th century reversed a 2,000‑year ice expansion, potentially preventing a new glacial period.