Summer sea-ice melt in the Arctic is already the second-meltiest since satellite records began, and by the end of the melt season in mid-September, this year could surpass the all-time record low set last year, according to scientists at the National Snow and Ice Data Center. For the second time ever -- the first being last year -- the Northwest Passage shipping route is open and ice-free this year. What's more, Arctic sea ice appears to have reached "a tipping point" from which it may not recover; the Arctic is now expected to be entirely ice-free in summer by 2030. Arctic sea-ice melt typically begins to slow in August as temperatures get cooler, but this year, just when it was expected to slow down, the melting sped up, giving this year's melt an ominous shot at breaking the record. But regardless of whether this year is officially a record-breaker or not, it's clear to researchers that the Arctic is unwell. "No matter where we stand at the end of the melt season it's just reinforcing this notion that Arctic ice is in its death spiral," said Mark Serreze of the NSIDC.
Like Death, Warmed Over
Arctic ice in a ‘death spiral’ as it hits second-lowest point ever 16
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Posted 5:11 AM on 29 Aug 2008
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Delay And Deny Posted 11:46 pm
28 Aug 2008
Now I can save money on fox pelts from "trappers"!
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bkrell Posted 4:59 am
29 Aug 2008
Don't get me wrong, I am a student of both the prevailing thought on climate change and the more competent skeptical counter-arguments....This just doesn't make sense, though. And why, last year, was this same agency saying that the shrinking ice was just an abnormal expression of a more routine weather pattern?
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Jonas Posted 6:28 am
29 Aug 2008
ESA: Arctic ice on the verge of another all-time low.
In any case, does anyone need more proof for the catastrophy climate change's going to bring?
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Des Emery Posted 11:47 am
29 Aug 2008
Canadian Prime Minister, Steven Harper, is just concluding a visit north where he (finally) declared that Canada will require registration of all ships traversing the Northwest Passage because of the open waters there now. In the past hundreds of years, the sea-ice effectively kept the Passage closed year-round.
And Alaska boaters have reported seeing polar bears swimming hundreds of miles to reach ice-shelfs that used to be easily accessible to them for hauling out, resting, and/or hunting.
And Arctic nations, including Russia and the USA, are getting ready to claim undersea polar resources now that those resources are becoming more accessible.
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Delay And Deny Posted 2:37 pm
29 Aug 2008
Are you saying that after 188 years of global warming, life is worse now than it was in 1820?
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Tasermons Partner Posted 2:39 pm
29 Aug 2008
That's because last year was the lowest level. This year, being the second-lowest, would have more ice.
But all years, except last year, have had MORE ice than this one.
Unfortunately, summer isn't over yet, and peak ice melt may not have been met yet, meaning there's still a chance that THIS YEAR could be lowest.
A very disturbing trend.
Not to mention that the ice, on average, is thinner than it should be.
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Pangolin Posted 5:13 pm
29 Aug 2008
Why the climate change deniers can't manage to read a trend line is beyond me. God knows they would never be able to sail anywhere because if they were required to tack they'd completely freak out.
I suspect the studied ignorance is about as honest as a pack of little boys caught tagging the wall in the school bathroom with markers in hand.
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MAD MAC Posted 8:27 pm
29 Aug 2008
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Jonas Posted 1:00 am
30 Aug 2008
Don't you think that when someone writes in the future tense, he is talking about the future?
We succeeded in breaking down arctic sea ice at an unprecedented speed. Many scientists warn for tipping points and feeback mechanisms (very relevant in this case), and if these occur, a true catastrophy could indeed emerge.
For me, life would probably not be any worse than today, because, like you, I'm lucky to be living in a well-off country with lots of cash for adaptation.
But I think of the many innocent people who are not so lucky, and who are guaranteed to suffer under the climate catastrophy.
Perhaps human solidarity is not in your dictionary, but it is in mine.
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MAD MAC Posted 1:36 am
30 Aug 2008
Self interest will drive the train, or the train isn't going anywhere. Natures law, not mine.
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Jonas Posted 4:30 am
30 Aug 2008
You should know this, if you follow the findings of ethology, evolutionary biology, game theory, neuropsychiatry, socio-biology, and other behavioral sciences a bit. Solidarity, group-thinking, altruism are all key traits defining our species and our evolution.
Concretely speaking, I think world politics will be ever more dominated by political decision making processes that aim to serve humanity as a whole, instead of self-interests of countries. The global consensus building and decision making around climate change is just one big sign of this trend, which has been going on for a long time.
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guade00 Posted 6:28 am
31 Aug 2008
As for melting ice caps, we still have 2 or 3 more weeks before the peak melt is complete. The positive feedback from an ice free Arctic Ocean will only accelerate global warming over the long term, but I'm sure you have your own little plan for that.
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Oceanswell Posted 4:28 pm
01 Sep 2008
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Oceanswell Posted 4:36 pm
01 Sep 2008
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MAD MAC Posted 9:40 pm
01 Sep 2008
"MAD MAC, I'm sorry to disappoint you, but supporting collective interests is a far more important natural law than the pursuit of individual interests."
Humans are driven by self interest. Rarely do they put the collective ahead of self interest. Marx and Engels theorized that this would happen - that is did not is one of the many reasons for the failure of the communist ideal. People have always asked "what's in it for me" and they always will. You're deluding yourself if you think the world is going to morph into something other than what it is now, sociologically speaking.
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atheo Posted 12:41 pm
02 Sep 2008
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