North Pole becomes an island

[OhioChick]

Source: Times of India

2 Sep 2008, 0133 hrs IST,PTI

LONDON: It's now a fact. The North Pole has become an "island" for the first time in history, courtesy global warming.

NASA's satellite images have revealed that the melting ice has facilitated the opening up of both the north-west and north-east passages, making it possible for marine vessels to circumnavigate the Arctic ice cap. In fact, the images suggest the north-west passage opened last weekend while the final blockage on the east side of the ice cap, an area of sea ice stretching to as far as Siberia, dissolved a few days later.

"The passages are open. It's an historic event. We are going to see this more and more as the years go by," according to professor Mark Serreze, a sea ice specialist at National Snow and Ice Data Centre in the US. However, he has warned that the images indicated that the Arctic may have entered a "death spiral" caused by global warming.

But shipping companies are smiling all the way to the bank as they plan to exploit the first simultaneous opening of the routes since the beginning of the last Ice Age 125,000 years ago. Last year, the extent of sea ice in the Arctic had reached a record low that also prompted scientists to caution that the ice cap could vanish altogether.





Read more: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/HealthSci/North_Pole_becomes_an_island/articleshow/3434077.cms

[GoddessOfGuinness]

1. Let's hope the lack of sunspots will do something to change this...

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x3464267

[jhain]

2. Santa needs a ferry

and we need a DEMOCRAT IN THE WHITE HOUSE

[TechBear_Seattle]

3. "First time in history?" Bull crap

The Earth is some 4.5 billion years old. There is evidence that at least four times, the planet was warm enough for the northern ice cap to be completely gone. One of the most noted was the Paleocene–Eocene Thermal Maximum, when the Arctic Ocean was warm enough to support tropical life.

[psychopomp]

4. 125,000 years ago = pre-history

"For the first time in history" means for the first time since humans have been recording things that went on on this blue ball. The claim is accurate.

[TechBear_Seattle]

13. When speaking of geological events, one uses a geological timeframe

In a geological timeframe, "history" means "since the earliest found geological record." That is to say, within the previous 4.1 billion years or so.

[DUlover2909]

6. History means during the time that people have been writing stuff down. "His-Story"

All other things are pre-historic.

[Odin2005]

9. Sorry, but I gotta nitpick...

"History" comes from the Ancient Greek word "Historia," meaning "narrative" or "story," nothing to do with the English genitive pronoun "his." Or at least that's what you seemed to be implying in your subject line. :P ;)

[DUlover2909]

11. I think you're right. I learned that somewhere back in college and forgot.

Thanks for correcting.;)

[Odin2005]

10. If it happened before writting was around it's pre-history. n/t.

[trthnd4jstc]

5. Mirrors at High Altitude, or better yet Huge Photovoltaic Panels.

How about blocking the sunlight from the North and South Poles? How about an energy policy that works on weaning us off of Coal, and Petroleum? How about a return to the Democratic Republic? How about a rule by, for, and of the People?

[DUlover2909]

7. I thought of purtting low pressure balloons at the LaGrange point between us and the sun.

It would have to be the size of Texas to cut off 10% of the sun's radiation.

[trthnd4jstc]

8. You are onto something.

I am friends with a meteorologist, and even though I am a master electrician, just looking at some of the math that he deals with, mathematically, he is one of the big boys. We can do something about global warming. It is one of the problems, along with over-population, fascism, tyranny, food production, employment, that needs to be dealt with. It is such a shame that most humans are not interested in doing something to effect the future, and most humans are simply living for their own small lives. Divided and Conquered. That is how the majority of the 1% like it. It is time for a true Democratic Republic. It is time to solve problems. It is time to live as if the future matters. I hope that you can do something. I am a tiny business man, in terms of money, lower middle class. I try to live my life to have a positive effect upon the future. So many people would prefer to do nothing, than to do something. If you have money, contact me via an e-mail. We can create the products that can help the future. If you do not have the money, find someone that you can trust, who does, and make the future happen.

[tblue37]

12. We are so screwed. n/t