Arctic becomes an island as ice melts (North Pole is now an island)

[entanglement]

The North Pole has become an island for the first time in human history as climate change has made it possible to circumnavigate the Arctic ice cap.

The historic development was revealed by satellite images taken last week showing that both the north-west and north-east passages have been opened by melting ice.

Prof Mark Serreze, a sea ice specialist at the National Snow and Ice Data Centre (NSIDC) in the US said the images suggested the Arctic may have entered a "death spiral" caused by global warming.

Shipping companies are already planning to exploit the first simultaneous opening of the routes since the beginning of the last Ice Age 125,000 years ago. The Beluga Group in Germany says it will send the first ship through the north-east passage, around Russia, next year, cutting 4,000 miles off the voyage from Germany to Japan.

More from the U.K. Telegraph -
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/main.jhtml?xml=/earth/2008/08/31/eaarctic131.xml

[Sebastian Doyle]

1. Good thing Santa's reindeer can fly!

Otherwise they would be stuck. :(

[entanglement]

2. (My comment) - This will usher in a new era of resource wars

Too much wealth lies under that ice in the form of oil and other minerals for it to be any other way

[alan sharpi]

3. Easy access

At least it will be easier to move the drill rigs in via ships instead of walking them across the ice. The oil here should be property of USA since we did our best to melt the ice to get at it.