China, Iceland announce deal on oil-rich Arctic as sea ice recedes

REYKJAVIK, 21 April 2012 (AFP) – China and Iceland announced a deal on the oil-rich Arctic region Friday after Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao flew in to Reykjavik on the first stage of a four-nation European tour. The deal was part of a package of six agreements signed on the first day of the Chinese premier’s […]

As Arctic ice cap melts, a new Cold War

(AP) YOKOSUKA, Japan – To the world’s military leaders, the debate over climate change is long over. They are preparing for a new kind of Cold War in the Arctic, anticipating that rising temperatures there will open up a treasure trove of resources, long-dreamed-of sea lanes and a slew of potential conflicts. By Arctic standards, […]

The glaciers are still shrinking rapidly – ‘We are witnessing unprecedented changes to land and sea ice’

By Jonathan Bamber, www.guardian.co.uk 15 April 2012 Glaciers are one of the natural environments most often used to illustrate the impacts of climate change. It is fairly indisputable that in a warming world, glaciers melt faster. Yet two recent studies published in top scientific journals (more here and here) suggest that in the Himalayas the […]

As Arctic warms, generals agree to closer ties at historic meet

By David Ljunggren; Editing by Eric Walsh13 Apr 2012 OTTAWA (Reuters) – Defense chiefs from eight Arctic nations agreed on Friday to cooperate more closely to deal with disasters and search and rescue operations in the remote resource-rich region, Canada’s top soldier said. As the Arctic warms up, major nations are jostling for influence in […]

Melting Arctic ice could poison ecosystem, experts say

[cf. Polar bears ill from accumulated environmental toxins] By John Size, CTV News 18 March 2012 Arctic sea ice that’s been melting at a dramatic rate in the last few decades is releasing a chemical soup that could poison the food chain with mercury and other dangerous chemicals, a new study suggests. The NASA-led research […]

Arctic sea ice decline may be driving snowy winters seen in recent years

Contact: Abby Robinson, abby@innovate.gatech.edu, 404-385-3364      Georgia Institute of Technology Research News27 February 2012 A new study led by the Georgia Institute of Technology provides further evidence of a relationship between melting ice in the Arctic regions and widespread cold outbreaks in the Northern Hemisphere. The study’s findings could be used to improve seasonal forecasting of […]

Loss of sea-ice bringing Arctic cold to Europe

By Steve Connor4 February 2012 The bitterly cold weather sweeping Britain and the rest of Europe has been linked by scientists with the ice-free seas of the Arctic, where global warming is exerting its greatest influence. A dramatic loss of sea ice covering the Barents and Kara Seas above northern Russia could explain why a […]

Burt Rutan: Rocketeer, climate science denier

[Desdemona admits to being very disappointed in Burt Rutan. Des was raised on Golden Age science fiction (“R is for Rocket”), and has nursed the romantic illusion that space exploration might somehow prevent humans from destroying Earth – maybe by moving industry off-world and mining asteroids, or something. But here we have an accomplished aerospace […]

Sea Shepherd declares Canada harp seal slaughter is commercially dead

By Captain Paul Watson29 January 2012 I have been fighting the Canadian seal hunt since 1974. It’s been a long hard road after nearly four decades. During that time I have taken ships into the ice six times, in 1979, 1981, 1983, 1998, 2005, and 2008. I’ve led three helicopter campaigns in 1976, 1977, and […]

Photo gallery: Oil drilling and the Inupiat people of Point Hope

Preparing for the winter storms, a bulldozer piles up a protective bank on the north shore. The coastline has become increasingly vulnerable to erosion as the sea ice retreats. More open water allows waves to build up in the fierce Arctic winds. Point Hope lies south of lease site 193 where oil giant Shell plan […]

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