The Arctic becomes an island as ice melts

Hi again

It has been a while since an update on the meltdown of the Arctic (due to uncertainty about what was happening allied to a lack of connectivity), but having finally concluded the Climate Wars email just sent, I have just had time to turn up this.

Don't have much time to pontificate, but the Daily Telegraph of all papers seems to have had an exclusive on this story published on 31 August.

The Arctic becomes an island as ice melts

It reports the 'historic development' that

'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.'

as the North-West and North-East Passages are now both open, detaching the Arctic from Europe, Asia and the Americas.


As well-informed as ever on climate change, The Telegraph states

'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.'

Most scientists are of the opinion that the last ice age was considerably more recent, peaking around 11,000 years ago, but no doubt they have got it wrong.

It reports

'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.'

As, heartbreakingly, it would seem have our original friends, the polar bears we all began aspiring to save, who

'have been spotted off Alaska trying to swim hundreds of miles to the retreating ice cap.'

It has been more widely reported that this year's melt is now the second biggest ever, and we are waiting to see if the remaining melt, which usually ceases mid-September, will top the record, leaving the smallest extent of Arctic ice ever.

It may well do so, and as this was not a particularly favourable summer in terms of the factors influencing melting, the writing seems to be ever larger on the wall.

Well done The Telegraph for leading on this. On the bright side, if this report also marks the beginning of the paper's historic conversion at least the tide of public opinion is starting to turn in a positive direction.

Try your hardest, folks, whilst the possibility remains...

Be happy