arctic

Due to global warming fueling an Arctic meltdown, the Northwest and Northeast Passages may possibly be concurrently free of ice for the first time in about 125,000 years. Scientists at the University of Bremen pieced together NASA satellite image maps of the sea ice, which revealed a startling image of a possible Arctic "island".

A circumnavigable Arctic would allow commercial ships to shorten trip times by navigating through the Arctic. However, increased ship traffic in the Arctic would lead to more precarious conditions for Arctic ecosystems and wildlife. Allowing large shipping vessels, and prospectors seeking oil and gas, easier access to once hard to reach areas would increase the potential for oil spills, ship strikes with marine life, and increased pollution from ships, including black carbon, a potent Arctic warmer.

For more on climate change see http://oceana.org/climate.

The New York Times reports that diplomats from the United States, Canada, Russia, Norway, and Denmark recently came to agreements about the possibility that global warming will make Arctic waters more accessible to shipping fleets and energy extractors.

Well, at least Stephen Colbert's take on the Arctic situation is pretty funny. A confluence of melting sea ice and increased demand for Arctic resources may spell disaster for the world's last great wilderness - ah, forget it. The video's much more entertaining than any description I can come up with, so click and enjoy.

Dolphins, sea otters, polar bears…bring up a marine mammal in conversation, and most people will think of a cute, charismatic and intelligent creature, fur optional.

One of the greatest concerns facing ocean activists is the potential opening of the Northwest Passage from Greenland to the Chukchi Sea as Arctic ice continues to recede, leading to more oil and gas development and increased shipping traffic.