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Normally the high Arctic has about 90 days above freezing. This year there was less than half that, says Steven Goddard website.
Last summer, China sent its first icebreaker, the Snow Dragon, over the top of Russia, from Shanghai to Iceland. This summer, the Yong Sheng, a freighter operated by China's COSCO shipping company, became the first Chinese merchant vessel to take the shortcut. It sailed from Shanghai to Rotterdam, cutting two weeks off the usual route, through Egypts Suez Canal.
Satellite photos by the U.S. space agency, NASA, show that the white Arctic ice around the North Pole shrinks every summer. It is replaced by more and more open water, which appears black in the photos. Even Russian President Vladimir Putin agrees with the American scientists. "It is absolutely clear now that the climate is changing. Everyone is talking about this, he told an Arctic Forum held here recently. It is clear now that the northern latitudes can be open for shipping for 100 days or perhaps 150 days, and that new regions are opening up for economic activity."
Trans-Arctic trade
While Russia invests in more icebreakers, Arctic experts gathered at the forum say they see growing opportunities for trade. Felix Tschudi, chairman of a Norwegian shipping company, has shipped iron ore from northern Norway to China. We believe that the potential of the Northern Sea Route is large, said Tschudi, a promoter of the route. It will not be like an explosion. In 2010, there were four ships using the transit route. In 2011, there were 34. And in 2012 there were 46. This year we expect around 50 ships. Lawson Brigham was the captain of a United States Coast Guard icebreaker based in Alaska. "Really, we're looking at a seasonal supplement to the Suez Canal, carrying natural resources, he said. We're not going to retool the global container ship traffic.
Environmental concerns
Indigenous leaders and environmentalists worry about the potential for an oil spill in the fragile environment of the high north. Aqqaluk Lynge, from Greenland, is chairman of the Inuit Circumpolar Council. You cannot use the Arctic as a laboratory. It's not a laboratory. The Arctic Ocean is not the last frontier. It's our home. People have to remember that people live there, he said at the conference. We are very concerned about the tourist liners' travel routes up to east Greenland and other parts of Greenland because there's simply no rescue possibility in those areas.
But his neighbor Olafur Grimsson, the president of Iceland, welcomes Chinese ships. He told forum attendees: "Next month the CEO of COSCO, the largest shipping company in China, will explain at the new Arctic Circle Assembly in Reykjavik how China is preparing for a new era in global shipping when the melting of the Arctic sea-ice will connect Asia in a new way to America and Europe. What may be bad for polar bears, may be good for shipping between China and Europe.
As North Pole Ice Melts, More Ships Take Arctic Shortcut
Both articles claimed that Arctic sea ice extent grew 60 percent in August 2013 as compared to August 2012. While this factoid may be technically true (though the 60 percent figure appears to be an exaggeration), it's also largely irrelevant. For one thing, the annual Arctic sea ice minimum occurs in September – we're not there yet. And while this year's minimum extent will certainly be higher than last year's, that's not the least bit surprising. As University of Reading climate scientist Ed Hawkins noted last year,
"Around 80% of the ~100 scientists at the Bjerknes [Arctic climate science] conference thought that there would be MORE Arctic sea-ice in 2013, compared to 2012."
This summer, Arctic sea ice loss was held in check by relatively cool and stormy conditions. As a result, 2013 saw substantially more ice at summer’s end, compared to last year’s record low extent. The Greenland Ice Sheet also showed less extensive surface melt than in 2012. Meanwhile, in the Antarctic, sea ice reached the highest extent recorded in the satellite record.
For an overview of this summers ice conditions compared to the previous years;
http://arctic.atmos.uiuc.edu/cryosphere/IMAGES/seaice.area.arctic.png
http://arctic.atmos.uiuc.edu/cryosphere/IMAGES/seaice.anomaly.arctic.png
Northern Hemisphere Sea Ice Area
Unprecedented July Cold - Arctic Sees Shortest Summer On Record
Normally the high Arctic has about 90 days above freezing. This year there was less than half that, says Steven Goddard website.
Verah ah deeze reevizzioneests dat zay deeze VERBOTTEN tings?
Day veel PAY foah dere eendeeskreshuns!
Boys and girls, pay attention to the example of Frank. He got sucked into a 'tard political cult, so he turned into a 'tard himself. Cults are dangerous; stay away from them.
For an overview of this summers ice conditions compared to the previous years;
http://arctic.atmos.uiuc.edu/cryosphere/IMAGES/seaice.area.arctic.png
http://arctic.atmos.uiuc.edu/cryosphere/IMAGES/seaice.anomaly.arctic.png
Northern Hemisphere Sea Ice Area
Boys and girls, pay attention to the example of Frank. He got sucked into a 'tard political cult, so he turned into a 'tard himself. Cults are dangerous; stay away from them.
Cult? Frank deals in fact and reality from multiple sources.
Cult? Frank deals in fact and reality from multiple sources.
If you're not totally delusional, give us some examples of Frank's keen insight and rational well-supported posting from, say, the past day. Do it right here.
If you can't list any, you should have the decency to admit I was correct. Remember, you're not mandated to defend the 'tards. No one is putting a gun to your head and forcing you to kiss 'tard ass. If you choose to do so, that's your self-initiation into the 'tard cult, and it will eventually result in you also transforming into an utter retard. Hence why I issued the warning; I was trying to save you.
Me, I don't recall a single post from Frank anywhere that isn't just 'tard cult babbling. Searching his recent post history confirms it. He's a retard no matter where he posts in the forum, incapable of adult conversation, which apparently makes him a sort of conservative hero.
Boys and girls, pay attention to the example of Frank. He got sucked into a 'tard political cult, so he turned into a 'tard himself. Cults are dangerous; stay away from them.
Cult? Frank deals in fact and reality from multiple sources.
You engage in nothing but ridicule, slander and take your version of Truth only from one approved group of people.
Sounds like you are in the cult, bubba.
Boys and girls, pay attention to the example of Frank. He got sucked into a 'tard political cult, so he turned into a 'tard himself. Cults are dangerous; stay away from them.
Cult? Frank deals in fact and reality from multiple sources.
You engage in nothing but ridicule, slander and take your version of Truth only from one approved group of people.
Sounds like you are in the cult, bubba.
Yeah, he surely does. Reality like a hollow moon. LOL
Cult? Frank deals in fact and reality from multiple sources.
If you're not totally delusional, give us some examples of Frank's keen insight and rational well-supported posting from, say, the past day. Do it right here.
If you can't list any, you should have the decency to admit I was correct. Remember, you're not mandated to defend the 'tards. No one is putting a gun to your head and forcing you to kiss 'tard ass. If you choose to do so, that's your self-initiation into the 'tard cult, and it will eventually result in you also transforming into an utter retard. Hence why I issued the warning; I was trying to save you.
Me, I don't recall a single post from Frank anywhere that isn't just 'tard cult babbling. Searching his recent post history confirms it. He's a retard no matter where he posts in the forum, incapable of adult conversation, which apparently makes him a sort of conservative hero.
Cult? Frank deals in fact and reality from multiple sources.
If you're not totally delusional, give us some examples of Frank's keen insight and rational well-supported posting from, say, the past day. Do it right here.
If you can't list any, you should have the decency to admit I was correct. Remember, you're not mandated to defend the 'tards. No one is putting a gun to your head and forcing you to kiss 'tard ass. If you choose to do so, that's your self-initiation into the 'tard cult, and it will eventually result in you also transforming into an utter retard. Hence why I issued the warning; I was trying to save you.
Me, I don't recall a single post from Frank anywhere that isn't just 'tard cult babbling. Searching his recent post history confirms it. He's a retard no matter where he posts in the forum, incapable of adult conversation, which apparently makes him a sort of conservative hero.
That's all the Fundamentalist Warmers have: insults. They start every post with "you fool!" weather (pun intended) they write it out or not.
You Fool! Of course CO2 is melting the ice caps
I've been asking, for years now, for one (1) lab experiment that shows how a 800PPM increase in CO2 raises temperature.
