A North Pole Without Ice?

This summer, Arctic sea ice reached it's second lowest extent (i.e. Area covered) since satellite records began in 1979. Throughout this 32 year period the area of ice has been falling, losing, on average, nearly 33000 square miles per year. More here.

As a result of all this, Arctic sea routes like the North-west Passage were ice free yet again. This has only been happening in recent years. This time, the routes have been wide enough for tankers to make it through. Shipping companies are rubbing their hands with glee at the prospect of faster and cheaper trips over the coming decades. More here.

Oil companies are similarly excited about the opportunity to develop oil and gas fields in the Artic Sea that were previously uneconomic because of the hostility of the environment. I find it ironic that an industry that has supposedly invested so much in encouraging climate denial blogs, pressure groups, and politicians, is now set to reap rewards from the effects of climate change on the Arctic.

A graphic illustration of the sheer scale of Arctic ice loss is the fact that a rowing expedition has managed to reach the 1996 location of the magnetic North Pole this year!

Still think global warming isn't happening?