This is a first, going by this Report. Should we be concerned?

http://www.independent.co.uk/environment/c...ole-855406.html

No.

The opening sentence:


is not true.



Polynyas have been happening in the Arctic and on or near the North Pole for a long time.

Further, a previous article on this phenomenon was reported, and corrected, in the New York Times back in 2000.

Part of the article (they removed the rest) and the retraction is h e r e.


It is just one more example of Global Warming fear-mongering.


And, one more example showing why we should question everything that relates to "Global Warming".

Oh, and don't forget t h i s.

Interesting. It seems there is a global catastrophe awaiting every generation, that would be according to the doomsayers.

When I was young it was population that was going to cause an apocalypse, again with a lot of false information being bandied around. The world has managed a massive increase comfortably and could feed itself easily were those in power so disposed. Another interesting piece of false information that I recently dispelled for myself was the false claim that there are more people alive now than ever have lived. The New Scientist recently calculated that the dead outnumber the living by 25-1. The false fact was scary to a young lad of eight or nine, when I had been mistaught it by a teacher.

Some still wrongly believe population to be reaching catastrophic levels, but that particular doomsaying is not nearly so mooted as it was back in the 60's and 70's. Guess the modern doomsayers will also melt into the woodwork when the Earth is found not to be in a cataclysmic era. All people tend to believe their era is the most important, thus the 'it's going to happen very soon' attitude persists in all era.

Good point, The Colonel.

I believe the AGW alarmists use that basic concept within their disinformation campaign.



Besides - "the World is going to continue!" just doesn't seem to get anyone excited, does it?

There are some details in the report that do concern me:

(Quote) "Inuit natives living near Baffin Bay between Canada and Greenland are also reporting that the sea ice there is starting to break up much earlier than normal and that they have seen wide cracks appearing in the ice where it normally remains stable. Satellite measurements collected over nearly 30 years show a significant decline in the extent of the Arctic sea ice, which has become more rapid in recent years." (Unquote)

Although I think that 'global warming' is highly likely to be over-blown by many experts, the above is true - perhaps because it's simply the normal cycle of our earth over eons of time.

Either way, it is true that many area that were normally once ice roads are now open spaces of water and, for instance, Great Slave Lake breaks up much earlier than it did when I lived up there in the late 1960s.

Where once it may have been 'simply' an inconvenience for them, it's now often a source of great worry to many of the Inuits living in the area (and to others).

Science has progressed as such a rate over the past few decades - and with each step we have masses of 'experts' - how on earth are any of us to know what "facts" are true or which "expert" to believe any more - geesh!

Mara -

The overall accuracy of that report is somewhat dubious and factually incorrect, as I pointed out in the first links. I would want verification before I believed anything in that article since it begins with a false statement.

Did you check my follow up link? We've found volcanic activity under the Arctic that's been going on since 1999. You think that might contribute to the ice melting?

Also, don't forget - since 1998, the global temperatures have not been warming.

Yes, I read the info at the link - truly I did .

I'm not saying everything in the first article was true - rather, I'm saying simply what I said above. and;

Inuits are not uneducated (especially in the ways of our Earth and the arctic) so whether it's as I believe - a normal cycle of the earth (just as volcanic activity is normal) - or cause to 'panic as the whole earth is warming' as many 'experts' claim ... to the Inuits, it 'doesn't matter' what's causing it - the fact that the ice is not where it once was and the Lake breaks up sooner, etc, causes them concern.

On a personal note: Few things are as magical as watching/hearing the Great Slave Lake break up - wow!

Yes, I agree.

I wonder how many of the Inuits even read that article, though. jk

OK, seriously - from the first article:

Yes, it could be, however, this is not an example of the impact of global warming since we haven't been warming in 10 years and we now have evidence of volcanic activity warming the waters under the Arctic and we also know that polynyas are a well known phenomenon.

That's why I responded the way I have - the article is clearly attempting to generate a false impression and more fear-mongering over Global Warming even though the information is easily shown to be inaccurate.

Those that don't know about this will easily be taken in by the article and continue to spread the fear about Global Warming.

The Topic Title reads "The North Pole Ice is Melting".You understand fully what I was getting at,Mara.
Not what's causing the rapid depletion,but rather the the speed of which this is happening.
Satellite Images back this up.
Must be affecting People and Animals, that live in the Area.

Regardless of whats causing it,the fact remains, Satellite Pics show, the ice melting at an alarming rate.
Faster,it seems than in living memory.
We seldom get the true story from the Media,or the Experts for that matter.
Thanks for your contribution,John.All good reading.

[humor]Does this mean there will not be "Navy Blue Noses" any more?[/humor]

Such balmy water to swim in there now.

Just checked that link out,Conundrum. Very interesting and bookmarked it.
My Grandfather was a Sailor,in the Australian Navy, all his working life.During WW11 as well.Used to keep me amused for hours, as a kid,with his Stories.

This post has been edited by DSTM: Jun 28 2008, 01:43 AM

In all seriousness now. I thank your GF for his Service. (I gather he has passed. A Tri-Pipe Salute to the Man.)

I have another link for you also - tho' it also applies to USN - Many Naval Services have similar certificates.
http://www.history.navy.mil/faqs/faq92-1.htm

Sorry to have HiJacked this thread. I'll flog myself in the morning. 20 lashes with day old spaghetti.
We return you to the regularly scheduled Arctic Warming discussions.

I have my Blue Nose certification suitably framed, now that you mention it.

Them were the days.

Bold mine.

Missed this the first time.

Since this has happened so many times before, how do you know that it is faster this time?

Are you basing your assumption on falsely written articles such as this one?

The topic title "Replying to The North Pole Ice is Melting" and your question "should we be concerned?" has been answered - the answer is "no".

The only thing happening at an "alarming rate" is the Global Warming Alarmists who are being shown to be wrong.