Of ice and men

tauringhuang.

Aug 29th 2008
From Economist.com

Arctic sea ice is shrinking at an alarming rate


THIS week scientists at the National Snow and Ice Data Centre gave warning that Arctic sea ice has receded to its second-smallest area since satellite records began in 1979. The rate of shrinkage this year is the fastest ever and, with around a month still left of summer, the current ice coverage of 5.3m square km could fall to less than the record low seen last September of 4.1m square km. This is bad news for the environment: Arctic ice reflects sunlight, keeping the region cool, and polar bear populations are predicted to fall by a third over the next 50 years as the creatures' habitat disappears.