Kiss the North Pole Goodbye
Ice at the North Pole is melting so fast that in 30 years it will be open sea—horrific news for Santa’s Workshop and most polar bears.
Underestimating Global Warming
When scientists encountered a mile-wide stretch of thawed ocean in the polar region six years ago, some estimated the North Pole would be ice free as soon as 2100. Now they’ve moved the date forward by 60 years.
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According to a NASA-funded team of leading climatologists, the entire North Pole will be open water by the summer of 2040.
The North Pole—which hasn’t been without ice in over a million years. The place has long been one of the planet’s most inaccessible frontiers. At the North Pole, the sun crawls above the horizon on March 21, then moves in twenty-four-hour loops before setting for good in September. |
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In the twentieth century, dozens of explorers died trying to reach the top of the world by sled and foot. Today, it’s reached more often via airplane and submarine.
And in thirty years? I’m sure Carnival and Royal Caribbean will be making regular jaunts.
Arctic Warming Three Times Faster
There’s no longer any debate that the average global temperature climbed a degree over the past century.
What’s not heard as often: loss of ice exposes dark sun-absorbing land and ocean surfaces. The result is Arctic warming occurring twice as fast as the average global mean, and some hot spots in the Arctic are heating up even faster.
Scientists conservatively predict a positive feedback loop that will melt the Arctic at an ever-increasing rate until there is no more ice at the North Pole.
The Upside of an Ice Free Pole
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Yes, it all sounds rather bleak and hopeless, but there is good news…
Despite sweaty seals and the extinction of polar bears, other marine life, such as codfish, will move into the thawing areas of the Arctic Ocean and thrive. Granted, other things will move in too, such as deep-sea oil rigs, and freighters taking a new shortcut. |
And while there’s no word yet where Santa plans to relocate the elves and toy factory, Vegas odds point to China.
Read More: environment, science, politics, Arctic, Santa, global warming, climate change, North Pole
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December 13th, 2006 at 6:55 am
If they were off by 60 years just 4 years ago, I’m wondering if we will see an ice-free pole in 15 or 20 years. Certainly we will see the extinction of polar bears. That breaks my heart. I wonder if anyone has established a gene bank to try to prevent species extinction ( like the seed bank Norway has established to preserve plant diversity ).
December 13th, 2006 at 12:18 pm
Personally, I think the North Pole is overrated anyway. ;) I don’t believe in Santa anymore so what’s the point?
I do like the alternate reality of Santa running a sweat shop in China though. The elves feared him, he must be fearsome indeed.
thoughtalarm.blogspot.com
December 13th, 2006 at 5:44 pm
Maven: Good God, man, you don’t believe in Santa?! Sheeeeeeeeez! Even John Lennon didn’t dare say he didn’t believe in Santa. You’re sticking your neck out pretty far, because—you know, I don’t want to sound egotistical like I think the readership is huge—but Santa might actually be reading this…so you’ve got guts, I’ll give you that. Hope you get more than coal in your stocking. :-)