Arctic Ice Melting

This is no political post. Its about environment.

I received an email from The Sightseer, a monthly Google Earths Newsletter and would like to share it. The Arctic ice is melting. Maybe its far away in the North pole but the melting ice does affect our environment in terms of rising water level. This rising of water level can drown away small islands and rampant flooding. We can now see that there is already excess water that can cause low lying areas to be flooded.

Last year, the arctic sea ice melted further than ever recorded by scientists. The northwest passage across northern America was ice free and boats could easily make the passage. Polar bears and other arctic animals experienced extreme environmental change that threatened their survival. - Google Earth.

National Snow and Ice Data Center. has been keeping track of the sea ice concentration since 1979 and their latest monthly median sea ice extent was released recently. (See the picture attached) .

How can sea ice affect us?

Arctic sea ice reflects sunlight, keeping the polar regions cool and moderating global climate. According to scientific measurements, Arctic sea ice has declined dramatically over at least the past thirty years, with the most extreme decline seen in the summer melt season. -NSIDC

On August 26 2008 NSIDC released an analysis;

Arctic sea ice now second-lowest on record

Sea ice extent has fallen below the 2005 minimum, previously the second-lowest extent recorded since the dawn of the satellite era. Will 2008 also break the standing record low, set in 2007? We will know in the next several weeks, when the melt season comes to a close. The bottom line, however, is that the strong negative trend in summertime ice extent characterizing the past decade continues.- NSIDC

A report carried on The Star reads:

"Climate models indicate that the greatest changes, the most severe changes, will happen earliest in the highest northern latitudes," said Warwick Vincent, director of the Centre for Northern Studies at Laval University in Quebec.

"This will be the starting point for more substantial changes throughout the rest of the planet.... Our indicators are showing us exactly what the climate models predict," he told Reuters in an interview.

Global warming is forecast to generate more damaging weather extremes such as hurricanes, cyclones and floods. - The Star

Are you one of the responsible human in this phenomenon?