Good news! We can now get valuable oil and mineral deposits at the North Pole!!

[Driven1]

apparently the thick, dirty, ice that has blanketed the north pole and, up to this point, prevented us from mining valuable oil and mineral deposits may be melting this year!!  there is hope yet for $3.00 gas again!!!

(keeping my fingers crossed!!)

It seems unthinkable, but for the first time in human history, ice is on course to disappear entirely from the North Pole this year.

The disappearance of the Arctic sea ice, making it possible to reach the Pole sailing in a boat through open water, would be one of the most dramatic â€" and worrying â€" examples of the impact of global warming on the planet. Scientists say the ice at 90 degrees north may well have melted away by the summer.

The disappearance of the Arctic sea ice, making it possible to reach the Pole sailing in a boat through open water, would be one of the most dramatic â€" and worrying â€" examples of the impact of global warming on the planet. Scientists say the ice at 90 degrees north may well have melted away by the summer.

"From the viewpoint of science, the North Pole is just another point on the globe, but symbolically it is hugely important. There is supposed to be ice at the North Pole, not open water," said Mark Serreze of the US National Snow and Ice Data Centre in Colorado.

If it happens, it raises the prospect of the Arctic nations being able to exploit the valuable oil and mineral deposits below these a bed which have until now been impossible to extract because of the thick sea ice above.

Seasoned polar scientists believe the chances of a totally icefreeNorth Pole this summer are greater than 50:50 because the normally thick ice formed over many years at the Pole has been blown away and replaced by hugeswathes of thinner ice formed over a single year.

This one-year ice is highly vulnerable to melting during thesummer months and satellite data coming in over recent weeksshows that the rate of melting is faster than last year, when therewas an all-time record loss of summer sea ice at the Arctic.

"The issue is that, for the first time that I am aware of, the NorthPole is covered with extensive first-year ice â€" ice that formed last autumn and winter. I'd say it's even-odds whether the North Pole melts out," said Dr Serreze.

Each summer the sea ice melts before reforming again during the long Arctic winter but the loss of sea ice last year was so extensive that much of the Arctic Ocean became open water, with the water-ice boundary coming just 700 miles away from the North Pole.

This meant that about 70 per cent of the sea ice present this spring was single-year ice formed over last winter. Scientists predict that at least 70 per cent of this single-year ice â€" and perhaps all of it â€" will melt completely this summer, Dr Serreze said.

"Indeed, for the Arctic as a whole, the melt season startedwith even more thin ice than in 2007, hence concerns that we may even beat last year's sea-ice minimum. We'll see what happens, a great deal depends on the weather patterns in July and August," he said.

Ron Lindsay, a polar scientist at the University of Washington in Seattle, agreed that much now depends onwhat happens to the Arctic weather in terms of wind patterns and hours of sunshine. "There's a good chance that it will all melt awayat the North Pole, it's certainly feasible, but it's not guaranteed," Dr Lindsay said.

http://www.independent.co.uk/environment/climate-change/exclusive-no-ice-at-the-north-pole-855406.html

[Ocklawaha]

Oh Shit! For sure Santa Claus is dead now...

Ocklawaha

[BridgeTroll]

The Northwest passage is finally a reality.  We need to make nice with Canada as they are about to become an economic powerhouse...

[avonjax]

apparently the thick, dirty, ice that has blanketed the north pole and, up to this point, prevented us from mining valuable oil and mineral deposits may be melting this year!!  there is hope yet for $3.00 gas again!!!

(keeping my fingers crossed!!)

It seems unthinkable, but for the first time in human history, ice is on course to disappear entirely from the North Pole this year.

The disappearance of the Arctic sea ice, making it possible to reach the Pole sailing in a boat through open water, would be one of the most dramatic â€" and worrying â€" examples of the impact of global warming on the planet. Scientists say the ice at 90 degrees north may well have melted away by the summer.

The disappearance of the Arctic sea ice, making it possible to reach the Pole sailing in a boat through open water, would be one of the most dramatic â€" and worrying â€" examples of the impact of global warming on the planet. Scientists say the ice at 90 degrees north may well have melted away by the summer.

"From the viewpoint of science, the North Pole is just another point on the globe, but symbolically it is hugely important. There is supposed to be ice at the North Pole, not open water," said Mark Serreze of the US National Snow and Ice Data Centre in Colorado.

If it happens, it raises the prospect of the Arctic nations being able to exploit the valuable oil and mineral deposits below these a bed which have until now been impossible to extract because of the thick sea ice above.

Seasoned polar scientists believe the chances of a totally icefreeNorth Pole this summer are greater than 50:50 because the normally thick ice formed over many years at the Pole has been blown away and replaced by hugeswathes of thinner ice formed over a single year.

This one-year ice is highly vulnerable to melting during thesummer months and satellite data coming in over recent weeksshows that the rate of melting is faster than last year, when therewas an all-time record loss of summer sea ice at the Arctic.

"The issue is that, for the first time that I am aware of, the NorthPole is covered with extensive first-year ice â€" ice that formed last autumn and winter. I'd say it's even-odds whether the North Pole melts out," said Dr Serreze.

Each summer the sea ice melts before reforming again during the long Arctic winter but the loss of sea ice last year was so extensive that much of the Arctic Ocean became open water, with the water-ice boundary coming just 700 miles away from the North Pole.

This meant that about 70 per cent of the sea ice present this spring was single-year ice formed over last winter. Scientists predict that at least 70 per cent of this single-year ice â€" and perhaps all of it â€" will melt completely this summer, Dr Serreze said.

"Indeed, for the Arctic as a whole, the melt season startedwith even more thin ice than in 2007, hence concerns that we may even beat last year's sea-ice minimum. We'll see what happens, a great deal depends on the weather patterns in July and August," he said.

Ron Lindsay, a polar scientist at the University of Washington in Seattle, agreed that much now depends onwhat happens to the Arctic weather in terms of wind patterns and hours of sunshine. "There's a good chance that it will all melt awayat the North Pole, it's certainly feasible, but it's not guaranteed," Dr Lindsay said.

http://www.independent.co.uk/environment/climate-change/exclusive-no-ice-at-the-north-pole-855406.html

I am real happy for you Driven1....
Maybe when you are my age, you and all like you who continue to think it's okay to destroy the planet in the name of progress, greed, and your belief that anything goes in the name of business and growth, can enjoy the fruits of your "head in the sand" attitude.

At least you will have your cache of diverse guns so you can fend off all the looters and who knows who else when your home is ravished by a Katrina style hurricane....

Have fun and a nice day

[gatorback]

What's up here?  I don't think Driven1 has that attitude but then again, this is the net and lets' face it, anything goes.

I for one feel we need a balance.  Like, in American, I think it S90--the law that says all oil tankers need to be double hulled.  That's good.  It makes for a safer industry.  I'm sure we can find the right balance of stewardship up there to.  It's not all doomsday people.

[avonjax]

hi Gator
Were you referring to me?

[gatorback]

Ah no avonjax.  I said what's up here?  (but that was a typo).  Wasn't pointing anybody out.
Sorry, I fixed my typo.

[Driven1]

The Northwest passage is finally a reality.  We need to make nice with Canada as they are about to become an economic powerhouse...

Canada will rule.

this has already started happening (as of about 2 years ago).  Brazil & Russia too.  all resource-rich nations will prosper well for the next few years at least.

[BridgeTroll]

Canada already supplies us with more oil than the Saudis...

[gatorback]

yeah, but you know, it's canadian oil, so, it really sucks compared to that rich saudi oil.

[BridgeTroll]

yeah, but you know, it's canadian oil, so, it really sucks compared to that rich saudi oil.

It smells like wet moose when you burn it...

[gatorback]

Oh  my god that smells nasty.

[Ocklawaha]

Imagine the electric Interurban Trolley to the North Pole! Wow, what car loadings we could move up there. Besides the Port of Alert only has 7 full time residents, another 300 or so come in when things warm up. But since the ice is melting, damn, it's gonna be another tropical paradise.



Ocklawaha

[gatorback]

Oklawshah how are trains on ice I mean when the rails freeze?