Critically Endangered Species: Arctic Sea Ice

Hell Hath No Fury Like Oceans Warming!

Record Arctic ice loss in August

Previously you read on this blog that the Arctic ice cover was the second-lowest on record. The National Snow and Ice Data Center has since reported that the rate of ice loss through the month of August set a new record, reinforcing conclusions that the Arctic sea ice cover is in a long-term state of decline. With more than a week left to the end of the melt season, the Arctic shrink could still hit a new record annual low in September.

See below for the stats:

• Arctic sea ice extent on September 3, 2008 was 4.85 million square kilometers.
• Extent decline since the beginning of August was 2.47 million square kilometers.
• Extent is now within 370,000 square kilometers of 2007 value on the same date (about 2.08 million square kilometers below the 1979 to 2000 average).
• The average daily ice loss rate for August 2008 was 78,000 square kilometers per day (the fastest rate of daily ice loss ever recorded for a month of August).
• The average daily ice loss rate for August 2007 was 63,000 square kilometers per day.
• The average daily ice loss rate for the month of August was 51,000 square kilometers per day.

It takes very little additional energy to melt what remains of a very thinned sea ice cover!

Monthly August ice extent for 1979 to 2008 shows 2008 as the second-lowest August on record. —Credit: National Snow and Ice Data Center  – High-resolution image

The graph above shows daily sea ice extent.The solid light blue line indicates 2008; the dashed green line shows extent for 2007; the gray line indicates average extent from 1979 to 2000. Sea Ice Index data. —Credit: National Snow and Ice Data Center – High-resolution image

Sea surface temperature anomalies for August 2008, expressed with respect to 1982 to 2006 mean, correspond closely with ice retreat. Blue line indicates ice edge; warm colors indicate positive sea surface temperature anomalies. —Credit: National Snow and Ice Data Center courtesy Mike Steele and Wendy Ermold: Polar Science Center/Applied Physics Laboratory/University of Washington.

High-resolution image

Related Links:

• Arctic ice cover second-lowest on record
• Frequently Asked Questions

Hilarious Polar Bear News!

Why Aren’t the Bears Laughing?

The state of Alaska is suing the federal government because it says listing polar bears as a threatened species is hurting Alaskan oil and gas exploration and development, commercial fisheries, transportation and tourism. In other words, the polar bears had no right to be there!

“We believe that … decision to list the polar bear was not based on the best scientific and commercial data available,” Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin said.

“Additional regulation of the species and its habitat under the Endangered Species Act will deter activities such as commercial fisheries, oil and gas exploration and development, transportation and tourism within and off-shore of Alaska,” the lawsuit said.

Mooning The Unashamed Corporate Shills

Polar bear at the Detroit Zoo. Credit: Maia C; via Flickr. Licensed under Creative Commons terms: Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 Unported.

A spokesperson for one of the environmental groups opposed to the dumbfounding action said:

“The state’s lawsuit isn’t about the science of global warming and polar bears … It is merely doing the bidding of oil companies that want to drill for oil in sensitive polar bear habitat, without any concern for how that oil will impact the climate when it’s burned.”

The lawsuit is also about the inalienable corporate rights [sic.] See The right to disturb wildlife!!

“Listing Sarah Palin as Gov. of Alaska hurts the true interests of all polar bears, Alaskans, Americans and all other animal species on the planet!” ~ An angry polar bear

Gov. Sarah Palin – 11th Governor of Alaska meeting Alaska Congressman Don Young

Palin was born as Sarah Louise Heath in Sandpoint, Idaho. Mother of five, she eats moose burgers and rides snowmobiles. She admits that she used marijuana when it was legal in the Alaska, but says that she did not [inhale?] like it.

Palin holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Idaho. She briefly worked in the media and utility industries.

Palin is a lifetime member of the National Rifle Association. Her husband, Todd, works for BP at an oil field on the North Slope and is a commercial fisherman.

A leopard cannot change its spots

“She [then-Mayor Palin] inherited a city with zero debt, but left it with indebtedness of over $22 million. What did Mayor Palin encourage the voters to borrow money for? Was it the infrastructure that she said she supported? The sewage treatment plant that the city lacked? or a new library? No. $1m for a park. $15m-plus for construction of a multi-use sports complex which she rushed through to build on a piece of property that the City didn’t even have clear title to, that was still in litigation 7 yrs later–to the delight of the lawyers
involved!” An excerpt from: A Letter About Sarah Palin from Anne Kilkenny

In June 2007, Palin signed into law the largest operating budget in Alaska’s history: $6.6 billion! (Source: Wikipedia)

Palin Saga Update >> Click Here: It’s All About Big Oil, Stupid!

Related Links:

• Look me straight in the eye & tell me you can’t …
• Arctic ice cover second-lowest on record
• The real games are in Alaska
• 3 million acres of spruce killed in Alaska in 15 years

• Death by Lethal Pollution
• Bering Sea Drilling Revisited!
• Arctic Marine Mammals on Thin Ice
• Our Oceans Are Dying

• Mother? Moose Murderer and Maverick!