August 10, 2007

Speaking of Global Warming.

Just saw this highly alarming article--Arctic sea ice 'lowest in recorded history': scientists

WASHINGTON (AFP) - Sea ice in the northern hemisphere has plunged to the lowest levels ever measured, US polar specialists said, adding they expect the record low to be "annihilated" by summer's end.

In data posted on the Internet Thursday, William Chapman and colleagues at the University of Illinois Champaign-Urbana said that sea ice in the Arctic region had plunged to new lows some 30 days before the normal point of the annual lows.

"Today, the Northern Hemisphere sea ice area broke the record for the lowest recorded ice area in recorded history," Chapman, a researcher on Arctic meteorology of the university's Department of Atmospheric Sciences, wrote Thursday in the online publication 'The Cryosphere Today.' [...]

In all of recorded history!?

YES!

I found their data, and by golly, they're RIGHT! Of course, it tends to be less than satisfying when you realize recorded history extends only to 1979.

Gosh--not quite sure why this part of the data isn't mentioned in any of the articles, nor why there's no link to the actual study.

Anyway, it sure would be nice to know something from a few years earlier than 1979, though. Just for kicks, you know.

Posted by Terry Oglesby at August 10, 2007 11:41 AM
Comments

All that ice makes me want to add gin, a lemon peel, and stir slowly.

Posted by: rp at August 10, 2007 12:11 PM

With a polar bear swizzle stick...

Posted by: Terry Oglesby at August 10, 2007 12:16 PM

Respectfully, no. I think it would make the gin taste funny. Can't we use some kind of endangered arctic fox or maybe a baby seal?

Posted by: rp at August 10, 2007 12:57 PM

Forgive me, I'm a teetotaler and am unfamiliar with the flavorings favored by those who imbibe. Having said that, I think a baby seal sounds delicious.

Posted by: Terry Oglesby at August 10, 2007 01:05 PM

No need to apologize; your heart is clearly in the right place.

Posted by: rp at August 10, 2007 01:21 PM

Is this at all like those wacky vodka flavors those Swedish guys make?

Posted by: skinnydan at August 10, 2007 02:04 PM

Well, if there's a market for it...

Posted by: Terry Oglesby at August 10, 2007 02:10 PM

I think a walrus tusk or even better, a narwhale tusk would make an excellent swizzle stick. Then served with some nice corniguins.

Posted by: Sarah G at August 13, 2007 07:18 PM

OOOOH! And one of those nifty little paper umbrellas!

Posted by: Terry Oglesby at August 14, 2007 08:17 AM