Arctic Melt Unnerves the Experts. By Andrew C. Revkin. New York Times.
The rate of melt was faster than almost all the model simulations had predicted. What about the near future?
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Ralph Maughan
Dr. Ralph Maughan is professor emeritus of political science at Idaho State University with specialties in natural resource politics, public opinion, interest groups, political parties, voting and elections. Aside from academic publications, he is author or co-author of three hiking/backpacking guides, and he is past President of the Western Watersheds Project.
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This is not good. I’m afraid that any perceived benefits from an arctic ocean devoid of ice, (i.e. increased shipping opportunities) will be overshadowed by the ecological collapse of the entire arctic region. Furthermore, I don’t believe that the continental US will be buffered from the collapse by Canada. Huge, stable high-pressure fronts that parked over central Canada this last summer caused extreme drought conditions in parts of the northern US. Similar stationary high pressure fronts have began to develop over the arctic and near arctic areas. These arctic high-pressure areas may begin to influence the summer weather over the US as well. The result may be hotter, dryer, and extended summers.
The great lakes and many inland lakes and rivers were at record low levels. This does not bode well for aquatic species that require deep, cool waters like salmon and trout. We may be looking at a total collapse of the great lakes fishing industry. This would also spin into the collapse of species dependent on fish for food.
Hotter, dryer summers mean that a lot of plant and animal species that depend on the cool, moist conditions may die out. Non-native invasive plant and animal species are very adept at filling recently emptied niches.
No, none of this has a silver lining. I’m afraid that we may be beyond the point where cutting greenhouse emissions will reverse the collapse; at least not in my grandchildren’s lifetimes. Change is happening all around us and I don’t think that we are prepared for the calamity that will occur. Pray that I’m wrong. I do.
Oh nonsense…People in Alaska love global warming…
Just kidding of course.
One of these days, we as a society will look back on these days and wonder who in their right mind could have doubted mankind’s effect on our environment and climate.
I agree—I already dread what I am going to have to tell my grandchildren about how we squandered what we had…