New Dire Predictions for the Arctic

New studies presented at the ongoing meeting of the American Geophysical Union predict that the Arctic could have ice-free summers within the next 5 to 6 years. The concentration of Arctic sea ice reached a record low this summer, as did the surface area of Greenland's ice sheet - demonstrating that observed changes in the North Pole have outpaced computerized climate models. Scientists had previously predicted the Arctic would be without ice by the summer of 2040. Scientific consensus blames human emission of greenhouse gases as the culprit for global climate change. The Bush Administration, however, has continued to reject mandatory caps on greenhouse gas emissions during the ongoing climate talks in Bali, Indonesia.

http://www.fsrn.org/content/headlines-package-december-12%2C-2007