The Ice is Melting: Some Negative Positive Feedback!

Arctic sea ice is melting at an alarming rate! This fact has been yet again confirmed by scientists working up North. A recent study published in Nature notes how the drawback of the extent of sea ice is unprecedented; it hasn't been this low for at least 1450 years! 

We know that the world has experienced periods of sea ice decline before, but the rate at which it is now happening is an indication of the anthropogenic contribution to the rate of sea ice loss, and also an indication that we should be in 'emergency mode' trying to understand, postpone, and prepare for the inevitable outcomes related to this large and multifaceted problem. As Anne de Vernal (at the University of Quebec in Montreal) noted:

"What we are experiencing at the moment seems to be very exceptional... This means that we are entering into the world which has not equivalent in the past."

Read the news story about this study here.

Relatedly, here is an article about thawing permafrost in Canada's Arctic, and the effects this is having on infrastructure in Northern communities.