I saw the move An Inconvenient Truth recently, then with the news of the Arctic Ice Shelf breaking off and coverage of Polar Bears lacking food due to climate change it really has me thinking. Just curious as to what others make of all this. We haven't seen snow yet this year in Southern Ohio - in fact we don't even need coats - a sweatshirt is just fine. Went hiking yesterday w/the kids & dh - not usually a December activity around here!!

uh oh...here we go again.

I don't understand why the Arctic Ice Shelf is being treated as breaking news. It happened 16 months ago! Why is it a top story on MSN today?

I believe (thought I'm not totally sure) that it was just recently noticed in satellite pictures.

"Laurie Weir, who monitors ice conditions for the Canadian Ice Service, was poring over satellite images in 2005 when she noticed that the shelf had split and separated."

The article is strange. The above quote seems to say that she was looking at satellite images during 2005.

Also read the caption from a photo in the article:

"Part of what was the Ayles Ice Shelf is surveyed last summer by Denis Sarrazin, a researcher with the Center for Northern Studies at Laval University in Quebec City, Canada. Sarrazin and other researchers visited what is now an island as part of an expedition within a program called ArcticNet."

I also read another article where there was a sentence that basically began as - we have decided to release this news to the public at this time... - but now I can't find it. Sorry.

What about the massive chunk that broke off Antartica a year or so ago? Noboby was talking about that. I have to wonder about this making the news <i>now.</i>

Don;t understand the question. All the legitimate scientists agree that global warming is already having significant effects - and unless we do something will only worsen.

Is this actually news to anyone (except the oil lobby)?

What would be the motive in timing the story to release now?

nytraveler - When I mentioned the movie (Inconvenient Truth) on Xmas Eve to my father-in-law, he said global warming had been proven to be a farse.

There you are, BayouGal. Things have been rather slow around here this week.

Global warming is a fact, not bad science. Did they just release those pictures and that's why it is making news today?

Yesterday morning CNN did a report on the polar bears &amp; global warming and today they covered the artic shelf. I wonder if the &quot;powers that be&quot; at CNN have decided in general that global warming is a story that demands increased coverage.

Global warming is a story that warrants continuous &quot;in our faces&quot; coverage. We are going to have to make serious lifestyle changes if things continue the way they are headed.

Global warming and cooling have been facts for eons.
I'm not selling my XOM, lol.
M

I think this is in the media this week because they just declared Polar Bears an endangered species, and this has something to do with global warming.

Even the Bush administration seems to be coming around to the fact that global warming is truly happening because of the polar bears dying off due to climate change.
It's so sad and we need to do something NOW. It's a shame it's a political issue for some.

Mikemo,

What is a XOM?

XOM = Exxon Mobile

I was talking to someone last week who said global warming might open up the Northwest Passage, which would result in huge savings (in fuel and dollars) for shipping companies.

Does anyone know what lifestyle we'd have to adopt to save the polar bears? It's too bad all those species that went extinct before homosapiens showed up on the planet didn't have us to look out for them.

&quot;It's too bad all those species that went extinct before homosapiens showed up on the planet didn't have us to look out for them.&quot;

The obvious difference being that those species did not become extinct BECAUSE of homosapiens.

Is it proven that polar bears are becoming extinct solely because of human activity? I don't think so! But, I'm willing to help. What do I need to do?

Beachbum-
For lack of a better term, global warming has a snowball effect. There is no doubt humans are indirectly responsible for what is happening to the planet. When global warming has an effect on an animal's habitat, that animal can no longer survive as it has without adapting. Unfortunately for the polar bear, it is a cold weather animal and it's food sources along with it's habitat are shrinking at an alarming rate. It is our responsiblity to turn this around. We're the cause, so we should find the solution!

Since you are a &quot;beachbum,&quot; you are probably well aware that humans have decimated over 90% of the shark population and sea turtle population. Animals that have been around for over 200 million years we're wiping out in a matter of decades. And with the rising ocean temperatures and with all the waste being thrown into the oceans, the coral and fish life are dying at greater rates than ever before.

Gee, aren't all these species lucky to have us around to save them since we're the main reason they're now threatened and/or extinct! An incovenient truth!

I'm not disputing anything you're saying divewop, but I do question the degree to which humanity has contributed and/or can reverse global warming. And so do scientist friends of mine. Never-the-less, I'll ask again; how can I help?