Arctic sea ice melting?

I wondered how those journalists who are committed to the view that human activity causes global warming would present the effects of a cold winter and a cool spring and summer on the environment.

Well now I know. They present the facts but precede them with a misleading headline and leading paragraph.

In The Star (9/17, A-3) we are told that the residual summer ice this year in the Arctic Ocean was 1.74 million square miles, as opposed to 1.59 million in 2007 — an almost 9 percent increase. Yet the title given for this was “Arctic sea ice keeps on melting.”

I suppose that this is technically correct. Arctic sea ice melts every summer. But it implies a continually worsening situation, which is not the conclusion that most people would draw from the facts as stated.

Robert Reimers
Gardner

Comments

[JUNGLEJACK]

Engineer - all the fossil record proves is that sometime in the past an organism died and left a shape in some mud. Anything beyond that is unprovable.

We have observable proof of adaptation and natural selection - both of which are mechanisms of extinction, not evolution. Ironically enough, the Cambrian explosion of life to which scientists refer is really an explosion of death - as it memorializes many life forms dying at once.

[Engineer]

tomw
The fact that you mention Global Warming and the Theory of Evolution is interesting. My views on both are somewhat parallel. It appears that over the last 100 years or so the planet has been warming. The planet has experienced a number of warming and cooling trends in the past. Currently the planet is undergoing what may be a short cooling trend. The question under debate is: What are the reasons for the current temperature trends?
So far as evolution is concerned the fossil record seems to establish that it has gone on. The things not established include: 1. How did life start? 2. How and why did unicellular like change to multi-cellular? 3. How and why did non-vertebrates change to vertebrates? 4. And etc.

[JUNGLEJACK]

"Just like Evolution, the scientific community is overwhelmingly in agreement."

... I believe the correct phrase is that some have come to a consensus. Hardly more than a glorified opinion.

Uh, t.a. - wtf are you going on about? The point I was making was how much "belief" is disguised as scientific jargon concerning evolution. There are alot of "maybes" "appears to bes" and outright opinion taught as fact.

[TinyAlice]

Uh, Jungle...please don't do this to yourself. One of the most ignorant things ever promulgated by the loony right is that you try to prove theories, and if they can be proven, they become facts, or laws. Absolutely wrong, go to Remedial Math, never happen. Unfortunately, most of the people hooting about this on the right, especially Christian conservatives, couldn't get through a Scientific Methodology class with a handgun.

[tomw]

No, I didn't do much research. I just pulled up a more detailed reporting of the same study. The evil, Democrat Star left out some of the "mays" and "looks likes".

Yes indeed, Global warming theories are Theories just like Evolution. Just like Evolution, the scientific community is overwhelmingly in agreement. However, it's up to the politicians to make the decisions.

[JUNGLEJACK]

"Since when did "may" and "looks like" become scientific fact?"

... see the theory of evolution.

[Pub 17]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. Subscribe again so you can cancel again.

[JustAMan]

Well tomw, I see your research was in depth. Full of statements like, "Yet there may", " it looks as though" Since when did "may" and "looks like" become scientific fact?

Bottom line the Star covers one side of the news and I don't know whey anyone would subscribe. I canceled my so I would not be funding the democratic campaign this year.

[tomw]

Perhaps Mark and Robert might consider alittle more research.

"Yet there may not be much more sea ice this year than last year: The floating ice may just be spread over a larger area, said Walt Meier, senior researcher at the National Snow and Ice Data Center.

"This year, compared to last year, it looks as though there are more broken floes with water between them, at least in certain areas. Last year there was a more solid ice pack of one connected sheet," said Meier. Ice floes are consolidated blocks of ice."

"The consensus of most sea-ice scientists is that the Arctic could be free of ice in the summer between 2030 and 2040.

"On the other hand, the last couple of years have been really low. If the sea ice keeps dropping, it could happen sooner," said Meier. The 2008 sea-ice size "reinforces that sooner or later we're going to get to an ice-free state.""
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/09/17/MN7K12VDEM.DTL&tsp=1

[Pub 17]

http://www.drugs.com/mtm/simethicone.html

[Simple_Jack]

Mark left off an important scientific finding: the wind from any storm/tornado, etc are just the result of God farting

[Pub 17]

Mark Robertson speaks, and over-educated liberals the world 'round stop their prattling, since Mark Robertson Knows The Truth. Take that, godless scientists!

[Mark Robertson]

Great letter Robert. Of course all you provided were facts. Facts are often meaningless with the left because they get in the way of agenda, an agenda that is about power and control and changing our way of life.
Just ask the great Czech Republic President, Vaclav Klaus, who lived under communism. He sees similarities between extreme environmentalism and communism.
As Robert's facts help point out, the claim that the polar ice caps are melting because of human activity is a total hoax, as is the entire movement that claims that mankind has and is creating harmful global warming. Thankyou.

Mark Robertson
Independence

[Pub 17]

No, it wasn't. The title given for this was "Arctic sea ice melt comes close, but misses record," per the link you furnished. WTF?