Nadia Prupis – Global Sea Ice Hits Lowest Levels ‘Probably in Millenia’

Global sea ice levels are at their lowest in recorded history, according to new statistics from the U.S. National Snow & Ice Data Center. In the Arctic, the loss is due to climate change and extreme weather events that are likely influenced by global warming, while the changes in the Antarctic may be attributed to natural variability, the center said. …

Nadia Prupis – Surprise: Climate Change is Likeliest Cause for Extreme Arctic Heat

This year’s remarkably warm Arctic winter would have been “extremely unlikely” without climate change, according to a new analysis from a consortium of scientists dedicated to understanding the impacts of global warming. World Weather Attribution (WWA) released its report after the Arctic was hit with record-breaking temperatures amid the hottest year in recorded history. The North Pole’s temperature anomalies “were …

Andrea Germanos – Sorry, Santa: North Pole Temps Could Climb 50 Degrees Above Normal

Santa will likely be feeling toasty as he does his final checks on the naughty-or-nice list because temperatures at the North Pole on Thursday are forecast to be as much as 50°F above normal. Temperatures are expected to climb to near the freezing point of 32°F, computer models show. Read more

Arctic ice melt ‘already affecting weather patterns where you live right now’

The dramatic melting of Arctic ice is already driving extreme weather that affects hundreds of millions of people across North America, Europe and Asia, leading climate scientists have told the Guardian. Severe “snowmageddon” winters are now strongly linked to soaring polar temperatures, say researchers, with deadly summer heatwaves and torrential floods also probably linked. The scientists now fear the Arctic …

Reynard Loki – Trump Declares All-Out War on Environment With Fossil Fuel-Loving, Climate Change-Denying Cabinet Nominees

Scientists warn in a major new reportthat the increasingly rapid melting of Arctic ice could potentially be irreversible and have severe implications not just for Arctic ecosystems, but for the entire planet. “The warning signals are getting louder,” said Marcus Carson of the Stockholm Environment Institute and one of the lead authors of the report, adding that these developments “also …

Andrea Germanos – NOAA Issues ‘Jaw-Dropping’ Assessment on ‘Unprecedented’ Arctic Warming

If President-elect Donald Trump’s appointments of a “band of climate conspiracy theorists” weren’t already stoking fears for the ever-warming planet, the latest Arctic Report Cardfrom the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) may well provide the ignition. The annual assessment, released Wednesday, finds that “persistent warming” is driving “extensive changes” to the region. In fact, the average air temperatures were …

Tim Radford – Arctic Warming Gives U.S. and Europe the Chills

LONDON—Warming in the Arctic—one of the fastest-warming regions on the planet—could be heightening the chances of extreme winters in Europe and the US. As the Arctic warms, the stratospheric jet stream that brings occasionally catastrophic ice storms and record snow falls to the eastern United States could also be on the move, according to new research in the journal Nature …

Atlantic Ocean’s slowdown tied to changes in the Southern Hemisphere

The ocean circulation that is responsible for England’s mild climate appears to be slowing down. The shift is not sudden or dramatic, as in the 2004 sci-fi movie “The Day After Tomorrow,” but it is a real effect that has consequences for the climates of eastern North America and Western Europe. Also unlike in that movie, and in theories of …

PETER WADHAMS – As Arctic Ocean Ice Disappears, The Global Climate Impacts Intensify

THE NEWS LAST WEEK THAT SUMMER ICE COVERING THE ARCTIC OCEAN WAS TIED FOR THE SECOND-LOWEST EXTENT ON RECORD IS A SOBERING REMINDER THAT THE PLANET IS SWIFTLY HEADING TOWARD A LARGELY ICE-FREE ARCTIC IN THE WARMER MONTHS, POSSIBLY AS EARLY AS 2020. After that, we can expect the ice-free period in the Arctic basin to expand to three to four months a …

ROBERT HUNZIKER – Loss of Planet Reflectivity an Impending Catastrophe

The planet’s air conditioning system is on the blink, working intermittently, losing its glinting, lustrous white reflectiveness, as it turns deep blue, absorbing 90% of sunlight rather than reflecting it back into outer space. The repercussions of Arctic sea ice loss are immense. “Our planet has actually changed colour,” Peter Wadhams, A Farewell to Ice (Allen Lane an imprint of …