THE BORE

General => The Superdeep Borehole => Topic started by: Madrun Badrun on September 15, 2007, 02:56:21 AM

Title: Northwest Passage now open, and it's Canada's bitches, so fuck off!
Post by: Madrun Badrun on September 15, 2007, 02:56:21 AM

Ice loss opens Northwest Passage


(http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/44117000/gif/_44117859_arc_newpassage_map203.gif)


Satellite monitoring in the Arctic began in 1978
The most direct route through the Northwest Passage has opened up fully for the first time since records began, the European Space Agency (Esa) says.

Historically, the passage that links the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans through the Canadian Arctic has been ice-bound.

But the agency says ice cover has been steadily shrinking, and this year's drop has made the passage navigable.

The findings - based on satellite images - have raised concerns about the speed of global warming.

'Extreme'

The Northwest Passage is one of the most fabled sea routes in the world - a short cut from Europe to Asia through the high Arctic.

map

Recent years have seen a marked shrinkage in its ice cover, but this year it was extreme, Esa says.

It says this made the passage "fully navigable" for the first time since monitoring began in 1978.

"We have seen the ice-covered area drop to just around 3m sq km (1,2 sq miles)," Leif Toudal Pedersen of the Danish National Space Center said.

He said it was "about 1m sq km (386,000 sq miles) less than the previous minima of 2005 and 2006".

"There has been a reduction of the ice cover over the last 10 years of about 100, 000 sq km (38,600 sq miles) per year on average, so a drop of 1m sq km (386,000 sq miles) in just one year is extreme," Mr Pedersen said.

The Northeast Passage through the Russian Arctic has also seen its ice cover shrink and it currently "remains only partially blocked," Esa says.

'Battle for Arctic'

Scientists have linked the changes to global warming which may be progressing faster than expected.

The opening of the sea routes are already leading to international disputes.

Canada says it has full rights over those parts of the Northwest Passage that pass through its territory and that it can bar transit there.

But this has been disputed by the US and the European Union.

They argue new route should be an international strait that any vessel can use.

Title: Re: Northwest Passage now open, and it's Canada's bitches, so fuck off!
Post by: drozmight on September 15, 2007, 03:30:43 AM

Shut up you filthy Canadian!

Uncle Sam's going to send up a few aircraft carriers and go all panama on your ass.

We have Teddy on ice bitches.

Title: Re: Northwest Passage now open, and it's Canada's bitches, so fuck off!
Post by: drozmight on September 15, 2007, 03:44:19 AM

(http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/8c/Roosevelt_safari_elephant.jpg/750px-Roosevelt_safari_elephant.jpg)

The elephant symbolizes what will happen to any Canadian who dares impede the world's shipping lanes.

Title: Re: Northwest Passage now open, and it's Canada's bitches, so fuck off!
Post by: xnikki118x on September 15, 2007, 04:13:27 AM

Global warming lulz.

If all those explorers had waited a few hundred years for global warming to start up, they wouldn't have had to die trying to find the northwest passage.

Title: Re: Northwest Passage now open, and it's Canada's bitches, so fuck off!
Post by: Madrun Badrun on September 15, 2007, 04:21:16 AM

Quote from: drozmight on September 15, 2007, 03:30:43 AM

Shut up you filthy Canadian!

Uncle Sam's going to send up a few aircraft carriers and go all panama on your ass.

We have Teddy on ice bitches.

You sure he's still on ice?  All you Americans using your SUV's didn't free him from his frozen prison?  He's probably already escaped to Africa to shoot at animals the size of a small house; couse thats the only thing he can hit!

Besides we're not scared, you Americans would probably mistake Greenland for Canada and attack it instead.

spoiler (click to show/hide)

thats a fuck awesome picture.

[close]

Title: Re: Northwest Passage now open, and it's Canada's bitches, so fuck off!
Post by: drozmight on September 15, 2007, 06:34:09 AM

If Teddy were alive today he'd drive an H3...

spoiler (click to show/hide)

...up your ass.

[close]

Title: Re: Northwest Passage now open, and it's Canada's bitches, so fuck off!
Post by: Boogie on September 15, 2007, 08:38:19 PM

Just as long as the RCMP doesn't post me up there to guard the Passage. :P

Title: Re: Northwest Passage now open, and it's Canada's bitches, so fuck off!
Post by: xnikki118x on September 16, 2007, 03:49:48 AM

I just saw an article online, apparently scientists are saying that like 2/3 of the world's polar bears will be gone by 2050 because of this. Only bears in Greenland and the very northern parts of Canada are expected to make it to 3000 if it keeps up. Sad. :(