Blog About the Weather

In a news report that seems to buck recent globalwarming trends — and that will doubtless be used by globalwarming nay-sayers to support their skepticism — the conservative Washington Times reports that thick pack ice is clogging the Icelandic fjords and reducing the nation’s traditional winter fishing harvest.

Polar bears often live on pack ice in the Arctic Ocean. When pack ice breaks, polar bears often drift with it. It’s been some years since this occurred, but this winter there have been numerous reports of polar bears making landfall in Iceland. Unfortunately for the polar bears, this ends up being a pretty fatal vacation, as the locals aren’t especially welcoming.

The melting of pack ice has been cited as a long-term effect of globalwarming. The 2007 winter incidents are not sufficient cause to disbelieve the risk that globalwarming awareness advocates claim exists relative to the loss of pack ice. Should pack ice disappear, this would be disastrous for the polar bear, which is already considered at risk in North America due tto environmental change and danger from human settlement.