Sea ice in the Arctic continues to decline. Right now, the shores of Alaska are reported to be free of ice, with the nearest ice shelf 240 km away. Lots of people aren't hesitating to exploit these new economic opportunities with activities that inflict further damage on the environment.
It still drives me mad when I see ads for Arctic cruises (eg through the North West Passage, where the Franklin expedition perished in 1845-47), but a year ago I channelled that rage into a feature about the damage done by ships in places that should really be covered by ice.
My feature is now in the open archives:
Arctic shipping threatens wildlife
Marine mammals, including these beluga whales in the pack ice in West Greenland, are set to suffer from the growing number of ships using the Northwest Passage. (Photo: Kristin Laidre/University of Washington.)
PS Here's the Guardian on the damage caused by polar cruises (13.8.)
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