Arctic ice is melting three times faster than expected by Corina Ciubotaru

We should all be concerned: the polar ice is melting and the consequences could be huge. Wildlife may disappear, ocean levels will rise and all of our planet will suffer. For now though, it's still all an economic problem. The Northwest Passage along Canada, Alaska and Greenland has opened up due to Arctic ice melting, allowing ships to bypass the Panama Canal and shorten trips between Asia and Europe. This, in turn, is an important issue that sparked controversy among the countries that could control the region, like Canada and the United States, as the Arctic is believed to contain around 25% of the world's undiscovered oil and gas reserves. Beside the two North American countries, Norway, Russia and Denmark are also competing for control of the area and its reserves. Still, the passage can not yet be used to its full possibilities because the ice is not melted all year round so the area isn't very predictable and safe. It could cut travel time between Japan and The Netherlands by a third by going around the Suez Canal. It is now believed the entire polar ice could melt by 2030, way sooner than was previously predicted. Spring comes sooner now in some parts of Greenland and this is a major problem for the people in the region, who depend on the ice to survive. The ice in Arctic regions is melting three times as fast than originally thought and environmentalists seem to have little success in their efforts to change mentalities.

related story: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070916/ap_on_sc/northwest_passage;_ylt=AtJcccPucqbWsYbDpp6q5iSs0NUE

by Corina Ciubotaru for PocketNews (http://pocketnews.tv)

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