Slashdot Mirror
Northern Sea Route Through Arctic Becomes a Reality
Hugh Pickens writes "Andrew Revkin writes in the NY Times that since 1553, when Sir Hugh Willoughby led an expedition north in search of a sea passage over Russia to the Far East, mariners have dreamed of a Northern Sea Route through Russia's Arctic ocean that could cut thousands of miles compared with alternate routes. A voyage between Hamburg and Yokohama is only 6,600 nm. via the Northern Sea Route — less than 60% of the 11,400 nm. Suez route. Now in part because of warming and the retreat and thinning of Arctic sea ice in summer, this northern sea route is becoming a reality with the 12,700-ton 'Beluga Fraternity,' designed for a mix of ice and open seas, poised to make what appears to be the first such trip. The German ship picked up equipment in Ulsan, South Korea, on July 23 and arrived in Vladivostok on the 25th with a final destination at the docks in Novyy Port, a Siberian outpost. After that, if conditions permit, it will head to Antwerp or Rotterdam, marking what company officials say would be the first time a vessel has crossed from Asia to Europe through the Arctic on a commercial passage."
The OP of the message I replied to made no reference to the ice sheets on land.
Next time, when you think you are about to be witty. Stop. Because you aren't.
Bearded Dragon
I think that the best way to promote wide-spread browser standards on the web is for us all to give Microsoft our support and money when they promise that they will work hard to standardize the web. Microsoft has a history of thinking selflessly. And after all, Windows is on 90% of the world's computers. So who better to make sure that the changes get put into effect? Of course you'll always have the non-conformist Linux nuts.
I also believe in passing laws so the US government can force tax money from your paycheck because they promise that they will do something about climate change. They've always been really good about delivering on their promises. And only the government can force people to do the right thing. Of course you'll always have those pesky idiots who think they have a right to do whatever they want with the money they earn.
There is really no other solution that has a chance of working. Now imagine if the US Government and Microsoft got together to solve all the worlds problems!
How exciting that these adventurers are finally able to go through the fabled 'northern route'! This fulfils a dream that has remained vibrant within the minds of those who go down to the sea in ships! When the Dutch Sea Caption Barents discovered the Barents Sea, imgine how the world would have changed had the passage gone all the way through!
This will also allow better trade between Siberia and Europe and create a plethora of multi-cultural interaction which can only augment the good news over this joyous event!
It is said within those who actaully have studied geology, and who have done things with core samples that Earth only has had ice caps over twenty % of it's history. Also they say that massive geologic change is normal and unavoidable. Let's say that they are correct -- then what does this obsession with stopping the progress of Earth's natural processes by politically powerful busy-bodies who seek to 'win valuble prizes?'
You people who are paid to promote the global warming agenda have become an inquisition against the sane-heads who see through your propaganda-speel: how do you live with yourselves? Would you have supported a pope against Gallileo? Would you have been Nazi's doing what you precieved the majority wanted? Would you have been sychophants to an evil queen?
Your evil queen ideas on global warming have become tired rethoric that is as bogus as a flat earth theory. If ice melts then it melts. We live in an ever-changing world. Ah, but somethings don't change. There is still the constant and continuous propaganda trying to flood into the minds of those who are just looking for entertainment. You keep beating your propaganda drum. You keep up the lies. But lies are lies. If some bad thing is predicted it is a non-sequetor to say that we have to give over our rights and liberties to people who drum-beat propaganda.
The uses of psychology and operent conditioning techniques in media and advertising has created this class of people who think they are a leadership class. They have deluded themselves, by living with in a bubble-web of lies of their own creation, that they 'rule' and are thus 'empowered' to effect 'social change'. These deluded people think that they lead. And they beat this constant drum of "global warming is bad. Give them more power."
Everytime you propaganda posters put up these alarmist articles you give sane-heads yet one more example of your fuzzy philosophies. You relate premises to conclusions without any logic at all, but just with the ferver of a brainwashed apparatchick. Your arguement goes like this: "False Premise. Now give us more power."
Do you hear yourselves? You have become transparent.
I know a lot of people who read slash-dot probably don't care. But I am of the mind that if Gallileo were alive today and he were in prison I would want to free him. Your minds are in prison to the premise that global warming is bad. It is neither bad nor good. It is like the rain or the wind. What is bad is how some powerful forces want to socially remake our whole economy and give themselve a huge boon at the expense of a fooled public.
So I am beating the drum of liberty. Liberate your mind from these false prophets. Do they really care about anything more than being powerful and important.?
Open your minds, people. Liberty of thought must preceed the Liberty of nations. The chains of fallacy, though not made of metal, can bind in just as effective a way. The agenda-mongering of some is a dangerous game. It takes us off the focus on real issues. So instead of us working real issues we get lost into a fantasy world of trying to stop the natural march of geologic change. There must be better things on which to focus the heart-felt zeal. And I mean both the zeal of tho
Yeah well, I would love to get my hands on Volkswagen's new 250mpg commuter car (to be released end-of-this-year), but they refuse to sell it outside Germany. They are deliberately limiting access.
So instead I settle for a mere 70mpg Honda Insight. But I can't recommend it to friends, because it's no longer available. Honda discontinued it and replaced it with a standard 4-door version that gets a mere 45mpg.
So yes we CAN blame the industrialists, if only because they refuse to sell any cars higher than 45-50mpg to U.S. citizens.
Aside-
Yes Al Gore is a hypocrite. He's done nothing to change his lifestyle, still drving SUVS everywhere, while telling all the rest of us to stop consuming so much energy. But then that's typical of kings, nobility, and other leaders. They believe the rules don't apply to them, because they are in a separate, better class than us mere commoners. i.e. Non-equality.
"I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it." - historian Evelyn Beatrice Hall
what the hell are you talking about? The sun's output is variable. There's no averaging it when trying to model future climate change. And if the sun's output was higher in the '80s and '90s than it is in the 2000s, WHICH IT WAS, why does that article state that the sun's output hasn't increased since 1978?