Slashdot Mirror
Arctic Sea Ice Hits Record Low Extent
mdsolar writes "Arctic sea ice has hit a record low extent for the period of satellite observation. Further, this record has been set in August when the minimum annual sea ice extent (and the prior record) has always come in September. Further still, the ice is still retreating as rapidly as it was in June and July when normally the decrease of sea ice extent slows in August. It is thus possible the the final minimum sea ice extend for 2012 will be seen in October rather than September as has always occurred in the past. More than one monitoring effort agree on the existence of a new record."
It's good for business, and that's all that matters. For one thing it gives Japan easier access to oil shipped from the North Sea. Carnival Cruise Lines can do more Arctic tours, and have Polar Bear steaks. They can club baby seals and have tailor made coats made right on board. This is not a disaster, it's an opportunity. Make the best of it.. while it lasts.
“He’s not deformed, he’s just drunk!”
What, is Sunday "idiots-upmodding-mindless-drivel they-agree-with day?"
(1) You put this in quotes:
"this is probably just nature at work, and we haven't directly observed nature scientifically for a long enough period to know if this is a temporary condition".
Except... it's not a quote. BlueStrat didn't say "this is probably just nature at work." Those are YOUR words. They are not the words MightyMartian was commenting on. If you want to paraphrase/make up words and start debating them with yourself, be my guest. But don't drag me into it.
(2) There is nothing rational about saying we just do nothing about a bad situation because we haven't observed in the past how those situations play out.
Of course there is. Doing nothing IS sometimes the most rational response. History is replete with instances where everyone would have been much better off if authorities had simply done nothing. I can think of a dozen instances just off the top of my head. Does that mean THIS is one of those cases? I don't know -- and neither do you. We only know about those things in hindsight. But history makes it sand-poundingly obvious that, yes, sometimes doing nothing is much better than a badly misguided attempt to address a problem affecting a complex system we don't understand very well, on the theory that, well, we must do SOMETHING!!
(3) and accusing someone of being "emotional" when they post a sarcastic comment etc etc etc
So pointing out an obvious fact (i.e., that MightyMartian's reaction was emotional and not rational) is an "accusation"?
Cunning? Oh for Pete's sake. Grow up.
lllll Alaska Jack