Time To Move To A Higher Floor

Uh oh.

The Arctic ice cap shrank so much this summer that waves briefly lapped along two long-imagined Arctic shipping routes, the Northwest Passage over Canada and the Northern Sea Route over Russia.

Arctic Study Researchers haul a buoy across the Arctic sea ice in August, led by two Coast Guard crew whose job was to ward off polar bears or rescue anyone who slipped into the sea.

Over all, the floating ice dwindled to an extent unparalleled in a century or more, by several estimates.

Now the six-month dark season has returned to the North Pole. In the deepening chill, new ice is already spreading over vast stretches of the Arctic Ocean. Astonished by the summer’s changes, scientists are studying the forces that exposed one million square miles of open water — six Californias — beyond the average since satellites started measurements in 1979.

I like to flatter myself by thinking that by living in NYC my carbon footprint is very small, relative to most Americans. I don't own a car, live in a very small space, and only use my air-conditioning for a few weeks a year. Dense urban living and using public transit are considered by some to be the most effective tools for reducing environmental impact. Of course, my family in Florida more than compensates for my eco-savings with their huge house and Space Shuttle-sized SUVs.