Scientists urge protection of Arctic fisheries

Posted on April 27, 2012 by Bob Berwyn

Open letter signed by 2,000 researchers calls for temporary ban on fishing until baseline data is established

Sea ice in the Bering Sea and Bering Strait. PHOTO COURTESY NASA.

By Summit Voice

SUMMIT COUNTY — Leading scientists from around the world warned that unbridled commerical fishing in newly thawed Arctic waters is likely to result in resource depletion similar to what’s occurred in other areas.

“The ability to fish is not the same as having the scientific information and management regimes needed for a well-managed fishery,” the scientists wrote in an open letter, advocating for research that could help establish good baseline data about marine ecosystems in the Arctic Ocean. (more…)

Filed under: Environment, Marine biology | Tagged: , , , , , , | 1 Comment »

Global warming: Polar regions changing faster than expected

Posted on April 5, 2012 by Bob Berwyn

National Research Council compiles latest Arctic research

Big changes are coming to Antarctica. PHOTO BY BOB BERWYN.

By Summit Voice

SUMMIT COUNTY — Global warming is changing Earth’s polar regions faster than expected, according to the U.S. National Research Council.

Ice sheets around the poles are  showing evidence of serious retreat, which is expected to continue, and perhaps accelerate over coming centuries as warm ocean currents melt the ice front faster than anyone had grasped before. As, well, sea level rise from melting polar ice sheets is today slowly affecting every shoreline on the planet.

The findings were compiled in a synthesis of reports from thousands of scientists in 60 countries who took part in the International Polar Year  2007-08. The studies offer a benchmark for environmental conditions and new discoveries in the polar regions. (more…)

Filed under: climate and weather, Environment, global warming | Tagged: , , , , , | 5 Comments »

Environment: Nano-pollution in the Arctic?

Posted on April 7, 2011 by Bob Berwyn

Silver nanoparticles may be killing nitrogen-fixing bacteria

Eidsfjord in Vesterålen, Norway, is situated 250 km inside the Arctic Circle. New research by Queens University scientists suggests that these remote areas may be affected by nanoparticle pollution. PHOTO VIA WIKIPEDIA UNDER A FREE ART LICENSE.

By Summit Voice

SUMMIT COUNTY — Studies of Arctic soil samples suggest that silver nanoparticles — commonly used in anti-bacterial agents — are killing important nitrogen-fixing bacteria in remote areas generally thought to be free of pollution.

“Millions of tons of nanoparticles are now manufactured every year, including silver nanoparticles which are popular as antibacterial agents,” said Virginia Walker, a professor in the Queens University Department of Biology. “We started to wonder what the impact of all these nanoparticles might be on the environment, particularly on soil.”

The scientists said that the nanoparticles, which are now present in everything from socks to salad dressing and suntan lotion, may have irreparably damaging effects on soil systems and the environment. (more…)

Filed under: Colorado, Environment, nanotech, Technology | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , | Leave a Comment »

Arctic meltdown will shift global weather patterns

Posted on July 4, 2010 by Bob Berwyn

A NOAA graphic shows how more heat in the Arctic has the potential to affect global climate. Click on the image to visit NOAA's website on Arctic sea ice.

Warm air over polar region will push cold storms farther south


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By Summit Voice

SUMMIT COUNTY — Rapidly warming temperatures in the Arctic could have the paradoxic effect of leading to colder and snowier winters in parts of Europe, Asia and North America, climate scientists concluded at the International Polar Year Conference in Oslo earlier this month.

The dramatic loss of Arctic sea ice leads to much warmer temperatures in the region, created an area of higher air pressure that displaces cold low pressure systems to the south. In some parts of the Arctic, average annual temperatures have climbed two to three times faster than the global average. According to reports from the conference, the average annual temperatures over the Barents and Karas seas, north of Scandinavia, temperatures are 10 degrees Celsius higher than in 1990. (more…)

Filed under: Environment, global warming, Summit County Colorado | Tagged: , , , , , , , | Leave a Comment »

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