The Arctic Today

Last week I attended an E2 (Environmental Entrepreneurs) presentation on the arctic at Google headquarters. Going into the event, I had some pretty basic associations and assumptions of the Arctic. I think of glaciers, polar bears, seals, shipping, and the Race to the North Pole. I know the world's climate depends on the cooling effect of the Arctic glaciers, as global ocean currents pull cold Arctic water south, giving us mild temperatures and cool ocean breezes in California.

I also know that the Northwest Passage opened for the first time in 2007, and while this red flag went mostly unnoticed, the shipping industry gained an exciting new shipping route between Asia and North America. This also opened up the Arctic for all kinds of capitalistic interests, from its oil reserves to fishing and shipping.

Since I go to these kinds of events, I've also heard about the polar bear population declining with its habitat, and sad tales of polar bears drowning because the distances between icebergs is growing. These animals have become the pinnacle of the environmental movement, as they became the first animal listed as endangered by the US Dept of Interior from the effects of climate change in 2008.

However, I did learn many new things at this event. As the event was held at Google headquarters, we started with an overview of the information Google Earth has on this very topic. Within Google Earth, you can download a Sea Ice Index from the National Snow and Ice Data Center, and watch the satellite images of shrinking ice rapidly gain momentum in the last five years. These Google Earth screen shots are winter images of Arctic ice in both 1978 and 2008. Run the tool for yourself, and you'll also be surprised at the shocking rate the ice disappears between 2000 and 2008.
I was pretty impressed with the breadth and quantity of global awareness information Google has built into its application, making it a broadly informative and educational tool. As these glaciers continue to melt, what might happen? I believe we are already seeing some effects, although the causality may not have been ascribed.

Another big topic at this event was the fishing of the Arctic. Unbeknownst to me, the Arctic territory does not have agreed-upon national borders. The US, Canada, Russia, Norway, Denmark and Iceland all have placed claims to the territory, which are estimated to have 1/5 of the worlds remaining oil reserves. This political bombshell needs to be resolved quickly, as capitalist interests move into the area. Fish in the Arctic Ocean are unlikely to obey superficial boundaries, so these countries will have to work together for a standardization of fishing guidelines. However without formalized borders, these countries are at a stalemate for any fishing agreement. Like many ecosystems existing in extreme conditions, the sealife in the Arctic is superbly precarious. Any overfishing by one country, of just one fish or animal, could throw the entire ecosystem out of balance. As the speakers from NRDC, the Milken Institute, and the US Coast Guard emphasized, this ocean is our last chance to use an ocean responsibly. Let's not blow it.

Sure, climate cycles are cyclical. Yes, Earth is bound to warm, and then cool. Perhaps we won't slow this warming trend that we have significantly sped up. Perhaps some species will fail as a result of our activities, since they will not have time to adapt. But are humans adapted to deal with a completely different climate? Based on our ultra-reliance on air-conditioning, heat, and other fossil-fuel based comforts, I think not. You might say I'm an environmentalist. I happen to think it's the other way around. The Earth is going to be fine; it always is. I'm not worried about the Earth. I'm actually a humanist, fighting for our habitat to remain intact, so we can continue to flourish. Is that so progressive?