Reality Bites: The Melting Artic Ice Caps

Much like sticking to a diet, sticking to a budget or sticking to a break-up (without drunk-texting), sticking to the green lifestyle can be a little...difficult sometimes. We know. Sometimes it's just so much easier to use the generic cleaning products or pick up a regular lightbulb when we're in a jam or toss out the plastic bottle in a trash can. So just as we sometimes need a little kick in the ass to put down the cupcake/put down the $300 tank top/put down the phone (!!!), we are here to give you a little GREEN KICK IN THE ASS...some new global warming research that is bound to have you going that extra mile. Please read the following and SHARE WITH YOUR FRIENDS, CO-WORKERS, FAMILY so that they can jump start their green participation as well.

Over the summer of 2007, 1 million square miles of sea ice in the Arctic simply melted away. That's roughly the size of 6 Californias. As the New York Times reports, the ice's "vanishing act" was a shock to even the bleakest of eco-pessimists, who now say global warming is probably happening faster than even they expected. Making things even more dire, higher temperatures don't only mean melting ice caps. Because the ice cap has shrunk, it then reflects less sunlight back into space which results in even higher temperatures. Furthermore, as the oceans warm, they absorb less carbon dioxide. It all adds up to a vicious cycle of ever-accelerating global warming. Though Arctic experts say that there are many components to be considered when analyzing this massive meltdown, most of those scientists said they were becoming exceedingly convinced, concerned and alarmed that "the system is heading toward a new, more watery state, and that human-caused global warming is playing a significant role", agreeing that "the trend is hard to ascribe to anything else."

''We used to argue that a lot of the variability up to the late 1990s was induced by changes in the winds, natural changes not obviously related to global warming,'' said John Michael Wallace, a scientist at the University of Washington. ''But changes in the last few years make you have to question that. I'm much more open to the idea that we might have passed a point where it's becoming essentially irreversible.''

For one thing, experts are having trouble finding any records from Russia, Alaska or elsewhere pointing to such a widespread Arctic ice retreat in recent times, adding credence to the idea that humans may have tipped the balance. In addition, the Arctic ice retreat is significantly beyond the average since satellites started measurements in 1979.

The New York Times also reports that experts say the ice retreat is likely to be even bigger next summer. Arctic researcher Wieslaw Maslowski of the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, Calif., projects a blue Arctic Ocean in summers by 2013.

The melting icecap spells disaster for polar bears, walruses, penguins and increasingly...humans. We must act now-- step up your commitment to living a less wasteful lifestyle! Bring your own reusable bags to the store, buy compact fluorescent light bulbs, unplug your electronics when they are not in use and recycle! Please pass along and do something green today (and tomorrow...!)