I never knew until a minute ago there are webcams at the North Pole.

[karlrschneider]

Happened to click on some links from the wunderground.com blog...this is from a week ago, apparently they only transmit images intermittently but it scares the crap out of me:

[JuniperLea]

1. Dear Lord!

I hope that's the lower edge... not the northity north north north part that is supposed to be permanently frozen solid with no waterways showing at all!

[karlrschneider]

9. Back up the URL, there is a lot of other stuff

http://www.arctic.noaa.gov/gallery_np.html

[lvx35]

2. Crap 1.0 C?

So its not freezing on the North Pole, what's up with that?

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

4. That's about normal for the middle of summer.

[lvx35]

7. Sounds like something abnormal is happening.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=115x109082

[Whoa_Nelly]

6. From NOAA re: North Pole summer temperatures

Remember...Google is your friend!

http://www.arctic.noaa.gov/np2003/gallery_np_tour.html
(has pics from the webcams, too)

[lvx35]

10. Some good information there about the warming.

http://www.arctic.noaa.gov/detect/global-temps.shtml

[supernova]

3. Did the webcam sink?

:scared: It looks like the camera is now on an iceberg.

[SarahB]

5. I hope not.

It's melty. :scared:

[scarletwoman]

8. Could you shrink your pic a bit? (having to scroll sideways to see all of it). Yes, be scared.

On my way home from work NPR had a news story about how right now is the LEAST Arctic sea ice EVER observed -- and the melting season still has a month to go.

The ice at the top of the world is melting, unless there is some abrupt and dramatic change, a summer will come when it ALL melts.

:cry:

By the way, THANKS for sharing your discovery of this webcam! And thanks for the pic, even if it is humongeous! ;)

sw

[karlrschneider]

11. Sorry about that, I hotlinked to it (hey we pay for it, right?)

Try this one
http://www.arctic.noaa.gov/gallery_np.html

[scarletwoman]

13. Thanks!

[Az]

12. The thing that makes me sick is that we see the end of the world and corporations see opportunities

I am reminded of the villain in the movie the 5th Element. He was trying to bring about world wide destruction because of the business opportunities it represented.

[scarletwoman]

16. Oh man... I'm looking forward to all the military posturing over mineral claims & sea lanes.

Ya know, this is so NOT the kind of world I ever expected to live in. The optimism of my 60s youth (graduated h.s. in 1967) has been slow to sputter out completely -- and maybe it's just that I'm old and getting tired -- but, I'm pretty much thinking that things are just gonna keep getting shittier and shittier for the foreseeable future.

:(
sw

[karlrschneider]

18. I guess you noticed Russia sank therir flag onto the seabed up there

a few days ago...?
:scared:

[Az]

20. And other nations are currently looking to see if they have an undersea shelf connecting them

Everyone wants a piece of the new territory. Its kind of sickening.

[scarletwoman]

22. Sickening, for sure. On the other hand, we really can't avert our gaze.

We DO need to know what's coming down the pike so we can figure out how to deal with it.

sw

[scarletwoman]

21. Yep. And even before that, Canada staking some claims. I'll be rooting for Norway, btw.

Land of my ancestors. :D

skål!
sw

[karlrschneider]

23. Don't forget Denmark! (Greenland...??)

:eyes:

[scarletwoman]

24. Of course. But part of Norway lies within the Arctic Circle, I'm sure they won't sit idly by.

Go Norway!

;)
sw

[karlrschneider]

26. I hope Garrison Keillor gets a piece of the pie.

:D

[AnnieBW]

14. It's to keep an eye on Santa's elves

Make sure that they aren't painting the toys with lead paint.

[karlrschneider]

15. Or putting anti-freeze in the doggie treats...

:eyes:

[scarletwoman]

17. Sorry, almost forgot! k & r!

[karlrschneider]

19. I just wonder how long it will be until those cams are watching hurricanes.

:scared:

[rurallib]

25. Somebody has to ask

Where's the big guy?

[eShirl]

27. is that Yukon Cornelius out there in the distance?

look out for Bumbles