Update Aug. 15, 2017: This appears to be a media stunt to sail the Arctic ocean with the media hook of possibly sailing “even to the North Pole.” The leader of the crew has said: “The secondary objective is to sail as far north as the sea ice safely allows us, possibly even to the North Pole.” BBC reports the ship has set sail on its mission of heading toward the North Pole which current data says is not possible to cross in this sail boat. Pen Hadow sets sail for North Pole as Arctic ice melts
Via: https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/sailing-to-north-pole-will-have-to-wait-dkm95rtrd
Sailing to North Pole will have to wait
Pen Hadow, the British explorer, is today due to start a sailing expedition across the Arctic Ocean to highlight the effects of climate change, including an attempt to reach the North Pole.
The voyage will see Hadow’s Arctic Mission expedition, which will involve two yachts, traverse regions of open water that were once permanently blocked by pack ice.
This weekend, however, scientists said satellite images suggested the North Pole would remain inaccessible except by an icebreaker.
This summer has already seen the Arctic sea ice reach its fifth-lowest recorded area in July, falling to 3.2m square miles, about 610,000 square miles below the long-term average. Since then it has declined even further, reaching 2.3m square miles last week.
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Scientists warned, though, that despite the rapid melting of the ice there was unlikely to be access to the North Pole via open water for some years.
Professor Mark Serreze, director of America’s National Snow and Ice Data Centre, said the North Pole was still surrounded by nearly 800 miles of solid pack ice as of last week.
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Related Links:
Past failed polar treks:
NBC film crew stranded in Arctic on icebreaker 3 weeks ‘inclement weather’ – September 26, 2008
Report: Helicopter rescue possible for ship stuck off Antarctica
The Antarctic ‘research’ fiasco – ‘would you, could you, in a boat’? — Dr. Richard Tol mocks: ‘There has been a strong and statistically significant upward trend in climate-change-related public-relations disasters’
Media Glosses Over Irony of Global Warming Scientists Trapped in Antarctic Ice
Warmists trapped by irony off Antarctica
Alarmists stuck in Antarctica will probably be saved by a helicopter
Blizzard, ‘Damn Cold’ And Thick Sea Ice Thwart Latest Global Warming Research Ship Rescue Attempt!
Flashback 2004: UK’s Chief Scientist Sir David King declares: ‘Why Antarctica will soon be the only place to live – literally’ due to global warming — Fast Forward to 2013: UK Guardian global warming reporter says that the Antarctic summer is too cold for humans:
1969 New York Times: Princeton scientists worried that Antarctic ice would start a new ice age – 1969 Theory in NYT: ‘Ice ages start when a large section of the Antarctic ice sheet slips off the continent, and spreads to form an ice shelf as large as Asia and 600 feet thick. This ice would reflect back into space so much solar energy that the world would cool enough to start an ice age.’
Antarctic ice blocks ice breaker sent to rescue climate researchers trapped in — ice
Antarctic Sea Ice 26% Above Normal
Australian climate change professor Chris Turney of U. of New South Wales who warned about melting East Antarctic remains trapped in thick ice – Turney: ‘There is an increasing body of evidence, including by the AAE members, that have identified parts of the East Antarctic which are highly susceptible to melting and collapse from ocean warming’
Antarctic fiasco update: Chinese rescue icebreaker now also stuck in ice
