Arctic to be 'ice-free in summer'

The Arctic Ocean could be largely ice-free and open to shipping during the summer in as little as ten years' time, a top polar specialist has said. "It's like man is taking the lid off the northern part of the planet," said Professor Peter Wadhams, from the University of Cambridge. Professor Wadhams has been studying the Arctic ice since the 1960s. He was speaking in central London at the launch of the findings of the Catlin Arctic Survey. The expedition trekked across 435km of ice earlier this year. Led by explorer Pen Hadow, the team's measurements found that the ice-floes were on average 1.8m thick - typical of so-called "first year" ice formed during the past winter and most vulnerable to melting. The survey route - to the north of Canada - had been expected to cross areas of older "multi-year" ice which is thicker and more resilient. When the ridges of ice between floes are included, the expedition found an average thickness of 4.8m. Professor Wadhams said: "The Catlin Arctic Survey data supports the new consensus view - based on seasonal variation of ice extent and thickness, changes in temperatures, winds and especially ice composition - that the Arctic will be ice-free in summer within about 20 years, and that much of the decrease will be happening within 10 years. "That means you'll be able to treat the Arctic as if it were essentially an open sea in the summer and have transport across the Arctic Ocean." According to Professor Wadhams, faster shipping and easier access to oil and gas reserves were among short-term benefits of the melting. But in the longer-term, losing a permanent feature of the planet risked accelerated warming, changing patterns of circulation in the oceans and atmosphere, and having unknown effects on ecosystems through the acidification of waters. Pen Hadow and his companions Ann Daniels and Martin Hartley endured ferocious weather - including a wind chill of minus 70 - delayed resupply flights and starvation rations during the expedition from 1 March to 7 May. When I met them on the ice, as part of a BBC team that joined the pick-up flight, all three had lost weight and were evidently tired from the ordeal. The expedition had been blighted by equipment failures. A pioneering radar system, designed to measure the ice while being dragged over the ice, broke down within days. Another device to measure the water beneath the ice never functioned at all. A planet transformed The technical breakdowns forced the team to rely on hand-drilling through the ice which slowed progress and meant the team's planned destination of the North Pole had to be abandoned. Pen Hadow admitted that the expedition had not led to "a giant leap forward in understanding" but had been useful as an incremental step in the science of answering the key questions about the Arctic. His view was backed by Professor Wadhams who said the expedition had provided information about the ice that was not available from satellites and that no submarines had been available to science at that time either. Pen Hadow said he was shocked by the image of how "in my lifetime we're looking at changing how the planet looks from space." He also described how polar explorers were having to change their methods from the days when sledges could be pulled by dogs over the ice. "Dogs can swim but they can't tow a sledge through water which is what's needed now." "Now we have to wear immersion suits and swim and we need sledges that can float. I can foresee needing sledges that are more like canoes that you also pull over the ice." (my view)-OMG.....countries are going to be almost half under water(ie: half of the countries are going to disappear under water) and millions if not billions are going to die........and all they care about is more money and trading! WTF......they don't care about fixing mother but destroying her and us all! DEATH TO THE GOVERNMENTS!ACT NOW AND STAND UP AGAINST THEM AND SAY NO MORE!

Complete retirement 'bad for you'

Giving up work completely on retirement could be bad for your health, US research suggests. The study of 12,189 people found retirees who take on temporary or part-time work have fewer major diseases, and function better day to day. The findings were significant even after considering people's physical and mental health before retirement. The University of Maryland study appears in the Journal of Occupational Health Psychology. The researchers examined data on 12,189 people, who were aged 51-61 at the beginning of the study. The participants were interviewed every two years over a six-year period beginning in 1992 about their health, finances, employment history and work or retirement life. The researchers registered only medical conditions which had been clinically diagnosed, and took account of factors such as sex, education level and financial wealth. Mental health The participants also completed a basic mental health questionnaire. The findings showed that people who took on post-retirement jobs that were related to their previous careers reported better mental health than those who fully retired. However, no similar boost to mental health was found in people who worked in jobs outside their career speciality after retirement. The researchers believe this may be because retirees who take jobs not related to their career field may need to adapt to a different work environment and, therefore, become more stressed. Also, the results showed that retirees with financial problems were more likely to work in a different field after they officially retire. Temporary or part-time work after retirement was defined as bridge work. Researcher Dr Mo Wang said: "Rather than wanting to work in a different field, they may have to work. "In such situations, it's difficult for retirees to enjoy the benefits that come with bridge employment." The researchers suggest that, when possible, retirees carefully consider their choice of post-retirement employment. Dr Kenneth Shultz, who also worked on the study, said: "Choosing a suitable type of bridge employment will help retirees transition better into full retirement and in good physical and mental health." Professor Cary Cooper, an occupational health psychologist at the University of Lancaster, said: "All the evidence suggests that if your mental wellbeing is depleted it will affect you physically. "Conversely, if you are more positive mentally you are going to be much more robust and active. "And if you continue working after retirement often your status remains similar to that you experienced during your career, and as a result your self-esteem and sense of wellbeing will be enhanced." However, Professor Cooper said that sometimes making a clean break from a stressful job could be a good thing. In that instance, he said, the key was to ensure that you had hobbies to keep you active. (my view)-This is BULLSHIT.....what the government is REALLY saying is"We want old people to make us more money,we don't care if they drop dead aslong as they make us money"

Baby's body found at waste site

The body of a newborn baby boy has been discovered in a black bin liner at a Lincolnshire waste site. The baby's body was found wrapped in a heavily bloodstained cloth at the Greenstar Recycling Plant near Skegness on Thursday morning. A worker checking for glass in material brought to the site for recycling made the find, said police. A search is now on to trace the mother. Police believe she could be in urgent need of medical help. Detectives believe the mother may be from the Skegness area as household bins were collected in the town earlier in the week and delivered to the plant on Wednesday. However, officers are not discounting the possibility that the mother could have come from anywhere in the country. Police confirmed a failed abortion is not an option being considered. Traumatic birth Post-mortem tests have yet to determine the cause of death but an examination found the baby was not stillborn. The boy was white and DNA tests are being carried out to determine his nationality. Det Ch Insp Stuart Gibbon, who is leading the investigation, said: "At this stage we are investigating the death of a baby who was probably no more than two or three days old. "I think it's fair to say from the post-mortem (examination) that the birth was a traumatic birth and also that there was no professional presence when the baby was delivered. "It's perfectly possible that this woman or girl has given birth without anybody being there or with anybody who knew what they were doing." Police said part of the umbilical cord was in the bag with the dead baby boy, who had probably died this week. It is understood the infant suffered a number of injuries after death as a result of being put in the back of a dustcart. National search Also discovered in the bag were a woman's pair of tan-coloured jogging bottoms and a pair of pants. All the items were heavily bloodstained and the body was wrapped in a second bag which had been used to hold toilet roll, police said. "The most important thing for me is for the mum to come forward," Det Ch Insp Gibbon added. "There's no question that she will be distressed and in need of urgent medical attention and this is a direct appeal for her to contact us so we can hopefully get to the bottom of what has happened." Police said they were doing checks with hospitals and doctors' surgeries as well as with the NHS nationally. The recycling site is on an industrial estate near Skegness and handles both commercial and local authority waste. Greenstar said it had no comment at this time.(my view)- my guess is the girl didn't want an abortion but to keep it then once had it had second thoughts and murdered the baby.....the police should find and kill her.....A LIFE FOR A LIFE!

Couple's home hit by space metal

---The metal was originally thought to have fallen from an aircraft---- A couple from Hull have been told that a 4lb (1.8kg) chunk of metal which smashed through the roof of their home may have come from space. The RAF investigated the unidentified falling object after it landed in Peter and Mair Welton's loft in July. It was not known where the metal had come from but it seemed likely that it was "space debris", investigators said. The RAF Flight Safety Branch said it was the only incident of this kind it had dealt with for five years. Consulted with NASA The RAF investigate all objects falling from the sky in case they originate from an RAF aircraft. It was initially thought that the metal may have fallen from an aircraft but tests revealed it had not come from a plane. The investigating team consulted with the European Space Agency and NASA before concluding that the metal was "consistent with space debris", the RAF said. An RAF spokeswoman said: "In the last five years the RAF has become involved in only one incident involving suspected space debris. "If requested the RAF will investigate incidents of space debris but they do not have a standing remit to do so."(my view)-space metal......was it from a rocket that was man made(or other man made object in space) or other ie:from another planet metal?...don't you wish they would tell us? instead of keeping us in the dark........yes its a long shot that its alien...but still!