Photograph by Paul Nicklen National Geographic News Published
December 11, 2009 A decade ago, global climate change was
largely considered a problem for the distant future. But it
seems that future has come sooner than predicted. One of the
most remarkable, and alarming, environmental changes to occur
over the last decade is the melting of Antarctic ice sheets and
the recession of Arctic glaciers at speeds much faster than
climate change models had predicted, according to environment
experts. Studies suggest an ice-free Arctic could result not
only in a stormier North Pole region, but could also affect
weather patterns throughout the entire Northern Hemisphere. The
loss of ice would also be a death knell for polar bears, which
rely on ice to hunt and raise their young. But it would also be
a boon for business, including shipping and resource extraction.
Climate change has made itself apparent in other powerful ways
over the past decade. In southeastern Australia, a ten-year
drought now causes the Murray River