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San Francisco, 5:56 AM
Sat Dec 26
18 posts in the last 24 hours
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This Summer the Northwest Passage Opens, When the North Pole Melts
The ice-clogged, impassible North Pole of yesterday is about to melt away this summer, and may be one of the first examples of economic benefit coming from global warming. When the Pole shrinks away, it creates a wide path through the so-called Northwest Passage, a treacherous and icy route between the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans. With more melting, ships will be able to get from one continent to the next without having to do crazy navigational feats around giant ice sheets. Shipping becomes cheaper and more convenient. And when it becomes a major shipping lane, nations who control the area are sure to get richer. More »