North Pole could be ice-free this summer, scientists say
(CNN) – The North Pole may be briefly ice-free by September as global warming melts away Arctic sea ice, according to scientists from the National Snow and Ice Data Center in Boulder, Colorado.
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There are some positive aspects to the ice melting, he said. Ships could use the Northwest Passage to save time and energy by no longer having to travel through the Panama Canal or around Cape Horn.
“There’s also, or course, oil at the bottom of the Arctic Ocean,” he said. “Now, the irony of that is kind of clear but the fact that we are opening up the Arctic Ocean does make it more accessible.”
