This week, a massive, luxury cruise liner departed from Anchorage, Alaska, on the first leg of a 32-day cruise through the Northwest Passage. More than 15 years ago, scientists found ecosystem around
Aleutian Islands had completely shifted. A small rise in water temperatures had triggered collapse of plankton and krill populations, resulting in domino effect up the food chain, until the seals, and then the otters, were gone. The sea urchin population exploded, destroying the kelp beds, which, in turn, had housed food for seabirds and other animals.“All of this change has the possibility to impact food security.”… more than a dozenfull-fledged hurricanes between June and December.
…Black carbon — which, unsurprisingly, is emitted through the burning of dirty fuels — is black. It floats through the air and lands on ice. The black particles heat up in the sun. The ice melts with the warmth. The melted ice exposes the ocean (at sea) or darker ground (on land) below, which heat up in the sun. More ice melts…Crystal Serenity passengers, who paid upwards of $40,000 for the cruise, and will pay an addition $600 for the day trip, will fly from the ship to Shishmaref for a “Study in Global Warming.”

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