NOAA Scientists Say Arctic Ice Is Melting Faster Than Expected, By Doug Struck, Washington Post Staff Writer

The Arctic ice cap is melting faster than scientists had expected and will shrink 40 percent by 2050 in most regions, with grim consequences for polar bears, walruses and other marine animals, according to government researchers.

The Arctic sea ice will retreat hundreds of miles farther from the coast of Alaska in the summer, the scientists at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration concluded. That will open up vast waters for fishermen and give easier access to new areas for oil and gas exploration. It is also likely to mean an upheaval in species, bringing new predators to warmer waters and endangering those that depend on ice.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/09/06/AR2007090602499.html?wpisrc=newsletter