This extraordinary picture from National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has many scientists worried as the latest sign of climate change. These are estimated 35,000 pacific walrus ashore on a beach in north-west Alaska. As mammals, walrus cannot swim indefinitely so they use their tusks to “haul out,” or pull themselves onto an ice floe or rocks. However, the loss of sea ice has left them effectively stranded.
The photo was taken five miles north of Point Lay, an Inupiat Eskimo village 300 miles southwest of Barrow and 700 miles northwest of Anchorage. It was taken on September 27th as researchers traced walrus. Female walrus give birth on sea ice and use ice as a diving platform to reach snails, clams and worms on the shallow continental shelf.
As temperatures warm in summer, the edge of the sea ice recedes north. Females and their offspring ride the edge of the sea ice into the Chukchi Sea. However, sea ice has receded now beyond shallow continental shelf waters and into Arctic Ocean water. The problem is that depths at that location exceeds two miles — a depth that walrus cannot dive to the bottom.
The World Wildlife Fund’s head of Arctic programs Margaret Williams says that the gathering show extreme environmental changes occurring wit the loss of sea ice. The comparison is with the plight of polar bears in the changing Arctic.
Source: Independent
If you don’t like science then drift over the ice to Scientology.
Bill, The last sentence in your 8:43am comment speaks for itself. But, I realize your main target was condescending to me. The indigenous people just had to take the hit for you to do so. And, the lemmings who believe everything can be intelligent. Our president is maybe the most intelligent president of all time, certainly in my lifetime. He does and says some pretty stupid stuff, and he lies as well. The scientists who came up w/ phrenology, eugenics, blood letting, etc. were all intelligent and many who believed what they had to say and do were also intelligent. Can we agree that science is NEVER settled. Because, if not, then there’s no use wasting my time or yours. And, where the hell does that 99% come from. You can’t get 99% of ANY GROUP to agree on ANYTHING. So that pulled out of the air 99% figure some throw out is a lie on its face.
According to Arctic Zoologist Susan Crockford walruses have been beaching themselves for at least the last 45 years as recorded in wildlife studies, regardless of high or low sea ice levels.
“As you can see, this is blatant nonsense and those who support or encourage this interpretation are misinforming the public,” she said. “Walrus numbers are up considerably from the 1960s, although they are notoriously difficult to count. Population sizes may fluctuate for a number of reasons that have little to do with the low ice levels.”
Crockford notes that recent episodes of mass walrus beachings — which occurred in 2009, 2011 and 2014 — did not coincide with the lowest levels of Arctic summer sea ice. These lowest levels occurred in 2007 and 2012″.
@Nick – ROFL – “settled scientologists”, “Al Gore” “Louis Farraken”. That is what constitutes an “open mind”? It should have been obvious that I was not ridiculing indigenous people.
Everyone is entitled to their opinion. It appears that you may have settled the question on the side of the 1% – and that is exactly your right. Please do shout it our as much as you feel necessary. It also appears you may have also decided that anyone that does not share your disdain for the 99% view of climate science must be a liberal, led by Al Gore, a settled scientologist (that was funny) or whatever other angry association you feel is called for. After all, they just can’t be informed, have their own opinion or be considered intelligent enough if their opinion differs from yours?
Louis Farrakan believes in Global Warming. He just thinks it’s racist too.
Weather is cyclical. Go to the Utah canyons. The rock strata shows where that currently arid region was an icecap, ocean, jungle, over the span of the earth. Dinosaurs roamed the area. Al Gore is your leader. ‘Nuff said.
BillW, A 5th grade reading of what I said 3 times shows I DO NOT KNOW what indigenous people have to say regarding this photos and walrus habits. But, you are now ridiculing them and scoffing @ what they may know compared to the “settled scientologists.” You bow @ the altar of “settled Scientologists and condescend to people who have lived off the land and sea for millennium. The condescension is what makes my skin crawl.
Don’tcha know, some people can “read” walruses.
I’m glad I am not the walrus.
The cascading effects of climate change are only going to widen.
@Nick – Other then ridiculing our oil industry Gulf of Mexico cleanup plans, I have made no specific comments supporting either side. That said, it is easy to predict the typical remedial “drill baby drill”, frack, baby frack responses to most environmental or middle east related posts.
As respects what “indigenous” people may know about walruses, apparently, I have been remiss in meeting with them for updates. Please regale us with your first hand knowledge on the subject along with the indigenous peoples’ ability to monitor and chart weather patterns on a historical and global basis.
maxcat, I’m being acerbic, which is my nature. I’m being curious, which is both my nature and profession. What boggles my mind is how so many allegedly smart people are not curious. I HAVE THE OPEN MIND. I want MORE INFORMATION. The people who buy stuff hook, line and sinker have the closed minds. Scientists have called phrenology and eugenics settled science. And, many people believed it w/ all their hearts. Science IS NEVER settled. So, anyone who tells you the science is settled is lying to you.
Nick, I realize your viewpoint. I also know that many who are now saying that they’re “not scientists” are saying that because they no longer can say they don’t believe. I actually don’t watch MSNBC, nor do I watch Fox. I do a lot of reading, on all available media, and I’m just glad I never had children.
Over and out. More later.
http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/climate-change-july-dec12-tribes_07-19/
maxcat, Are you a walrus whisperer? My profession was based on critical thinking. A plaintiff would say this horrible accident occurred and it has changed their life, making them unable to do the things that brought joy to their existence on this earth. I would be hired, and paid damn good money, to determine if that was true. Because you see, the plaintiff had a fiduciary interest. So, I would investigate both the alleged accident and alleged damages[injuries]. Would it surprise you that some people were dissembling?
Tell me ALL the information you know about walruses and weather patterns in northern Alaska. I am curious about this. As I’ve said twice, I would like to know what the people who live in the area have to say about this. The alleged smart folks are maddeningly incurious. But, they don’t see it. This is the secular religion for liberals. It fills some sort of void that religion fills for many. And, since this religion believes in the “settled science” of climate change, maybe they are the real Scientologists!
Nick – Nope, I’d never get that close to one. I just think that when every point of information that comes down the pike, from every source is immediately ridiculed, then someone isn’t keeping an open mind. Screw the polar bears and walruses, but I do become concerned when I read long term predictions for 50% of species from respected science journals, and warnings of warming from knowing scientists. It’s not all a political game.
Will be off line all day, but just to say I’ve read a lot to be a believer, and my readings are far deeper than the WWF, Daily Kos and Huffington Post.
Sigh…nope, no climate scientists said that the earth is getting warmer, and these walruses just decided to change what they have been doing since who knows when. NOAA and NASA are also wrong when they cite climate change concerns, as is the Pentagon, who are a group of Chicken LIttles claiming that the sky is falling. We’ll continue with the status quo; Oklahoma not wanting to pay for Hurricane Sandy but crying for relief for tornado damage, because “we’re in tornado alley”, and not realizing that the east coast may go under water, as parts of Miami and Norfolk already do in rain, and that the west coast will burn up. Congress, touting austerity and laughing at the idea of climate change because, “we’re not scientists”, will allocate no money to either help these, what will become more frequent, events, nor will it take any steps towards mitigation. We can all laugh it up, but something is happening, polar bears or not, and while each event might be chalked up to propaganda, there are some odd fellows joining the propaganda side. Once the military brass mention “climate change”, it’s hard to just laugh at Michael Mann or Al Gore.
Bill, Is this walrus photo, w/o any background information, shot @ the end of summer when ice is most scarce, “settled science” for you? Would you be interested to know what the indigenous people who know more about walruses than any scientist, have to say about this? Or, is the “debate over” the other oft used phrase used by the propagandists. This photo, this snapshot, all you need to know.
Paraphrasing the latest in GOP campaign messages:
Liberals want you to think that animals are important. Really? Walrus? Who needs ’em! Do you see anyone eating walrus around your area? No? So they can’t be too important, right! That ice melt just opened up new drilling opps for America’s job producing oil giants and now you and your 12 mpg SUV will be singing a happy song…..Science, schmience. There’s only one ‘good book’ and it ain’t no science book. Man caused climate change is a conspiracy of those America hating liberals and socialists!!! Drill, baby, drill, so we can all burn, baby, burn! I’m the GOP and I approve of this message…..
And what’s even more alarming is GOP will take more seats in the House and possibly grab the senate with this anti-science, low level information voter, base-excitable, almighty man spiel. And that spells even less action going forward.
Bingo! We have a winner/loser!.
Bill,
The bashing will begin soon enough–as well as the ridiculing of anyone who thinks that 99 percent of climate scientists know what they’re talking about.
Elaine referenced this last night. This is the end of summer. I would like to speak w/ the indigenous people who have lived in this remote area for thousands of years. If they were to tell me this has never happened previously then I will say it is noteworthy. The World Wildlife Fund[WWF] is only slightly more reliable than the other WWF, The World Wrestling Federation. It is the World Wildlife Fund I believe that has distributed the stupid photo of the polar bear balanced on a little iceberg. You’ve all seen it. For the uninformed lemmings, the photo says, “Ohhh, the poor polar bear has no ice and is going to drown.” Firstly, polar bears are built for swimming and can swim hundreds of miles. Secondly, the photo conveys to the uninformed lemmings that this is the last of the ice for the poor bear. There is no more ice. Of course, there is PLENTY of ice, and polar bears also live on land. They use ice as a platform to hunt. That polar bear could actually be poised on that small iceberg to lunge and kill one of these walruses!! But, this pain in the ass propagandist photographer is ruining the hunt and the poor polar bear is not going to eat today!
Have no fear, walruses apparently still live in the Gulf of Mexico according to oil company Gulf of Mexico oil spill clean up protocols.
Now let the bashing of 99% of the scientists begin……………….