After the ice : life, death, and geopolitics in the new Arctic /

The goal of this book is to present an analysis and synthesis of the probable impacts of current climate change in the Arctic. In particular, this involves a drastic reduction in both the area and thickness of the sea ice; such changes affect the inhabitants of the Arctic, including humans, as well as raise a number of important geopolitical and economic issues. Anderson is a biologist by training with considerable experience in the Arctic and in editing scientific literature. His 17-chapter book is divided into six main sections: "People," "Ice," "Borders," "Animals," "Oil and Ships," and "Finale." The decreasing amount of sea ice (discussed in chapters 4-6) has raised the possibility that commercial vessels could transit the Arctic and link the Pacific and Atlantic oceans; this raises the question of ownership of the Arctic (addressed in chapters 7-8) and the dangers of shipping (chapter 14). The reduction in sea ice also increases the prospects of drilling for oil (chapters 12-13). This clearly written work raises in a single source many critical problems about the future of the Arctic. Includes 38 pages of reference materials and a small number of black-and-white maps. Summing Up: Recommended. Lower- and upper-division undergraduates and general readers. J. T. Andrews University of Colorado at Boulder

Anderson, a biologist and former editor in chief for New Scientist, was thrilled to see his first polar bear on his first trip to the High Arctic, until a colleague pointed out that the bear was starving to death. Endangered polar bears are emblematic of the drastic changes under way in the Arctic, but there are many more stories to tell about this land in flux. Anderson traveled far and wide, speaking with reindeer herders, hunters, and dozens of experts in diverse fields, piecing together the most panoramic picture yet of this crucial region. Delving into Arctic history, he offers fresh insights into the traditions of indigenous people and the consequences of Arctic exploration, colonization, exploitation, and pollution; and he is equally adept at parsing the growing international scramble for the Arctic's oil, gas, and minerals. With measurements from satellites and submarines quantifying the rapid shrinking of Arctic ice, Anderson joins the call to reduce carbon emissions to slow global warming. Inquisitive, cogent, and compelling, Anderson shares his findings, concerns, and fascination with this vulnerable place of profound and diverse beauty. --Seaman, Donna Copyright 2010 Booklist

For decades, scientists knew that the Arctic's summer ice had been slowly shrinking, but they did not anticipate that "an enormous area" would suddenly melt away in 2007: "Explanations kept changing as the Arctic sprang new surprises." Global warming in itself was not a sufficient explanation, nor was "Arctic Oscillation," fluctuating wind patterns that create changes in atmospheric pressure. Searching for answers, Anderson, former editor-in-chief of New Scientist magazine, travelled extensively in the region-"Svalbard, Alaska, Norway, the Canadian Islands and both Coasts of Greenland"-checking out a hypothesis that the Oscillation had formed thinner surface layers, which melt more quickly. Satellite pictures, combined with underwater submarine probes, tracked the motion of the ice over several summers, allowing scientists to "follow areas of ice as they moved. and track which ice survived," chart the effects of salinity variations, and more. Anderson also meets members of the Inuit community, traditional hunter- trappers who share "troubled stories" of forced relocations, efforts to preserve self-rule, and adapting to the realities of climate change. In this fascinating, insightful overview, Anderson asserts that the days of the "iconic big beasts of the Arctic" are numbered, but remains hopeful about the Arctic's uncertain future. (Dec.) Copyright 2009 Reed Business Information.