Speaking of silver linings
One of the fun parts of reading climate change news over the last decade has been watching the oil companies' party line switch from "it's not happening" to "it's inevitable and out of our control."
I first saw reports of the latest news on November 3. The icecaps are melting about twice as fast as previously believed. This article manages to put a jolly spin on the news:
- With ice retracting, forests and tundra are likely to shift northwards, expanding prospects for industrial exploitation of natural resources. However, the report says the corresponding increase in carbon uptake by vegetation is likely to be outweighed by reduced snow and ice sun reflectivity, causing further warming....
- Reduced sea ice is likely to facilitate access to marine transport routes and open up more opportunities for offshore oil extraction.
No mention is made of the prospect for increased sales of sunscreen.