The Mudflats

Treading on Thin Ice

There’s not much to add to this one, but I’m putting it first to get the bad news out of the way.

WASHINGTON – The Arctic is treading on thinner ice than ever before. Researchers say that as spring begins, more than 90 percent of the sea ice in the Arctic is only 1 or 2 years old. That makes it thinner and more vulnerable than at anytime in the past three decades, according to researchers with NASA and the National Snow and Ice Data Center in Colorado.

“We’re not set up well for summertime,” ice data center scientist Walt Meier said Monday. “We’re in a very precarious situation.”

Young sea ice in the Arctic often melts in the spring and summer. If it survives for two years, then it becomes the type of thick sea ice that is key. But the past two years were warm, and there’s more young, thin ice at the top of the world.

In normal winters, thick sea ice — often about 10 feet thick or more — extends from the northern boundaries of Greenland and Canada almost to Russia. This year, the thick ice cap barely penetrates the bull’s-eye of the Arctic Circle.

“That thick ice really traps ocean heat; it keeps the planet in its current state of balance,” said Waleed Abdalati, director of the Center for the Study of Earth from Space at the University of Colorado and NASA’s former chief ice scientist. “When we start to diminish that, the state of balance is likely to change, tip one way or another.”

Sea ice is important because it reflects sunlight away from Earth. The more it melts, the more heat is absorbed by the ocean, heating up the planet even more, said NASA polar regions program manager Tom Wagner. That warming also can change weather patterns worldwide and it alters the ecosystems for animals such as polar bears.

The Politics of Gossip

The appearance of the Johnston clan on the Tyra Banks Show raises some interesting questions, the primary one being, “What does this have to do with anything?”  The answer ought to be “Nothing.”  And after reflection on this, there’s only one thing here that tiptoes into the political realm, and it actually has nothing to do with Levi or Bristol or Merecede or their friends or family.  It has everything to do with Sarah Palin’s press people, and their weapon of choice, the pre-emptive press release.   This dastardly weapon has but one fatal flaw.  It always seems to backfire.  If you’ll recall the press release she sent out ripping Democrats for cancelling a meeting “to host their own press conference.” This is because she assumed they were doing so to criticize her.  They weren’t.  Their press conference had nothing to do with Palin. And then the Republican Senate President said she was lying about not only the press conference, but the meeting too?  Oops.

And now, yesterday, after seeing only the teasers for the interview between Levi, the Johnstons and Tyra Banks, yet another pre-emptive press release was launched in which Meg Stapleton on behalf of the governor, said that the Johnstons were appearing in no small part because of the money.  I believe the exact quote said that “in a quest for fame, attention, and fortune [they are] engaging in flat-out lies.”   Them’s fightin’ words.  You can imagine this press release as a big missile, you know the ones like you see in the bloopers videos where they take off in a streak of yellow flame, go up a couple hundred feet and then fall gently right back on to the launch pad and go Ka-Boom in a big fireball.   It was purposefully announced before the interview with Banks that the Johstons in fact received no money at all for their appearance.  Doh!  Remember, it’s best to fact check beFORE you talk to the press and accuse people of doing things for money that they’re not.

[Remember, if you comment on the "kids", keep it classy. I know you can!]

Speaking of Unsuccessful Missile Launches

In one of those Alaskany things where Alaskanism supercedes party affiliation, Mark Begich (D) and Lisa Murkowski (R) both added their names to a letter urging the president not to cut funding for missile defense.  The “Dear Leader” across the water has everyone a little nervous over here in the upper left corner, with his launching of a long-range ballistic missile the other day.

Pyongyang, which for weeks insisted on its right to the peaceful use of space, said it put a communications satellite into orbit that was broadcasting “immortal revolutionary songs” and anthems praising leader Kim Jong-Il.

Japan said the booster rockets fell harmlessly into the water, while the United States and Seoul said the launch had failed to get its payload into orbit.

Now, if I moved to North Korea, I’d really have something to blog about.   North Korea is a good touchstone for when I think that Alaska politicians are crazy.  At least none of them are launching The Alaska Flag Song into space.

Senator Joe Lieberman (ID-CT), along with Senators Jon Kyl (R-AZ), Mark Begich (D-AK), Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), Jeff Sessions (R-AL), and Jim Inhofe (R-OK) today sent the following letter to President Obama calling for full funding of U.S. missile defense programs:

The President
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, DC  20500

Dear President Obama:

We write to urge you not to allow deep cuts in U.S. missile defense programs that are critically important to protecting our homeland and our allies against the growing threat of ballistic missiles.

Secretary of Defense Robert Gates today announced plans to cancel or reduce such major programs as the Airborne Laser, Multiple Kill Vehicle, and the installation of additional Ground-Based Interceptor missiles in Alaska, and cut the MDA’s budget for Fiscal Year 2010 by $1.4 billion. Although we applaud Secretary Gates’ commitment to such capabilities THAAD and SM-3, these proposals would amount to almost a fifteen percent cut in the MDA budget and a major reduction in our missile defense portfolio—actions that we fear could undermine our emerging missile defense capabilities to protect the United States against a growing threat.

It goes on, and on, and on  HERE. (Danger Danger!  Link is to National Review!)

Employee Free Choice Act Debate

This should be interesting for anyone who wants to take a long lunch.

On Wednesday, April 8, from 11am to 1pm, the Alaska AFL-CIO and Alaska Chamber of Commerce will hold a forum to debate the Employee Free Choice Act.  Carl Shepro, a Professor of Political Science at the University of Alaska at Anchorage, will moderate the event.  Vince Beltrami, President of the Alaska AFL-CIO, and John Schmitt, an economist with the Washington, DC-based Center for Economic and Policy Research, will argue in favor of the Employee Free Choice Act.

Marc Freedman, a representative of the US Chamber of Commerce, and Rebecca Logan, President of the Alaska Association of Builders and Contractors, will speak against the Employee Free Choice Act.

Captain Cook Hotel, 939 West 5th Ave., Anchorage, AK.

Throw Mark Begich Some Mud Love

Apparently the Juneau Empire poll has been targeted again, the poor little thing.  The question asks if you think Mark Begich should resign his senate seat because of the whole prosecutorial misconduct thing in the Stevens trial.  My first question is WHY does the Empire even think this is a question, and my second question is, do you want to vote?  Of course, public opinion will have no effect on this, and it’s probably the most ridiculous and embarrassing request in a long time from our governor and the head of the Alaska Republican Party.  But if you just want to give a hand so we’re not on record for being embarrassing and ridiculous for years on end in the poll archives, lend a hand, would you?  I’m still hoping that some day we’ll be looked upon as not entirely crazy.   To help Alaskans save face, click HERE and scroll down.