According to the latest report from the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), the near total ice melt in some parts of the Baltic, especially the gulfs of Bothnia and Riga, and the Åland archipelago, threatens the survival of the newborn seals there.
The Gulf of Bothnia, located between Sweden and Finland, is the northernmost region of the Baltic. The Gulf of Riga is found between Latvia and Estonia. The archipelago of Åland, part of Finland, is made up of 6,500 islands, also set between Sweden and Finland.
“Ringed seals give birth in mid-February and raise their pups in the first seven or eight weeks in caves formed on floating ice, while the pups put on enough fat to survive the icy ocean waters,” the WWF’s Baltic Sea biodiversity expert, Cathrin Münster, told Tierramérica.
“The lack of ice around the Åland islands and in the Gulf of Riga means that the seals born this winter don’t have that protection and surely will not survive,” she added.
With a weakened or insufficient ice field to sustain them, the seal pups are forced to swim in the frigid waters without the vital protection of a layer of fat, and they die of hypothermia and malnutrition.
http://www.ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=46382
Less than a year later :
http://balticreports.com/?p=9085
This winter, the Baltic Sea is freezing over very early due to record cold temperatures. Once again, WWF demonstrates that they have no skill at forecasting climate.
very good post.
Showing clear connection between a sloppy unscientific prediction and how it did not come to pass!
“Showing clear connection between a sloppy unscientific prediction and how it did not come to pass!”
doesn’t stop it from making headlines around the world and scaring people into supporting carbon tax and trade
Yay for you for admitting AGW is a sloppy prediction and won’t come to pass! You are cured!
The WWF should get back to phony wrestling. They’ve been wrong more times than the MET!
In the 80:s a lot of seals died in the baltic, as usual humans were blamed, it turn out to be natural causes, a flu, but due to this the greens were able to get into our parlament, now there are so many seals in tha baltic, that one can see them from the royal castle in Stockholm.
I was a WWF friend for 20 years, what a waste of money!
According to Scantours, who arrange holidays in the Aland Islands:-
“The Aland Islands lie in the so-called oak zone of Scandinavia, with relatively large elements of deciduous trees such as oak, ash, elm, maple and linden. The mild climate has contributed to an abundant flora and some southern European varieties of flowers. More varieties of vegetation can be found here than in any other part of Finland. ”
And the ferries run all winter.
http://www.vikingline.fi/timetables/timetables/timetables/
“And the ferries run all winter.”
Well normally!!
I didn’t know that the World Wrestling Federation is into global warming. What are they going to do? Start body slamming deniers?
The only group I dislike more than WWF is Greenpeace.
A pox on both their houses.