This is classic. The reporter has information which should be allow him to understand, but he is conditioned to do nothing but drool.
Heavier than expected ice in Arctic waters off Alaska will likely delay until August Shell’s long-anticipated exploration drilling in the Chukchi and Beaufort Seas, a company spokesman said on Friday. Shell, which wants to search for oil in what are considered remote but promising frontiers, had planned to start the wells this month, said Curtis Smith, a company spokesman in Anchorage.
Sea ice is “the number one reason we won’t be drilling in July,” Smith told Reuters. “At this point, we’re looking at the first week of August.” While sea ice cover is sparse in most of the Arctic, ice off Alaska is thicker than in recent years, and that ice is melting fast, according to the US National Snow and Ice Data Centre.
Obviously the ice is not melting fast. That is why the drilling is delayed until near the end of the melt season. As far as the sparse ice cover in most of the Arctic goes, what is he talking about? The Arctic is covered with ice from one end to the other.
“The Arctic is covered with ice from one end to the other”
East-West it’s not. So which end are you referring too?
Andy
I thought every direction was south from the north pole?
Shouldn’t you use something more recent?
http://nsidc.org/data/seaice_index/images/daily_images/N_bm_extent_hires.png
More recent than July 10?
Oops… See what happens when I don’t have coffee? I guess that makes more sense than Oct 7 2012.
“sparse” is a misnomer, but the area / extent is currently at record (or near-record) lows. As for Shell’s claim, it’s wise to consider the source – a Shell press release. They have a vested interest in spinning any delay as a consequence of ice conditions. An additional factor is that their safety barge is not up to scratch and has not yet been certified for use. Until that’s fixed, they won’t get a drilling permit, no matter what the ice looks like.
http://www.adn.com/2012/07/06/2533701/shells-ice-class-barge-still-lacks.html
Steven, I really wish Shell hires you as adviser. They would immediately stop all business in the Arctic, because it’s covered with ice from one end to other and that even mostly year round. Who the hell told them the opposite?
North slope oil was developed during the ice age scare of the 1970s. What is your point?
Looks like the less ice is in the Arctic the more it is feared. Who has changed their mind?
Are you ready to bet on a record minimum?
These “journalists” have style sheets, which instruct them on how to present their stories. Whenever they have to report something that conceivably is counter to their “progressive” metanarrative they must put in some kind of caveat, which reinforces the metanarrative. That’s why phrases like “it’s worse than we thought” are so ubiquitous. For the warmists the idea that the polar ice caps are catastophically melting down must never be undermined as it’s central to their warmist dogma.
this arvo on ABC national radio in Aus we were again informed the arctic ice is close to an all time record absence,now I could try??? to post current evidence that that statement is crap, but amazingly info like that never seems to make it into accepted comments..
gee I wonder why?
ABC being govt subsidised and having a definite warmist only agenda and all..