Northwest passage, northeast passage, its all the same now

"North police ice cap now an island"

For the first time in recorded human history, the Arctic is completely surrounded by open water, new satellite images reveal.

Using images from NASA, scientists at the University of Bremen in Germany have concluded that both the Northwest Passage over Canada and the Northeast Passage over Russia are now free of ice, making it possible to sail around the North Pole.

Bring on the reign of the north!

Al Gore killed the Neanderthals!

Add another theory to the list of why the Neanderthals vanished: climate change!! (Though the article seems to suggest that the 'period' in question was cold and dry -- huh? Neanderthals were cold-adapted, so I don't see why this should bother them.)