Arctic Sea Ice Melting Fast or Not?

There appears to be nothing on the NSIDC Web site about this report in today's Seattle Times:

Scientists at the National Snow and Ice Data Center say strong, southerly winds from the North Slope have devoured a huge swath of Arctic ice larger than the state of Texas in the heart of the Beaufort Sea.

Combining that loss with the overall decline in sea ice in recent years should leave this year's end-of-summer Arctic ice pack close to its lowest measurement on record.

Since the latest NSIDC report was released on Friday, August 1, the graph has been updated to show a straight-line decline in Arctic ice extent that is faster than the mean rate. On the graph as of August 1, the line was curving up toward the mean very slightly.

At "The Chryosphere Today," there doesn't appear to have been a change in the rate of melting.

My quick Google news search for National Snow and Ice Data Center turned up only the Seattle Times article with the claim of faster melting. For example, the Barents Observer today summarizes the NSIDC report of August 1, which does not support the statements in the Seattle Times article.

So, is the ice disappearing at a faster rate, or what?

Seattle: The Nanny City

Is there any point at which the residents of the Seattle Soviet will say "stop"?

Soon, they may have to pay extra so their table scraps can be recycled:

Seattle residents could see a 29 percent increase in garbage rates and an 18 percent increase in water rates next year. Seattle Public Utilities says rates need to go up to keep up with inflation and rising fuel costs and pay for a new table-scrap recycling service.

****

The bill a single-family home would pay for garbage collection each month would increase close to 29 percent, from $23 in 2008 to $29.65 in 2009, which would include a new weekly collection for food scraps.

The city will require all single-family homes to sign up for the new food recycling service in April 2009. If approved, the garbage rate would go up on March 31.

Maybe their nannies at city hall believe too many people let their pets enjoy the scraps. It's not good for Fido, you know.

Arctic sea ice melting at average rate

The latest report shows why the news media are being fed stories of ice shelf collapse rather than sea ice melt:

August 1, 2008
Race between waning sunlight and thin ice

The Arctic sea ice is now at the peak of the melt season. Although ice extent is below average, it seems less likely that extent will approach last year’s record low.

The pace of summer decline is slower than last year’s record-shattering rate, and peak sunlight has passed with the summer solstice.

There is still a chance for the global warming alarmists to bray about the actual sea ice conditions in the Arctic, but time is running out this year.