Official figures from the National Snow and Ice Data Centre in Colorado released yesterday have confirmed that the Arctic Sea Ice has reached its summer minimum and is again one of the lowest levels on record, falling to 5.10 million square kilometers (1.97 million square miles) on September 13, 2013.
Though the minimum did not reach the 2012 record-breaking low of 1.32 million square miles (18% below the previous record) before the winter freeze sets in, it remains way below the 1981 to 2010 average. The announcement confirms yet again that there is a long term decline in Arctic sea ice extent.
Commenting on the latest evidence, WWF Polar Expert Rod Downie said;
“Far from showing a dramatic recovery, Arctic sea ice remains in decline. Less sea ice means less habitat for polar bears, and has huge implications for ecosystems and for people in and beyond the Arctic.
“Urgent action from governments and industry is needed to steer us off the course of dangerous climate change.”
Next Monday the United Nation's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change is due to release its latest report which will show that human acticity is actively contrributing to climate change.
The IPPC is currently meeting in Stockholm to finalize its latest report assessing the evidence for climate change and its causes. A total of 209 Lead Authors and 50 Review Editors from 39 countries and more than 600 Contributing Authors from 32 countries have contributed to the preparation of WGI AR5- Climate Change 2013: The Physical Science Basis.
The Report has already been widely trailed as concluding that man-made activities in the shape of burning of fossil fuels and deforestation have led to a warming of the entire globe, including land surfaces, oceans and the atmosphere.
Sulzer has launched a new global Center of Excellence (CoE) for Water Treatment Solutions - the CoE consolidates Sulzer’s wastewater treatment expertise in a unified and global manner.
“SAS (Surplus Activated Sludge) is a bit weird and 
Owen Mace has taken over as Director of the British Plastics Federation (BPF) Plastic Pipes Group on the retirement of Caroline Ayres. He was previously Standards and Technical Manager for the group.
PureTec Separations, the Ledbury-based water treatment engineering firm, has appointed Dan Norman as its new Sales Manager – Water Process Systems, supporting the company’s continued growth in the UK and international markets.
Hear how Scottish Water has completed its £235 million Ayrshire Glasgow Resilience Project - customers across Greater Glasgow, Ayrshire and East Renfrewshire will now benefit from a more secure and resilient water supply.
Hear how United Utilities is accelerating its investment to reduce spills from storm overflows across the Northwest.
Find out more about the remarkable career opportunities on offer at WSP - scroll down to watch the inspirational video.