These deaths are the equivalent emergency to Russia as the Polar Bears are to the USA and Canada. I remind, Russia recognizes Kyoto already !
What is going on with walruses in the Chukchi Sea? (click here)
1. Long swimming trough rough ice free sea is severe trail causing death of young and old or sick animals. Local hunters often observe absolutely exhausted animals coming ashore.
2. On coastal haulouts walruses are extremely crowded. In contrast to haulouts on ice coastal ones are often featured by “layering” when some walruses occupy slopes above others (see fig. bellow). This situation extremely increases mortality of animals during panics.
In addition to the above factors outstanding concentration of considerable part of the population leads to overpressure on its feeding base. In contrast to current situation, in the past walruses having ice platforms utilized randomly almost the whole shelf zone of the Chukchi Sea....
WWF says walrus deaths in Russian Far East due to natural causes (click here)
14:55
18/ 08/ 2008
VLADIVOSTOK, August 18 (RIA Novosti) - The World Wildlife Fund said on Monday that over 800 walruses found dead 10 days ago by border officials in Russia's Far Eastern region of Chukotka probably died of natural causes.
The carcasses were found on the coast of the Chukotka Peninsula near the Chegitun River on August 8. Officials had said they believed that the walruses were slaughtered by poachers for their valuable tusks in late July.
However, experts with the WWF's Polar Bear Patrol project said: "It is extremely difficult to hunt so many walruses on ice and it would be strange to bring the bodies to the shore."
"It is clear that border guards found remains of walruses that died last autumn," the WWF said on its Web site. "Most probably the animals died during long swimming through rough ice-free sea, from drifting ice to the mainland coast," or due to over-crowding in coastal haulouts, the statement said....
These are battle cruisers?
Below are the USS Polar Seas and Polar Star. Only one is seaworthy.
The Bush White House is lying about the security of the USA. We do NOT have the military clout this Executive Branch boasts about. Bush is promising a lot more than he could ever deliver. There won't be any security in the Arctic Ocean for 'American Oil Interests.'
Attempts to test American 'protections' for Arctic Ocean exploitation was even backed by the British last year when their submarine sprung a leak forcing the vessel to the surface.
The Arctic is different terrain even with an ice free surface. The conventional means of warfare isn't 'fitted' for Arctic environments.
U.S. losing ability to patrol Arctic's icy waters (click here)
12:00 AM CDT on Sunday, August 17, 2008
...The need for new Arctic icebreak¬ers almost surely will be included in the service’s report (click here). The Healy, commissioned in 2000, is one of three Arctic icebreakers, only two of which are in operational status.
The Polar Star and Polar Sea, the other two icebreakers com¬missioned in the 1970s, need mil¬lions of dollars in maintenance and repairs.
The Polar Sea’s life expectancy was extended to 2014 thanks to a major overhaul in 2006, but the Polar Star has been laid up for at least two years and requires 12 to 18 months’ lead time, as well as an estimated $60 million for a “significant overhaul,” before re¬turning to full operational status....
Lat/Lon :: 58.8° N 137.0° W
Local Time :: 8:31 AM AKDT
Elevation :: 0 ft / 0 m
Temperature :: 52 °F / 11 °C
Conditions :: Overcast
Humidity :: 94%
Dew Point :: 50 °F / 10 °C
Wind :: Calm
Pressure :: 29.66 in / 1004 hPa (Falling)
Visibility :: 10.0 miles / 16.1 kilometers
UV :: 0 out of 16
Clouds:
Few 2000 ft / 609 m
Overcast 4000 ft / 1219 m
(Above Ground Level)
