Global warming has revealed a route explorers have long dreamed of, and now you can take a cruise through it
Written by Alex Corey
We are all continuously bombarded with new measurements of how climate change is impacting us. Sea levels are rising, glaciers are melting, oceans are getting warmer, and storms are growing stronger. But now we have perhaps the most visceral example of how climate change is reshaping the globe – you can now take a cruise through the Northwest Passage.
The chance at a unique adventure might entice you, but the implications of the ability to sail to the north of the Americas are stark.
The quest to find the fabled Northwest Passage enticed many of the world’s great explorers, Lewis and Clark being the most famous of the bunch, but oh how quickly times (or more specifically, the weather) do change. In August, the cruise ship Crystal Serenity will embark across the Artic, and the ship needn’t worry about running into any ice.
According to newly released data from NASA, the Arctic had its lowest recorded sea ice levels ever observed. Sadly it’s not much of a surprise given that the last 13 years have seen the 13 lowest recorded ice levels. But it is nonetheless a dramatic reminder of the continued impact global warming is having.
The opportunity to sail across the Arctic, though the circumstances are far from ideal, is a magnificent one. The region is as close to pristine as can be easily found on earth, so to get to travel in luxury through the seas is really as much as one could ask. There is wildlife that can’t be seen elsewhere, not to mention a route that explorers long salivated over. And it’s still a relatively remote route as only 17 ships in total crossed the passage last year.
However, there is some irony to the idea of an environmentally focused cruise that is taking advantage of global warming and which poses its own environmental risks, though the same could be said of trips to Antarctica or the Amazon.
The reality is that travel across the Northwest Passage is bound to become more common in the coming years. The route offers a much faster connection between Pacific territories and Europe which is highly desirable to the shipping industry, despite the inherent dangers of the region. This is one of the perks of global warming, like expanded arable regions, that skeptics (see: delusional people) argue outweigh the negatives of anthropogenic climate change. The negative impacts clearly outweigh the advantages, but it nonetheless demonstrates the degree to which the world is being reshaped by climate change.
The post Climate Change is Redefining Your Vacation appeared first on HOP.