Arctic ice melt speeding up

The Arctic ice cap is melting faster than scientists had expected and will shrink 40% by 2050 in most regions, with grim consequences for polar bears, walruses and other marine animals, according to government researchers.

The Arctic sea ice will retreat hundreds of miles further from the coast of Alaska in the summer, the scientists at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said Thursday. That will open up vast waters for fishermen and give easier access to new areas for oil and gas exploration. It also likely will mean an upheaval in species, bringing new predators to warmer waters and endangering those that depend on ice.