The Last Paragragh

More news on "global warming" , this sent to me by a friend, read in an unlikely publication, but as he says, "Found this fascinating. Buried in NYT Science section. First, it shows how naturally volatile temps can be. And, the last paragraph is very profound":

Warmer Times Down South

Scientists have discovered the remnants of elephant seal colonies in Antarctica near the Ross Ice Shelf, implying that the region's climate was warmer then than it is today. The finding may also have some implications for the future of the ice shelf itself.

Breeding grounds of southern elephant seals currently are found well north of Antarctica, mostly on remote islands in the Southern Ocean. The animals need access to open water, and the extent of pack ice around the continent is now too great.

Brenda L. Hall of the University of Maine and colleagues found seal skin, hair and other remains at several sites along the coast of Victoria Land on the Ross Sea. The finding, published last week in The Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, demonstrates that seals used to breed and molt there. They suggest that warming caused the pack ice to thin or disappear. Radiocarbon analysis dated the remains from about 250 years ago to more than 6,000 years ago. In particular, the seals flourished from 1,100 to 2,300 years ago, indicating a previously unrecognized period of unusual warmth in the region.

Many scientists are concerned that as the climate continues to warm, huge expanses of ice like the Ross Ice Shelf will thin and eventually disintegrate, even within this century. But if the new study is correct, the Ross shelf apparently survived very warm conditions more than 1,000 years ago.

Of course, nowadays, most of us don't expect to find real news, or even anything particularly interesting in the front section of the NY Times, unless it's something a fellow traveler has leaked to them on national security. But my less political family informs me that the Style section is often actually well written and informative, even for those not particularly interested in the subject. So I offer you one of the latest, most popular articles, in case you've missed it--- "What Shamu Taught Me About a Happy Marriage".

Perhaps the best way to read the NY Times, if you must, is back to front, which is kind of their world view--Bass Ackwards.