"Retreating Ice"

While indelibly connected with the plight of the polar bear, the ramifications of global warming in this neck of the woods extends to many, if not most other arctic species - including resident humans:

FAIRBANKS — Alaska will see a warming trend of 10 degrees or more this century if current levels of greenhouse gas emissions continue, along with shrinking lakes, higher rates of wildfire and increasing permafrost melt. That’s the conclusion of a draft report by the U.S. Global Change Research Program, which includes the work of several University of Alaska Fairbanks researchers. - Fairbanks Daily News-Miner

And here I thought the most depressing thing about spring (besides the wild temperature swings from thirtysomething-above to twentyish-below at night) was already drawing cartoons in April in advance for the upcoming winter season.  But humans aren't terribly good at thinking [sic] much farther ahead than the immediate future.