What Ice??

Global warming (irrespective of what is causing it) does not mean "No Ice".

Heavy duty polar class icebreakers (like the Polar Star show in the OP) are essential components for polar duties (Arctic and Antarctic) whether it consists of icebreaking for commercial vessels, search and rescue, scientific research, international diplomacy, etc.

It's true, warming will leave less ice during the summer season and therefore less multi-year ice during the winter season. Even in light ice coverage, the ice still moves around creating hazards that must be navigated or minimized. Ice strengthened vessels will have a hard time dealing with all of the potential situations that they could encounter.

GP! My sentiment exactly.

If I was a cynic I might think BO shakes hands with his liberal treehugger base with his right hand while accepting money from oil interests with his left hand. the oil companies get ice free passage to oil and we get the bill but of course we need to spend so the Russians and Chinese don't leave us in the dust.

Funny how that works in today's "spin it up" politically correct mentality.

From #1:

"It's true, warming will leave less ice during the summer season and therefore less multi-year ice during the winter season." (Disclaimer terminology highlighted in bold that avoids any admission of the drastic ice formation gains made in both polar ice caps during 2014-2015 winter months.)

This phenomenon "Always has, and always will, happen".

What is "normal" for this natural cycle?

And how do we know that what is happening today with ice flows isn't "normal"?

Mother earth and nature does not ever operate in a perfect balance neither on a large scale nor on a small isolated scale.

Instead it constantly suffers dramatic swings and sometimes the swings are to the extreme limit(s).

I believe the earth cleanses itself by suffering through these extreme changes and will do so whether we like it or not and whether there are humans here or not.

I am mystified as to how we as humans are going to come up with a viable method to quantify what is human caused and what is a natural phenomenon.

I am even further mystified as how we frail humans are going to influence the outcome if we find out it indeed is a natural cycle of the earth.

I was told once upon a time in my past; "Identify, Adapt, Overcome, and Survive." so I am of the opinion that we as humans will do so or perish in large numbers.

thats just it. mother nature has a longer track record than politicians and their tax schemes I just laugh at the irony of saying ice caps are melting out of one of of the mouth and pleading out of the side for money for a billion dollar Icebreaker

Often I want to ask; "And which face am I talking to today?"

Why do you think they call it the Cold War ? Doh!

The only "The cold war" I know of ended last century approx 1991

No, it didn't. The media simply stopped reporting on it, but nothing really changed from an intelligence and foreign policy standpoint.

Both nations have and continue to spy and subvert the other's interests.

It's cheap compared to weapons of war....unfortunately we need both....

http://content.time.com/time/photogallery/0,29307,1912203_1913325,00.html

Got to keep the ice clear for Shell to drill. They can't fly large replacement parts like drill pipe in on a helicopter. It's part of that renewable energy scheme.

Did you hear the news today? The Chinese navy has decided to start playing games in the Bering Strait. Sounds like a good excuse to me for a good ice breaker to keep our navy running well up that way.

You say that I need to pick one or the other,,,,but I can't pick both teams (?)

We'll he sure as hell ain't fearless

And he ain't much of a leader neither.

Not much of a choice either way.