Giant chunks break off Canadian ice shelf
Cracks had been earlier found on Ward Hunt; ´more could go´ this summer
Giant sheets of ice totaling almost eight square miles broke off an ice shelf in the Canadian Arctic last week and more could follow later this year, scientists said on Tuesday.

In a development consistent with climate change theories, the enormous icy plain broke free sometime last week and began slowly drifting into the Arctic Ocean. The piece had been a part of the shelf for 3,000 years.

Temperatures in large parts of the Arctic have risen far faster than the global average in recent decades.

The ice broke away from the shelf on Ward Hunt Island, a small island just off giant Ellesmere Island in one of the northernmost parts of Canada.

It was the largest fracture of its kind since the nearby Ayles Ice Shelf — which measured 25 square miles — broke away in 2005.

Scientists had earlier identified deep cracks in the Ward Hunt Ice Shelf, which measures around 155 square miles. The shelf is one of five along Ellesmere Island in the northern Arctic.

"Because the breakoff occurred between two large parallel cracks they´re thinking more could go this summer before the freeze sets in," said Trudy Wohlleben of the Canadian Ice Service. "More could be a piece as large as the Ayles Ice Shelf."

Ellesmere Island was once home to a single enormous ice shelf totaling around 3,500 square miles. All that is left of that shelf today are five much smaller shelves that together cover just under 400 square miles.

Melting ice shelves don´t raise sea levels because they are already in the water, but their demise can speed up retreating glaciers, which do raise sea levels.

Sea ice, glaciers also shrinking
"The breakoff is consistent with other changes we´ve seen in the area, such as the reduction in the amount of sea ice, the retreat of the glaciers and the breakup of other ice shelves," Wohlleben said.

MSNBC

The single hair that could FINALLY prove the Yeti really exists!!

The tests showed the thick, wiry hairs do not belong to any of the most common wild animals known to live in the area.

Instead, they bear a ´startling resemblance´ to some collected half a century ago by Everest conqueror Sir Edmund Hillary.

Researcher Ian Redmond said: ´The hairs are the most positive evidence yet that a yeti might possibly exist. It might be that the region this animal is inhabiting is remote enough for it to remain undiscovered so far. We are very excited.´

http://www.mailonsunday.co.uk/sciencetech/article-1039150/The-single-hair-FINALLY-prove-Yeti-really-exists.html

..
´The hairs are complete with the cuticle, and between 3.3cm (1.3in) and 4.4cm (1.7in) long and thick and wiry and curved,´ he said.
OMG..

What a sudden interest in this hairy creature, thehandsom? Is that coincidence....?

Another tragedy
Afghan survivors tell of wedding bombing


http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/7504574.stm

Today in Amsterdam - still Gay Capital of Europe though Istanbul has the name wanting to beat the city - is the Canal Parade, a Gay festival like carnival on boats in the Amsterdam Canals. At the video you can see a little of it. BTW the headscarfed woman was not - as some might think - saying anything bad, just that she found some of the openly dancing gay men overreacting just like she finds the same from straight people acting the same.

Bad news is that at least 4 gay visitors were molested just before the parade started.

Gay Canal Parade