Scientists turn spotlight on world's poles

After reading junkscience.com and getting utterly frustrated, it's great to find an article about cooperation between countries in an effort to figure out how global warming is affecting the north and south poles.

Scientists formally kicked off the International Polar Year on Thursday, the biggest such project in 50 years. It is unifying researchers from 63 nations in 228 studies to monitor the health of the polar regions, using icebreakers, satellites and submarines. The project ends in March 2009.

It is predicted that ice in the Arctic will melt completely within the century, which will have effects on much of the world. Even if not all the leaders of this project believe that the results of global warming on the polar climate will be this drastic, it is important that so many scientists believe that this is such a pressing issue.

To kick off the event and raise awareness, teachers in schools around the world created ice-related activities for their students to participate in. Even though this fact is barely mentioned in the article, I think it's pretty important because, you know, children are our future.