[cogitator]

Or it could just happen from decreased solar output like what happened during the Little Ice Age.

Yes, it could. Gentlemen, place your bets...

[dirtboy]

The sun holds the cards on this one. Sol's a bit bigger and more energetic than I am.

[Brad from Tennessee]

This site monitors Arctic Sea ice via satellite on a daily basis. It provides images, graphs and records:



http://arctic.atmos.uiuc.edu/cryosphere/