Free Republic

A sailing expedition to the North Pole to raise awareness of global warming has been forced to turn back, 590 nautical miles short of its destination, after the yachts found their passage blocked by large quantities of an unexpected frozen white substance. According to Arctic Mission’s website: A meeting of the four skippers was held led by Erik de Jong, with Pen Hadow present, and it was agreed further northward progress would increase considerably the risks to the expedition, with very limited scientific reward. The decision to head south, back to an area of less concentrated sea ice in the...

A group of climate change scientists were rescued by helicopter Jan. 2, after being stranded in the ice since Christmas morning. But the majority of the broadcast networks’ reports about the ice-locked climate researchers never mentioned climate change. The Russian ship, Akademic Shokalskiy, was stranded in the ice while on a climate change research expedition, yet nearly 98 percent of network news reports about the stranded researchers failed to mention their mission at all. Forty out of 41 stories (97.5 percent) on the network morning and evening news shows since Dec. 25 failed to mention climate change had anything to...

SYDNEY (AP) — A Chinese icebreaker that was en route to rescue a ship trapped in Antarctic ice was forced to turn back on Saturday after being unable to push its way through the heavy sea ice. The Snow Dragon icebreaker came within 7 miles (11 kilometers) of the Russian ship MV Akademik Shokalskiy, which has been stuck since Christmas Eve, but had to retreat after the ice became too thick, said expedition spokesman Alvin Stone. The Akademik Shokalskiy, which has been on a research expedition to Antarctica, got stuck Tuesday after a blizzard's whipping winds pushed the sea ice...

XXXXX DRUDGE REPORT XXXXX MON APRIL 21, 2003 09:03:36 ET XXXXX SARANDON MOVIE ON CBS FINISHES LAST PLACE IN OVERNIGHTS Outspoken anti-war activist Susan Sarandon hit severe ratings turbulence on CBS Sunday night with her original telefilm ICE BOUND -- landing last in overnight ratings and losing nearly 40% of audience levels from the previous Sunday on CBS. ICE pulled a frosty 5.5 rating/9 share in NIELSEN's 55 overnight markets. But it was in New York City where Sarandon hit complete bottom. At 9 PM in Gotham, Sarandon trailed even the WB network's BLACK SASH [3.5/5], with a 3.4 rating/5...

SARANDON MOVIE ON CBS FINISHES LAST PLACE IN OVERNIGHTS Outspoken anti-war activist Susan Sarandon hit severe ratings turbulence on CBS Sunday night with her original telefilm ICE BOUND -- landing last in overnight ratings and losing nearly 40% of audience levels from the previous Sunday on CBS. ICE pulled a frosty 5.5 rating/9 share in NIELSEN's 55 overnight markets. But it was in New York City where Sarandon hit complete bottom. At 9 PM in Gotham, Sarandon trailed even the WB network's BLACK SASH [3.5/5], with a 3.4 rating/5 share -- the lowest seen for CBS on Sunday night in...