Photo: The warming world

This map from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s annual Arctic Report Card, released Dec. 5, shows the hot spots of the northern hemisphere in red. “The Arctic is changing in both predictable and unpredictable ways, so we must expect surprises,” said Jane Lubchenco, a NOAA administrator, during a Dec. 5 news briefing. “The Arctic is an extremely sensitive part of the world and with the warming scientists have observed, we see the results with less snow and sea ice, greater ice sheet melt and changing vegetation.” Read more about the report card on Nunatsiaqonline.ca. (IMAGE COURTESY OF NOAA)