From the Catlin web site today –
Hypothermia Posted by Gaby Dean
Monday, 06 Apr 2009 15:58
In disadvantaged inner cities it’s known in medical circles as Urban Hypothermia. GPs adopted the term after seeing an increase, during winter, of elderly patients who have switched off their heating, fearful of the cost, and become ill as a result because of the cold.
Chronic, as opposed to acute, hypothermia is the official term.
The Catlin Arctic Survey Team have now been working in temperatures of below -40 degrees centigrade for more than 30 days. When the three (Pen Hadow, Ann Daniels and Martin Hartley) leave messages on the TVM – a machine that records the messages they phone into London HQ – their voices often sound slurred and they occasionally muddle their words.
Extreme cold affects the senses and everyday skills we usually take for granted, like speaking. According to CAS medical adviser Doc Martin, the team are constantly battling chronic hypothermia, which was to be expected. (Pen Hadow has described it as an ‘occupational hazard’).
“Chronic hypothermia affects people who are under-nourished, physically and mentally tired and not sleeping well”, says Doc. “You can see the connection between vulnerable elderly people and the physical and mental condition that Pen, Ann and Martin are in”.
Weather
 -35°C |
Perhaps they are preparing to come home? They are 15 km further from the pole today (722.28 km) than they were yesterday (707.83 km) and according to satellite data, temperatures have been running below normal for the last two and a half months.
And from the NSIDC web site today – It was a warm winter in the Arctic. No doubt the Catlin crew will be relieved to hear that.
Discover more from Watts Up With That?
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
In an earlier comment on this expedition someone provided email links to the sponsors and suggested we write to them. I emailed all the addresses containing the letters UK, asking the sponsors to bring the three home before any of them suffered permament damge to their health. So far I have not had a reply from any of them.
NASA is coming up with all of these alarmists studies rushed out to justify their budgets under the Obama knife. Did you see what they did to Defense Spending?
I’m assuming there’s something wrong with the eqipment but note Pen Hadows core temperature. It’s a bit low, below 35 centigrade for the past few days
http://www.catlinarcticsurvey.com/live_from_the_ice.aspx
Typical just as I write this it starts to increase
The Caplin Crew clearly ilustrate the difference between raw courage and blind stupidity.
I nominate KEITH’S quote for ‘Quote of The Week’.
Struck the right tone. Sober compassion with a soupcon of macabre humor.
(Well. “I” thought it was funny ;-D )
” I hope they make his fantasies a reality and get them out of there before they have to play Donner party in the snow and ice. “
And if someone should die before they get pulled out, who’s going to accept responsibility for the tragedy? The WWF? Prince Charles?
Rhetorical question.
It’s a mission, a crusade if you will, in support of a belief system. Should anyone die they will be praised for the heroism of their actions in the quest for ‘The Truth.’
Sad.
They are idiots pure and simple.
Perhaps they will reap the benefits of their folly.
My sympathies are extremely limited.
Steve: I would not expect polar bears in their location since there do not appear to be seals nor open water. I wonder about polar bear ranges-anyone know?
Excuse me for the ot, but i think is important for soho sat…
http://72.14.221.132/translate_c?hl=it&sl=it&tl=en&u=http://daltonsminima.wordpress.com/2009/04/07/appello-a-tutti-i-lettori-nia-soho-ha-bisogno-del-nostro-aiuto-votate-numerosi/&prev=hp&usg=ALkJrhiT_quXTVzKd93rC5DVUTBa2u2gUg
Sean,
Martin blogged that he can think of a thousand things he would rather be doing.
That’s living?
Everyone on this thread.
These people have modern equipment and I believe you are all falling for hyperbole and exaggerated pathos.
We live in a generation where ideas are not communicated via objective reports, but with DRAMA!.
Except for the danger of polar bears, (and I don’t know about the risk level on this one) these guys are fine and just whining a lot about their hardships.
Real explorers do not whine and complain.
This is a media circus.
This is for show.
These people are suffering for our sins.
We must view them as saints.
It is ordained.
jeez,
I’ve been backpacking in -30C weather and can guarantee that these people are not whining.
More like “keeping a stiff upper lip” in the face of sever hardship. A long tradition for Brits, and one that has been nearly lost. I admire their courage.
The mere fact that anyone could even imagine that these people are looking for evidence of global warming while suffering from hypothermia and frostbite should be proof that the apocalypse is just moments away.
Also, Squidly (“I think they have already started to die, they need to extract these people before they finish dying!”) beat me to it.
This is indeed a Crusade, in the very old, Christian sense.
The North Pole is the new Jerusalem, and the Warriors in the AGW Crusade have, like their forebearers, come ill equipped, dragging children.
Like the originals. this Crusade will end very badly.
The original Crusaders at least managed to leave behind the recessive allele for blue eyes. These poor sots will leave no trace.
I’d like to know how much this expedition is going to cost, how big a carbon footprint it’s going leave behind and the actual value of the data they are collecting.
I have a feeling the cost-performance ratio here will be astronomical. Zero bang for the dollar.
Ohhh but we are now living in Obama times! So who cares what it costs!
The expedition could perhaps yield some good data and information concerning extreme cold and hypothermia for medical purposes I suppose.
An old Russian proverb says:
There is no such thing as cold weather, just poor clothing.
You know they’re in trouble when they start speaking like Barney Frank.
If some of these guys dies, I am sure his or her death would be utilized by “The Prophet” himself for his cause.
I partly agree with jeez. Partly. They’re still in a bad environment with diminished alertness and concentration levels. Things can change from melodrama to genuine tragedy in a heartbeat in that environment, and I think that’s what most here are concerned about.
Pen Hadow’s core temp is just under 34°C right now – no global warming there. That’s in moderate hyperthermia range. He ought to think about jumping in the sack with his warmer companions.
Sorry about peppering with comments, but why didn’t they do this with snowmobiles or even dog sleds?
Seems to me they would have been far more productive that way.
Or is this just a big PR stunt?
I don’t get it. Why didn’t they start on the other side of the pole and let the drifting icecap move them closer to the pole every day, instead of farther from the pole.
Don’t these “scientists” know the prevailing direction of motion for the ice?
Oh, thats right, this is a publicity stunt, not real science. In real science you (1) formulate a hypothesis based on known Laws, theories, and DATA, (2) develop a plan to obtain additional raw measurable data, and (3) determine from the new data whether the formulated hypothesis is correct, incorrect, or needs modification.
All the AGW stuff is hypotheses stacked on hypotheses stacked on hypotheses.
Get these fools out of the arctic before their lives are lost.
Is there anyone else out there for whom this recalls John Krakauer’s “Into Thin Air”? It all sounds to me like being in the “death zone” above 8,000 meters. The same distorted thinking, etc. I agree with those who are saying that someone needs to take some responsibility here and go and get them out–they are not able to think clearly in this state.
Ok. Given their position and route, the polar bear risk looks extremely low. Back to my original assessment.
Pictures of polar bears right at the north pole:
http://www.komar.org/faq/churchill_polar_bear_tours/north-pole-polar-bears/
I’ll stand corrected on that one. The polar bear threat is real and I have no idea what these guys would do during an encounter, hypothermia or 100% fit. They have no vehicle to hide behind (about the only non-weapon defense that exists).
Arn Riewe (08:28:58) :
The reported progress of the expedition dropped by 23 KM from yesterdays and the prior days report. I think they have been estimating distance and performed a correction with some better data.
Actually they’re checking out the resupply airstip so that quite likely has taken them off course.
One curiosity for me is how they are getting enough power from batteries at -35C. You would think that the cold would have a terrible drain on battery power. It seems like they would require a lot to operate the sledges and communications equipment.
Checkout their website, it’s explained there.
http://www.catlinarcticsurvey.com/Perran_on_Power_Supplies_for_the_expedition