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.
The biotelemetry charts on the Catlin site are saved from a previous date or are just examples. They always start with and cycle through the same numbers so it is not live.
Ann said in one interview that they have to take a gun along for the polar bears so I believe they did. We made a trip once to the middle of nowhere and and stupidly didn’t bring a gun with us. The end result would make the most amazing beer commercial ever.
The competition is tightening.
Hareynolds and Pierre Gosselin are contenders along with Keith for Quote of the Week.
Hareynolds:
“The original Crusaders at least managed to leave behind the recessive allele for blue eyes. These poor sots will leave no trace.”
Pierre Gosselin:
“You know they’re in trouble when they start speaking like Barney Frank.”
It seems humor always manages to bob along in the wake of tragedy. I guess it helps keep us afloat.
I feel for the Catlin team. Has to be totally miserable and precariously unsafe. At this point, I’d be heading home — I will not think less of them if they do.
http://www.polarbearhunting.net/
The following list is recommended and mandatory:
Down parka with fur trimmed hood and down wind pants
Warm mittens, large enough for inner gloves, heavy woolen shooting gloves
Face mask and tinted snowmobile goggles (to avoid frostbite and snow blindness)
Fur hat with flaps that tie down around ears and back of neck. I use mine for sleeping also
The warmest boots made by Cabellas, Timberline or Northern Outfitters. Boots designed for extreme cold with insulated liners. EXTRA LINERS!
Heavy sweater or ski-jacket for around camp
Camp boots, easy to put on and pull off, for around camp
Pure wool or wool/polypropylene long-handle underwear
4 or 5 pairs heavy wool socks, 4-5 pairs thinner wool socks
Pair heavy wool pants and 2 heavy wool shirts
A down-filled sleeping bag rated for –40F and set of wool, long underwear for sleeping
Sharp knife and sharpening steel
High-quality binoculars
Soft-padded gun case for the sled
High-powered rifle with 30-40 rounds. (300 magnum with 220 grain bullets recommended)
In response to Kipper, I suspect most of the AGW types are quite happy to have folks die because they can’t afford to keep warm. It seems to be a common belief in the environmental movement that more of us need to die of to save the planet. I’ve seen some evil university prof type going on to agreeing audiences about how the planet needs to rid itself of at least 90% of the nasty humans infesting it.
This way we kill off the elderly (and presumabley less productive) members of society, and save our tax dollars that the gov’t would otherwise have to spend on their health care.
It’s a twofer! /sarc
“die of” = “die off” PIMF
Martyrs to the cause of AGW. I wonder what position the Vatican takes on AGW? Could canonisation be in their futures!
I don’t understand this. Doesn’t anybody remember how to dress and feed and travel in the Arctic any longer? These people dream about proper hot food. So what? Amundsen’s party actually gained weight on their expedition to the south pole in 1912. Isn’t pemmican and seal meat available any longer? The Primus corporation is still making the same type of kerosene cooker Amundsen used and it still works perfectly in extreme cold (I’ve tried it many times).
tty: “The Primus corporation is still making the same type of kerosene cooker Amundsen used “
Surely they decided not to use fossil fuels and took with them some of those Al the magnificent’ s windmills..
Sorry to be harsh, but ‘stupid’ is all over these people like white on rice.
It’s a pain to see the intellectual contortions in trying to explain thinning ice caught between -2C water and -40C air. So far their entire site’s nothing but a multimedia crap warehouse. Where are the charts scientific data?
Here’s a better chance for these pinheads to redeem themselves on the question of thinning ice: when I leave filled ice cube trays in my freezer for a month, where did the ice disappear to? I guarantee my fridge hasn’t been powered off…
Oh, I see ..perhaps somebody installed up there an automated defrost system. Who knows, perhaps they are trying it using microwaves from HAARP!
Nevertheless, the arctic has had a very “hot” winter and the average sea ice age has declined, again:
http://nsidc.org/arcticseaicenews/
hareynolds (11:00:26) :
The North Pole is the new Jerusalem, and the Warriors in the AGW Crusade have, like their forebearers, come ill equipped, dragging children.
I think it’s more synonymous with 40 years wandering in the desert, searching for the Promised Land.
By Friday, they will have lost their faith & started sacrificing snowballs in front of a James Inhofe bobble-head.
I own some shares in Catlin. I e-mailed them just now, for the second time, suggesting they call a halt.
I got no reply the first time, not hopeful this time, but will post anything interesting they have to say.
“Arn Riewe (09:08:04) :
From the NSIDC website 4/6/09:
Is this deja vu all over again?
From the NSIDC website 4/7/08: ”
I agree Arn. I will be watching Arctic ice this summer like I did last year. I’m pretty sure I’ll be seeing the same things said about every little move in the ice that I saw last summer. There will be high hopes in the posts made by AGW commenters that 2009 will surpass 2008–just like there was last year that 2008 would surpass 2007.
But the sun, the PDO, and a long winter is working against them. Their hopes are in that infamous ‘death spiral’.
The earth just will not do what they want it to do.
I really wish these poor deluded fellow human beings the very best. However, what a complete waste of money, time and resources. Hopefully they will not waste their lives as well in the name of a threat which does not exist…
Will they look at their situation objectively and get out now before its too late? I doubt it, their objectivity may be gone completely at this point. Will the BBC or others pull them out anyway? I also doubt it – a terrible story of human hardship and pseudo-martyrdom in the name of “The Environment” sells newspapers after all.
/cynicism off
the arctic has had a very “hot” winter and the average sea ice age has declined, again
Strange – a quick glance at the Arctic Sea Ice Extent chart shows 2009 extents >2007 extents across the range (with a couple of brief matches…)
Mystery!
GeoS (08:56:37) :
I expect they’re trying to survive on a modern “healthy” diet with no animal fat.
Well GeoS this might just answer your question.
http://www.catlinarcticsurvey.com/gallery_video.aspx?id=58
” Martin’s Snack of choice…
Calories vs Surface Area vs Taste vs Weight. Polar snacking has a number of variables when it comes to correct decision making. “
“tty (11:51:09) : I don’t understand this. Doesn’t anybody remember how to dress and feed and travel in the Arctic any longer?”
I get the impression that AGW has an element of living above reality in it. AGW is already doing it’s best to block out the real science of climate. So it follows that these 3 have suspended reality to an extent too. The ‘old way’ is wrong in AGW eyes. They seem to feel they have a higher, ‘progressive’, truth. But reality is biting them now.
Reality bites!
Why didn’t they just kayak up to the North Pole like those chaps last summer and then wait for the ice to come to them??
I don’t understand the need to measure ice thickness since the arctic is supposed to be ice free any day now. When it all melts in 5 years, 10 years, 30 years….when is it supposed to happen now??? Anyway, wait until it all melts and the thickness is 0 feet. A simple solution, no frostbite and they can wear their specialized arctic Speedo’s to measure.
tallbloke is right, some hot soup. Also some fresh, hot bread with plenty of melted butter because I’m sure their bodies are begging for fat. There is a reason Eskimos ate whale blubber.
In one post in the catlin blog someone say that there is a high noise from the stove or heater (?) in the tent. I’m no camper and have not idea if this is possible, but I remember these have a noise 😉 :
http://wiki.80-90.co.uk/images/Eberspacher-install-caravelle-under-seat.jpg
If they have that equipment they should have a lot warmer in the tent than outside. But that would be a lot of additional weight. Also Earth Hour will not compensate for the evil life gas, carbon dioxide, from the Eberspacher… 😉
Anyone know how the AGW faithful handle their dead? I assume cremation is a sin.
And this from Dr. “no ice” Meier “It could be several hundred thousand years ago the last time we were ice free, it was certainly seven to eight hundred years since we have had close to conditions like we have now,”
He is full of hot air. 1987 and 1817 are examples that prove this man needs to brush up on his climate history. See “The Top of the World: Is the North Pole Turning to Water?” by John L. Daly, at:
http://www.john-daly.com/polar/arctic.htm