A NASA satellite image shows a minimum concentration of Arctic sea ice this year which occurred on Sept. 21,when the sea ice extent dropped to 5.3094969 million km2, the lowest extent yet recorded in the satellite record. According to UN and Canadian government experts, global warming is melting the Arctic ice so fast, a new sea route is opening up between the Atlantic and the Pacific -- and with it the risk of a territorial dispute between Canada and the US. Temperatures around the North Pole are rising twice as fast as in the rest of the planet. By 2050, they warn, ships will be able to sail around northern Canada for most of the summer.Dec 07, 2005

PHOTO: AFP