Media Matters: Tierney wrong on Arctic climate change and polar bears

New York Times columnist John Tierney made several questionable and inaccurate claims about Arctic climatic change and its effect on polar bear populations. In his August 7 Times op-ed, Tierney claimed that the Arctic was as warm in the 1930s as it is now. He also suggested that recent Arctic warming may benefit polar bears, noting that polar bear populations have increased as the Arctic has grown warmer. In fact, data show that current Arctic temperatures are higher than they were in the 1930s. Also, many scientists believe that Arctic warming, rather than benefiting polar bears, will actually destroy their habitats and reduce their food supply.

In his August 7 op-ed, Tierney claimed that "[i]n the 1930's, the Arctic was as warm as it is now." But the October 2004 Arctic Climate Impact Assessment (ACIA), "Impacts of a Warming Arctic," refutes this claim. According to the ACIA report (pdf Page 29), average Arctic near-surface air temperatures today are approximately 0.5 degrees Celsius higher than in the 1930s. The ACIA is an "international project of the Arctic Council and the International Arctic Science Committee (IASC) to evaluate and synthesize knowledge on climate variability, climate change, and increased ultraviolet radiation, and their consequences."