"Such a loss of Arctic sea ice has recently been assessed to set in motion powerful climate feedbacks which will have an impact far beyond the Arctic itself, " Sommerkorn said.

CNN: Arctic ice to vanish in summer, report says

And as ever in the Arctic, exploring Svalbard beyond its somewhat scruffy settlements carries strong echoes of the past.

BBC: Drawing near to the North Pole

Yet the melting Arctic will have geostrategic consequences beyond helping a bunch of resource-fattened countries to get fatter.

ECONOMIST: The melting north | The

Although few humans live in the Arctic, the disappearance of this ice cover can have effects far beyond the few residents and the wildlife of this harsh region.

CNN: Polar bears resort to cannibalism as Arctic ice shrinks