The Arctic sea ice is melting at an alarming rate. These pictures show the extent of the September ice cover for 1979 and 2007. The effect on the Earth’s climate can vary from more severe weather extremes to rising sea levels, loss of habitat for not only the animals that live in the Arctic but more importantly the indigenous people that call the Arctic home, and a probable slowing of the thermohaline circulation pattern (the “conveyor belt” mechanism that moves water around the globe.