WideWorld BULLETIN 7

News in brief

Denali fees to increase

The US National Park Service is considering raising the climbing fees for those tackling North America’s highest mountain.

To climb Denali, hikers currently pay $200 for a permit. But with increased mountain ‘traffic’, the Park Service has encountered increased expenses to maintain resources on the Alaskan mountain, as well as remove waste.

Insiders have suggested the fee might increase to as much as $500 to cover these costs, although there is likely to be an 18 month period to allow the public to respond.

Ice-free Arctic in sight?

A Cambridge University study has suggested that the Arctic will be ice-free in summer within 20 years.

The research, carried out by the Polar Ocean Physics Group at the university, used ice thickness recordings to predict a pattern. The team concluded that Arctic summers will be ice free in 20 years time and within ten years the North Pole could emerge as an off-beat summer sailing destination.

Head of research Professor Wadhams said: “The North Pole will be exposed in ten years. You would be able to sail across the North Pole and out into the Atlantic.” With striking findings such as these emerging, the reality of global warming is becoming ever more tangible. “The change in the Arctic summer sea ice is the biggest impact global warming is having on the physical appearance of the planet," Wadhams said.

Scotland seeks dark sky status

A bid has been submitted to mark a Scotland forest the first “dark sky park” outside the US.

The world’s only existing dark sky parks are across the Atlantic – in Utah, Pennsylvania and Ohio. But last week saw Forestry Commission Scotland submit an official application for Galloway Forest Park, in the south of Scotland, to be granted dark sky status.

Over the next six weeks, the International Dark Sky Association will assess the application. The IDSA aims to promote the avoidance of light pollution, but for tourists, the “dark sky” are famed for unparalleled stargazing.