Something is happening

Skeptics of climate change say nohting is happening but I don't think so. One of the things I do when I go somewhere, if possible, is to ask older people of the place about how weather was like in their childhood and if things are changing. So far, every body asked agrees in that way. Anyway, I'm going to tell something that happened to me, my wife and our friends in December 2006. It was just some weeks before we began a journey to Lapland, Finland.

"Let's see, today is Monday and we begin the week badly. Our eagerly awaited journey to one of the most beautiful places we have been to has becoming one of the very first places in which climate change is showing its effects, or at least it's the way I interpret it. 

Two years ago we were in Rovaniemi. There a man aged in his mid-twenties and whose job was to prepare "safaris", told me that winter had begun unnormally: ice arrived later than usual and some weeks later it began to rain, which supposed that many places covered by ice became dangerous for walking. The same thing told me a ship attendant on the icebreaker Sampo in Kemi. That year, the ice sheet which covered the Botnia Gulf was one kilometer and a half shorter and of course it was thinner. About temperatures the assistant told me that they were enough warm: -4 ºC. The usual temperature in that moment should be -14ºC.

Two years later we go back the third time. We are departing next sunday, but the icebreaker staff has just confirmed me that there is no trip along the ice because simply there is nothing at all. It should be normal having 40 kms of ice in this moment but there is no ice.... no ice.... I can't believe it. The staff say that there have been  several of unsual warming weeks.... If there winters are becoming warmer I don't want to think how summers are going to be here....

Below I let you the answer of the crew. Later, get your own conclusions."

Dear Pedro

Unfortunately we are forced to cancel the icebreaker cruise on Saturday 16th of December due to the lack of ice. Normally the sea is frozen about 40km from the coast of Kemi in the beginning of December.

Now we have had several weeks exceptionally warm and windy weather here in Finland and there is no ice and snow because of it.

Instead of 4 hours cruise, which has been cancelled, we will organize the guided tour and lunch on Sampo.

Time: 12.00 - 13.30
Price: 30,- Eur/adult (15,- Eur/child under 12 years)
Incl.: guided tour on board and lunch (same lunch as you have chosen for the cruise)

Please let us know if you are interested to have a lunch on Sampo.

In case you want to cancel the whole Sampo visit, of course we will return the amount you have payed or compensate the difference of the cancelled cruise.

We apologize for this situation and wait for your contact.
Please acknowledge this message, thank you.

With best regards
Maija-Liisa Helistö

SAMPO TOURS