No this is not a joke or a hoax, although I wish it was. Last year sceintists predicted that by 2027 the North Pole might be free of ice. It appears however that prediction may be wildly off the mark.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/25419299

"I'd say it's even-odds whether the North Pole melts out," said Dr Mark Serreze of the US National Snow and Ice Data Center in Colorado. Due to last year's rapid and massive melting of northern polar sea ice, the fabeled northwest passage opened for the first time in recorded history last year. Consequently, as much of 70% of the ice in the Arctic this year is in the form of thin, weak first year ice that may melt rapidly in July, August and early September.

The implications of a polar meltdown will not be sunken cities, as this is all sea ice, efectively a giant ice cube in a cup of water. However, the loss of that much sea ice could have a multitude of unforseen effects, on weather this year and next. Furthermore in the longer term there could be effects on ocean currents and on the future melting of northern permafrosts and Greenland. However, should there be a total meltdown this year one obvious and immediate consquence will be a very obvious example of global warming, proof that Democrats like Al Gore were in fact wrong, in only that he underestimated the speed at which his predictions would come true.

I wonder if it might be a good idea to ask McCain since he is for offshore drilling if he is for drilling in the now likely to be ice free Arctic Ocean, light sweet Santa Claus crude anyone?

50:50. Flip a coin ladies and gents, and toast to our brave new world. May our children forgive us...