http://www.wmo.int/pages/mediacentre/press_releases/documents/WMO_1108_EN_web_000.pdf
Covers key findings, regional climate features and tropical cyclones. 2012 joined the ten previous years as one of the warmest on record. From the World Meterological Organization
http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/weapons/RL34391.pdf
Describes the current state of the U.S. icebreakers, the budget prospects for improvements, and how polar icebreaking should be handled in the future. From the Congressional Research Service, posted by the Federation of American Scientists
http://www.unep.org/pdf/uyb_2013.pdf
Sounds an alarm about damage to the polar icecaps. As sea ice melts (it was 18% below previous recorded minimums in the summer of 2012), a rush to exploit natural resources creates conditions for further damage to the fragile system. From the United Nations Environment Programme
http://pubs.usgs.gov/pp/p1386a/pdf/pp1386a-1-web.pdf
Describes the results of satellite study of the colder regions of the planet in a time of warming. From the U.S. Geological Survey
http://www.wmo.int/pages/mediacentre/press_releases/documents/966_WMOstatement.pdf
Reports that 2012 to date is the 9th warmest year on record despite the presence of a La Nina cycle which usually moderates temperature. Record keeping began in 1850. Also reports on the unprecedented melting of the Arctic ice cap. From the World Meterological Organization
http://www.unep.org/pdf/permafrost.pdf
Reports on the consequences for the global ecosystem of large-scale thawing of permafrost in polar regions, including the release of large amounts of previously sealed carbon into the atmosphere. From the United Nations Environment Programme
http://www.parl.gc.ca/Content/LOP/ResearchPublications/2008-04-e.pdf
This paper describes some of the environmental issues that affect the Far North, including climate change, biological diversity, and the accumulation of toxic substances, and covers some of the efforts being made internationally and in Canada to protect the Arctic environment. From the Library of Parliament, Canada
Calls for greater cooperation among the scientific, modeling, and user communities to improve understanding of the interactions between warming climate, Arctic sea ice, and the oceans. From the National Research Council