This just in: Another alarmist makes another ridiculous claim

Indigenous guy weighs in

[Bill Erasmus, chief of the Dene nation located in northern Canada], who hails from the Yellow Knife in Canada's Northwest Territories, brings his personal accounts of seeing the climate changes.

The caribou, or reindeer, herds are on their way out in both North America and northern Europe, he noted.

"We can't hunt because the ice is not frozen yet. Our hunters are falling through the ice, and lives are being lost," Erasmus stated to The Associated Press.

This year’s winter, the usually arid area has been blanketed by deep, damp snow, further obstructing hunting, he said.

Background - Caribou in ANWR

Both the Porcupine and 'Central Arctic Herds are biologically healthy. After a long period of stability at around 100,000 animals, the Porcupine Herd began to grow steadily during the late 1970s and 1980s and reached 180,000 animals by 1989. The herd then decreased during a series of severe winters and was down to 160,000 in 1992. In 2002, the Porcupine Herd numbered 123,000, but the caribou were in excellent physiological condition.

The Central Arctic Herd also increased during the 1970s and 1980s from 6,000 in 1978 to 23,400 in 1982. Rapid growth stopped in the late 1980s, however, and the herd now appears stable at around 32,000 animals. Relatively low calf production and survival in recent years may result from severe winter weather which has also depleted moose and Dall sheep populations in the central arctic area. It is also possible that the Central Arctic Herd is approaching range carrying capacity.