Artic sea ice is at record low area. Sea ice volume is less easily documented, but all the data points to a steady dramatic decline.

https://nsidc.org/sea-ice-today

China is working with Russia and other countrys to build out a vast rail network that is pushing westward, and I think delivering small(token) trains to scandenavia already. The bottom line is that China can deliver what you want, where you want it, when you want it, at a price you cant say no too.

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mckirk 2 days ago | parent [-]

My favorite website to see all the relevant climate trends:

https://climatereanalyzer.org/clim/seaice_daily/?nhsh=nh

According to that graph we're not currently at the absolute record low (2020 and 2016 were lower apparently), but only because so many of the recent years were record-low years.

	▲	metalman 2 days ago \| parent [-]
		well then you know that at the bottom of the curve, the ice area is more about potential, than anything that you could actualy see, or walk on, even at "100%" ice cover a strong wind will clear it and no huskys have peed on it. The other factor, mentioned nowhere, is that with so much glacial melting, the top layer of sea water is fresher, and freezes easier, so with each passing year things go further out of calibration. It's worth mentioning that I live inside the zone used for seasonal sea ice mapping, and regularly check the goes sattelites, and what is charted as ice, very often looks like open water, so...thanks for the link!