Larry Bell backtracks after salvo against me for scaring children with my North Pole book. @forbes http://j.mp/LBellApol Here’s my response to his update:

Thanks for the note, Larry, and the update to the post. I spent some time in Greenland, as well, and it's unforgettable.

Here's some background on the North Pole book title:

The scientists I was traveling with erected a sign at their sea-ice camp that initially said "North Pole Is Here" but, after a couple of days, was scribbled out to "North Pole WAS Here" because the ice was (as is frequently the case) drifting 400 yards an hour. (You can see the sign in video here: http://j.mp/PoleSign )

As I say in the opening book chapter, the broader meaning is that the North Pole of our history and lore is "history" both because of a warming climate and increasing human activity in a once largely untouchable region. The first chapter is online: http://j.mp/PoleChap .

It contains one error that, thanks to Chip Knappenberger, will not be in future editions (as described here: http://j.mp/ArcRobin ). But overall I think you'll find the book an accurate portrayal of thinking on Arctic change and deserving of the awards ( http://j.mp/NPawards ) it received.

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