Warming Eases Northwest Passage, Author Says [7min]

European explorers spent centuries searching for a passage through the ice at the top of the world. The Northwest Passage, a shortcut to Asia, proved elusive until about 100 years ago, when Norway's Roald Amundsen completed a three-year journey. These days, thanks to global warming and a receding ice cover, the voyage is easier to complete, says explorer James Delgado, author of Across the Top of the World. In 2000, with a decidedly smaller, modern craft -- an aluminum catamaran -- it took Delgado's team just six weeks to go through the Northwest Passage. ...Visit website for extended report by Steve Inskeep, historic map, photos.