Scientists studying the history of climate variations in Arctic regions have confirmed that the Northern Polar regions were much warmer than today. Over the last quarter-million years, the most significant arctic warming took place some 130,000 years in the past. The warming then had a much greater effect on the ice and vegetation than could happen now with the relatively small increase in global temperature.
Image: Two polar bears sparring on the arctic tundra in Canada.
This is the conclusion from From World Climate Report where an excellent analysis of the scientific report may be found:
Arctic Lessons from the Last Interglacial (Polar bears survived)
The next time that you see Al Gore’s photo collection of decaying glaciers and polar bears drowning as the distance between icebergs and the shore is too far to swim, think of the LIG as a natural period in Earth’s history when hippopotamus and the water tortoise were widespread as far north as Great Britain and birch forests reached the shores of the Arctic Ocean. Remember that then, as now, the Arctic naturally warmed more dramatically than the rest of the world, and also keep in mind that our modern global climate models – those that sit next to the panic button – are stumbling around that reality.
I had a chat with a colleague at work this morning about the recent 
This may be a once in a lifetime celestial event for Earthlings to witness. A sun-grazing comet, McNaught, is visible to the naked eye in broad daylight! If you have clear skies, you should step outside today and try to observe the comet.
January 5, 2007: For many years, space archeology has been a favorite topic of Science@NASA readers: NASA scientists use Earth-orbiting satellites to find ancient ruins invisible from ground level. Prime real estate for this kind of discovery is Central America. In that part of the world, satellites are not only revealing long-held secrets of the Maya, but also improving the everyday lives of modern Central Americans by helping them monitor and manage their environment.
According to some GPS data compiled by geological scientists, New Orleans is sliding into the Gulf of Mexico. It seems that the city is situated on a big, moving mass of bedrock that is detached from the North American Continent. Over the next few thousand years, this rock will slowly move south toward the Gulf, but it is simultaneously sinking at more than twice the rate at which it is moving. 
NASA Scientists studying the relationship between the Sun’s magnetic activity and the peak number of sunspots, have discovered a six-year relationship between the two phenomena. If the trend continues as it has since 1868, we should experience a count of about 160 sunspots during the next solar cycle peak, due in 2011.