The Earth’s polar regions (see Figure ) are ecologically, economically, and, increasingly, geopolitically important; they are particularly vulnerable to the speed and magnitude of climate change and have significant potential to influence the global climate system (Oreskes, 2004; IPCC, 2007a; Anderegg et al., 2010). Climate models and observational data have shown that polar regions have warmed at substantially higher rates than the global mean (IPCC, 2007c).