Skimmers Order CharadriiformesFamily RynchopidaeSkimmers are a small family of tropical tern like birds.

But few saw, for instance, the Artic ice cap melting as rapidly as now seems to be the case.

It resembles a plover but has very long grey legs and a strong black bill similar to that of a tern.

This is about as good as maps get, and to reach it you've got to ski literally over the frozen crust, the floating skin of ice on the Artic Ocean.

On the other hand, it is important not to isolate Russia completely, given shared interests with the US and Europe relating to nuclear security and non proliferation, terrorism, space, the Artic, and Iran and Afghanistan. No one will benefit from a new Cold War.

Admittedly, it could help members cope better with volatility and, therefore, be more open to inflows of short tern capital, but this need not result in bad policies. Given the Northern Rock and Bear Stearns bailouts, overplaying the moral hazard argument here sounds hypocritical.