A climate researcher recently discovered some of the darkest snow and ice on record in Greenland and the findings have potentially alarming climate-change implications. “There are several potential explanations for what’s going on here. The most likely is that some combination of increasingly infrequent summer snowstorms, wind-blown dust, microbial activity, and forest fire soot led to this year’s exceptionally dark ice. A more ominous possibility is that what we’re seeing is the start of a cascading feedback loop tied to global warming. Box mentions this summer’s mysterious Siberian holes and offshore methane bubbles as evidence that the Arctic can quickly change in unpredictable ways.” [Slate]

Actor Leonardo DiCaprio was made one of the UN’s “Messengers of Peace,” a role that makes celebrities the public face of various social causes. The actor will give a speech to open next week’s UN Climate Summit. “Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon announced DiCaprio’s honor at a news conference Tuesday, saying he has a ‘long-standing commitment to environmental causes,’ including through his foundation.” [The Hill]

Companies are showing interest in Turkish unconventional oil and gas potential. The country is believed to be “largely unexplored,” according to Lee Muncy, vice-president, geosciences at TransAtlantic Petroleum Ltd. Shell is currently evaluating potential development opportunities. The country also offers attractive fiscal incentives, “Turkey’s fiscal regime should also benefit further development. The country currently carries a 12.5% royalty with a flat 20% corporate tax. Turkey is also a full-payer, and operators receive Brent prices on produced oil and about $9/Mcf of gas. ‘A barrel of oil in Turkey will go much farther than any in any of its neighboring countries,’ Mitchell said.”  [Oil & Gas Journal].