Mike the Usurper wrote:

As of September 21, the Arctic sea ice area had dropped to 2.05 million square miles (5.31 million square km), the report said.

From 1978 to 2000, the sea ice area averaged 2.70 million square miles (7 million square km), the report said. It noted the melting trend had shrunk Inuit hunting grounds and endangered polar bears, seals and other wildlife.

Would someone opposed to the idea of global warming like to explain this without it being real?

Its not so much the effect that's in question, but there's conflicting information on the causes and solutions.

RE: CNN.com - Report: Ice-free Arctic summers possible by 2100 - Sep 28, 2005