Well, Songwronger, despite your attempts to distort what Mr. Gore actually said, you bring up a very interesting subject, nonetheless. The Wikipedia article on the Northwest Passage tells the tale quite well. The ice has cleared to a great extent, but it turns out the water is too shallow for shipping in many places. The clearing of ice has allowed some species to migrate from the Atlantic to the Pacific, which has all sorts of implications.
The Wikipedia article on North Pole is also very interesting. It, too, says that some scientists think the polar ice may clear during part of the year in the future. The sea depth at the North Pole has been measured at 4,261 m (13,980 ft), so there's no need to be afraid of ships running aground there - if the ice clears.

-Joe-