Environment | Cold United

Ella Darlington from the main RRS James Cook scientific ship laboratory in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean

On 11.03.10, In Education, Environment, expedition, Science, By Bolot

Ella Darlington. Working on the back deck this afternoon...

What a fantastic message I received yesterday… from Ella Darlington, Education and Outreach Officer of Education Through Expeditions NGO, who is currently working on the RRS James Cook scientific ship in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, nearing the equator. At present most of her work is aimed at tropical and ocean environments.

So… let’s begin our story.

A few months ago I started following UK-based Polar explorer Anthony Jinman‘s activity. I found all his works to be extremely exciting and helpful. It was him, who started the non-profit Education Through Expedition project. Just recently he launched the ETElive.org outreach platform designed to help educators and explorers to cover their current expeditions.

A week ago Anthony Jinman invited me through facebook to join the event called Ask Ella a Question. The first reaction was like, “Who is Ella and why should I ask her questions?”

The answer was, “I’m Eleanor, or Ella, Darlington. I’m here documenting life at sea onboard the RSS James Cook in the form of photos, videos and this blog, for Plymouth Marine Laboratories. ‘An easy job’ I hear you say. Well that’s not all… I’m also here working for a not-for-profit organisation called Education Through Expeditions (www.etelive.org), who are also based in Plymouth. This is the trickier part of my job – Education and Outreach – making science fun and applicable in the classroom. I am able to answer questions for the next 6 weeks… If any of you out there are teachers, or have kids in schools, or know of young people in youth groups etc. who would be interested in following and getting involved then please pass on the information. I’m discovering that it really is a two-way project!”

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Tagged with: AMT20 Atlantic Cruise • Anthony Jinman • Atlantic Ocean • Education • Education Through Expeditions • Ella Darlington • Environment • global environmental system • Plymouth • Plymouth Marine Laboratories • RRS James Cook • UK

Photo Report: Cold Science Experiments in Antarctica

On 10.28.10, In Climate, Environment, Photos, Science, By Bolot

Cold science experiments in Antarctica. Photo by Chaz Firestone

Maybe, almost climate-related enthusiasts have heard about the coolest science experiments in Antarctica. Good news! Through the Discovery magazine Chaz Firestone casts light on what is going on in Antarctica. He has published photos and reports from the experiment scene.

Chaz Firestone is reporting:

“The coldest, driest, and iciest of Earth’s continents, Antarctica is home to some of the most important and ambitious science projects on the planet.”

“Here, at the West Antarctic Ice Sheet Divide, Kendrick Taylor and his team of glaciologists drill into ancient ice to pull up ice cores, which trap bubbles of the atmosphere from the time that ice fell as snow. In order to predict future changes in climate, scientists verify and refine their models against paleoclimate data from the ice cores Taylor and others pull up. The researchers are working to construct a record of carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere over the last 100,000 years…”

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Tagged with: Antarctic • astrophysic • birds • Climate • Climate change • cold • Environment • experiment • global warming • ice • penguin • photo • Science • snow • Weather

Big fat oil of Aasiaat, Greenland. What will happen next?

On 10.13.10, In Climate, Environment, Lives, Photos, By Bolot

Big Fat Oil of Aasiaat, Greenland. Locals worry. What will happen next? By Galya Morrell.
Aasiaat Harbor, Greenland.

Sad to hear what Galya Morrell is reporting from Greenland. Here is what she is saying, “Big fat oil has been discovered in Davis Strait, 200 km from the shore of Aasiaat. Cairn Energy has already started drilling the first exploratory wells. Crowds of foreigners are invading a little fishing port – a home for fish, seals, whales and icebergs. Local hunters are wandering: what will happen next?” (related BBC’s news)

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Tagged with: Aasiaat • Cairn Energy • Environment • fishing port • Galya Morrell • Greenland • oil • oil spill • pollution

Arctic News Digest, June 01, 2010. Elected Readings.

On 06.01.10, In Climate, Environment, News, Science, By Bolot

Arctic sea ice cover heading towards another record low?

Arctic Ice

OSLO, May 31, 2010: The September 2007 sea ice minimum was probably the lowest extent of sea ice aerial extent in the Arctic in 50 years, definitely since satellite observations began in 1979. Last week the sea ice cover fell below the recorded extent at the same time in 2007. Over the two upcoming weeks, shrinking sea ice will thus be one of the hottest science topics… Read more at IPY-OSC.no

Arctic Ice May 2010

May 6, 2010 – The Arctic melt already more rapid than average this year, has begun to accelerate. No doubt that by the end of May 2010, there will be much less sea ice than there was in May 2007… More info & the graph at ScientificBlogging.com

First Soil Atlas of the Northern Circumpolar Region published

May 4, 2010 – The JRC Institute for Environment and Sustainability (IES) has published the first Soil Atlas of the Northern Circumpolar Region bringing together soil data for all the land masses above the latitude of 50° North. The maps describe the major soil types found in this region, together with their principal properties and characteristics, their main forming processes and their use… Read more at Eoportal.org.

Sewage, jet fuel spilled in Arctic

CBC, May 31, 2010 – Millions of litres of harmful contaminants — including sewage and jet fuel — have been spilled across great swaths of Canada’s pristine Arctic in recent years, an analysis by The Canadian Press has found… All facts at CBC News.

Polar Bears not at Risk: Nunavut, Canada

NUNAVUT, May 31, 2010 – Polar bears have most recently been considered to be a species of special concern in Canada. A federal scientific committee has recommended that the same status apply to the species again. The Nunavut government does not think the polar bear should be classified as a species of special concern under the federal Species at Risk Act, says territorial Environment Minister Daniel Shewchuk… Read more at EyeOnTheArctic

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Tagged with: Arctic • Climate • Environment • ice cover • jet fuel • Northern Circumpolar Region • polar bears • pollution • sea ice • sewage • Soil Atlas

Hannes Rada’s Photos: Awesome Icebergs in Antarctic Peninsula

On 05.26.10, In Climate, Environment, Natures, Photos, Travel, By Bolot

I have a friend of mine, Hannes Rada. He is a really big, big fan of travelling from his home in Austria to so-called off-beaten places on the Earth. He publishes his travel notes and amazing photographs on his own website OffBeatenTrack.at in German. A few days ago he launched the fan page on Facebook in English, where he displays some pictures of his unique photographs collections. One of his sets is dedicated to AWESOME ICEBERGS of Antarctic Peninsula.

In his pictures icebergs are very sublime and imposing. They are like people with their own unique personality. Moreover, I would say, they force me to compare them with the gorgeous winter fairy tale characters. Very beautiful and touching! The last word is used, because I pretty much understand their lives appear to be not everlasting, but short. Sooner or later they will melt and disappear. Climate changes, you know. That’s really pity. Wish the global freezing to replace that unhealthy global warming… to some extents, of course.

Meanwhile, enjoy the beauty of the Antarctic Peninsula icebergs. (more…)

Tagged with: Antarctic • Antarctic Expedition • Antarctic Peninsula • Austria • Climate • Climate change • climate changes • Environment • global environmental system • global freezing • global warming • Hannes Rada • iceberg • off-beaten destination • photo • Travel

Snow Change in North Siberia: Indigenous Peoples’ Views on Climate Change and Ecology

On 05.19.10, In Climate, Cultures, Environment, Lives, People, Science, Societies, By Bolot

Reindeer in Yakutia, North Siberia, Russia. Photo by Bolot Bochkarev.

Here I would like to share the current results of the Siberian part of the Snow Change International Research Project realization. It took me real efforts to find this information. The project I am about described has its own website, but its owner doesn’t have time to publish a very interesting research results info on its online resource. Therefore, I asked a regional coordinator, the Northern Forum Academy chairman, Vladimir Vasiliev, to present the text to me. He did, but it was totally written in Russian. So I have translated it into English and not sure yet if some terms sound correctly. If any, just let me know about mistakes.

About: SnowChange is a not-for-profit independent cooperative organisation with headquarters in Finland. Head of International Affairs: Tero Mustonen
Status: Active. Website: SnowChange.org.

Project Mission

The international community network of SnowChange spans all eight Arctic states. Most of the member communities and families are from the various Arctic Indigenous Nations and other subsistence communities.

The project involves working with the various Northern areas and peoples on the topics of ecological, especially climatic and weather changes from the scientific and traditional knowledge point of view. In addition to the community documentation Snowchange as well works to advance local Indigenous knowledge in the global context and advance decolonisation of the North in the face of rapid changes.

The scientific priority of Snowchange is currently in the following areas of the North:
- The Saami territories of Finland, Russia, Sweden and Norway
- Republic of Sakha (Yakutia), Murmansk and Republic of Karelia in Russian Federation
- Savo, North Karelia and Kainuu, Finland
- Iceland and Faroe Islands
- British Columbia, Northwest Territories and Nunavut, Canada
- Alaska, USA

In addition to the operations in all Arctic countries (United States / Alaska, Canada, Iceland, Greenland and Faroe Islands (Denmark), Norway, Sweden, Finland and Russian Federation) SnowChange has partners in Bolivia, Nepal, Ghana and New Zealand.

Report on the Snow Change project realization in the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia)
Information from its regional coordinator, Vladimir Vasiliev
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Tagged with: Arctic • Climate change • climate changes • Environment • Evenk • Finland • Iengra • Indigenous Peoples • Indigenous Peoples of the Russian North • Kolyma • NGO • North Siberia • Northern Forum • Northern Siberia • Reindeer • reindeer herders • research project • Russia • Science • Siberia • snow change • snow report • Yakutia • Yukagir

Greenland: Silent Snow – The Project

On 04.24.10, In Climate, documentary, Education, Environment, Events, Lives, Music, Natures, Projects, Science, By Bolot

Heroes of the Silent Snow documentary

I am really thankful to the destiny for giving me opportunity to get acquanted with Galya Morell, a New York based educator, who appeared eventually to be my best channel to many Arctic environment alert projects. Today, with her help, I learned about another fantastic Greenland project called “Silent Snow.”

“This morning Silent Snow – a must see documentary featuring the Uummannaq Music protagonists – was introduced to a forum of distinguished delegates and ambassadors at the UN. Thank you to Moki Kokoris who made it possible. Hopefully, this will lead to some concrete results,” wrote Galya Morell in her last status update on the Uummannaq Music facebook fan page on April 23, 2010.

So what is this project about? Before clicking the link “More”, please, know that I am very open-minded and extremely interested in any inspiring helpful Arctic-related projects. If you run some of them or are aware of some great initiatives, I beg you to share such info with me via our Cold United FB fan page or directly via the contact form.

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Tagged with: documentary • Environment • Galya Morell • global environmental system • Greenland • inuit • pollution • Silent Snow Project • Uummannaq Music