Society

After the strongest earthquake recorded this year near the Russian Kamchatka Peninsula, tsunami warnings were issued from Alaska to Antarctica.

Antarctic Journal from Chile: A Generation's Voice in the Face of Climate Change

Guest Author

In a special report for Polar Journal AG, Milenio BASE Head of Communications Nadia Politis travelled to the Antarctic Peninsula to meet with the winners of the Feria Antárctica Escolar, a unique student project.

Glacier melt threatens lives and livelihoods: 2C warming is too high

Dr. Irene Quaile-Kersken

The shocking images of a glacier breaking off and covering a village in the Swiss alps highlights the urgent need to cut greenhouse gas emissions to minimize ice loss.

Improving Arctic food security through DNA science and respectful collaboration with Indigenous Peoples

As food insecurity greatly affects Inuit communities, community workshops bringing together Elders, hunters, and scientists were held to discuss how to use DNA for Arctic wildlife and food security.

Pele Blytmann and Joel Hansen - fishermen in Disko Bay, Greenland

In the port of Ilulissat, sailors leave and land between the ice every day. We met two of them. They tell us what they like about their profession and the difficulties they face.

Of polar bears and men: Churchill

In a new documentary, CBS highlights the challenges facing Churchill. The documentary focuses in particular on the inhabitants of this town famous for its polar bears.

Diary of a journey to Greenland: from where the boats go and where the city comes

Among the scenes polarjournal.net witnessed this week were the sailors setting sail from the small fishing port of Ilulissat, the parade of locals to the Brugseni supermarket, Easter days and the blue sky.

Meet Sofie Schultz Christiansen - Her story in languages

A translator and interpreter since she was a child, Sofie Schultz Christiansen told us about her story, her passion for languages, her travels and her life in Ilulissat.

Diary of a journey to Greenland: melt day and ice childhood

Among the scenes that polarjournal.net witnessed this week were the sudden melting in April, the first signs that winter is ending, and an outing in the fjord with a group of children we met at the ILLU Science and Art Center.

Diary of a journey in Greenland: from the sky to the old church in Ilulissat

Among the scenes witnessed by polarjournal.net this week were a passage over Greenland in a small twin-engined plane and a baptism in a church in Ilulissat dating from 1771.

France Pinczon du Sel and Éric Brossier - Part II: The art of sharing

In contact with researchers who came to live with them to study the pack ice, the two partners have imbibed a scientific culture that they strive to pass on to interested Inuit and southerners alike.

Eric Brossier and France Pinczon du Sel - Part I: Tandem in the cold

Attracted by the beauty of the Arctic and in search of rational explanations of how it works, the two partners immersed themselves in a frozen landscape. Ideal conditions in which to meet modern-day Inuit and share a few ancestral customs.

The Polar Retrospective - Erased graffiti, an updated map, Arctic killer whales, and a Finnish inconvenience

This week we look at a mission to clean up a graffitied building in Antarctica, a new South Orkney Islands map, an increase in Arctic killer whales, and rising tourism prices in Finland.

"Did it pass too close, was it too late to reverse?"

Hervé Baudu, professor of nautical sciences at the École Nationale Supérieure Maritime and member of the Académie de Marine, talks about the collision of the 50 Let Pobedy and the polar seminar of the Arctic Council's Working Group on the Protection of the Arctic Marine Environment (PAME), co-organized with the International Maritime Organization.

The Polar Retrospective - Plastic in Antarctica, Nunavut renewable energy and Belgium polar heritage

The Polar Retrospective looks at recent stories from around the world's polar regions. From last week we chose: the discovery of microplastic around the Union Glacier, a renewable energy project in Iqaluit and the 'Belgica' pennant classified as part of national heritage.

Hunting, fishing, nature and gathering, a dependent Russian republic

From Dolgans to Evenks, Yakuts and even the descendants of 19th-century Russians, the Sakha region is still very rural and relies on natural resources for its food and livelihood.

Martin-de-Viviès scientific station threatened by flames

The scientific station on Amsterdam Island was evacuated.

Polar Journal AG Sets Sail with a Bold New Look and Expanded Services

Polar Journal AG relaunches with a fresh design, expanded content including a focus on polar culture, and emphasizing integrated services to deliver a richer experience for its global audience.

Vandalism at historic site in Antarctica

A previously unknown perpetrator has sprayed graffiti on the hangar of Whaler's Bay and shocked the polar community with this act of vandalism.

What is the origin of the stress experienced on the Machu Picchu station?

Scientists in Peru have investigated the mental health of staff at the country's Antarctic station. The results should be used to train teams ahead of new missions.

Polar Journal AG enters 2025 with new website and domain

A breath of fresh air is blowing through the polar regions of the internet: Polar Journal AG, the popular platform for all polar enthusiasts, will have a new look and a new web address from January 1, 2025.

When AI reinvents the polar regions

With the proliferation of AI-generated videos on the internet, a false and stereotypical image of the polar world is spreading, with the risk of replacing the discourse of polar experts.

On a SUP through the Northwest Passage: ”I have never experienced solitude like this”

Karl Kruger is about half of the way through his journey. In the next two years, he hopes to complete the standup paddle board expedition through the legendary passage.

Regine Møller won Paasisavut, the bi-annual Greenlandic PhD-competion, with a five-minute presentation on her research in the small town of Isortoq. Photo: Emil Stach

Local researcher won the Greenland PhD-cup with a passionate speech to the nation

Regine Møller from Aalborg University, Denmark, managed to bring both passion and information to the stage as she won the Greenlandic research competition Paasisavut on last week. Watch a recording of the show below.

In Greenland, like here in the Nuuk Fjord, distances are vast. There are no trees and no man-made structures so nothing can sneek up on you. This helps veterans led their guards down. Photo: Veteranprojekt.dk

Greenland’s pristine nature used to help veterans with PTSD

By coincidence, Veteran Project Greenland discovered that a stint in unspoiled nature can help alleviate PTSD symptoms and even prevent suicide.

Marie-Noëlle Rimaud, islander, polar explorer and pioneer

Polar tourism in Greenland is not a subject frequently addressed in French economic and social sciences. Yet Marie-Noëlle Rimaud is now able to capture what was once just over the horizon, and observe it through her own unique lens.

"These companies are destroying the environment and harming the local people in Chukotka"

The Beringovsky mine has been operated since 2016 by an Australian company, which withdrew from the project this summer. The company avoided Western sanctions thanks to a complex set-up of Cyprian and Russian companies, but none of this would have been revealed had the mine not been the scene of an environmental and human disaster. Ilya Shumannov, CEO of Arctida, conducted an extensive investigation. He told us all about it.

Everything changes – unique exhibition about Greenland at the ALPS Museum

The Swiss ALPS Museum is opening a new, unique exhibition on Friday featuring the massive changes taking place in Greenland and how the people there are dealing with them.

Nunatta Ataani, Nunavik mining as seen by the Inuit

Scheduled for release on YouTube this Friday, Nunatta Ataani examines the mining history of Nunavik and the current challenges posed by the exploitation of its resources. A difficult topic that this documentary aims to tackle, giving pride of place to Inuit testimonies.

Ocean Explorer during its grounding last year. The incident demonstrated the dangers of allowing cruise ships to visit highly remote fjords and may ultimately lead to changes in the law. Photo: Air Force / Joint Arctic Command

"In the Arctic, there are no small accidents"

The challenges of maritime safety in polar zones were discussed with sailors, instructors and researchers in Brest during Sea Tech Week. The workshop was organized by Anne Choquet, a lawyer specializing in polar areas, and Roberto Rivas Hermann, a researcher at the Center for Northern Logistics, who came to Brest from Bodo, Norway, for a residency.

This year, Aleš Česen is going back for his sixth season in Antarctica and the otherworldly continues to fascinate him. Photo: Courtesy of Aleš Česen

In Antarctica, this Slovenian mountaineer finally found a job that will keep him coming back

Aleš Česen is a celebrated mountaineer but stresses that no special training is required to work in Antarctica.

NWT Inuvialuit ready to support their child services

An historic financial agreement was signed last week to enable the Inuvialuit to develop their child and family support services. This agreement could pave the way for other Inuit communities to deal with this sensitive issue.

Arctic basic education - a self-serving gift

Guest Author

Everyone wants a piece of Greenland. To avoid losing its access to the Arctic, Denmark has to keep digging deep into its pockets. Its latest expenditure is for military training for young Greenlanders.

Three Swiss will sail solo in the Southern Ocean

With 41 days to go to the start, Oliver Heer, Justine Mettraux and Alan Roura finish preparing for the Vendée Globe. They will attempt to sail solo around the world via the Southern Ocean.

The Polar Retrospective - The Arctic in Switzerland's capital

Several institutions in Switzerland's capital Bern are sending out a strong signal for the Arctic and inviting visitors to various events and exhibitions, some of which will be on display for up to two years.

The Polar Retrospective - Alaska, arctic region of contrasts

In the opinion of the editor-in-chief, the largest and northernmost state of the USA is fascinating in its diversity, but it also shows some contrasts in the relationship between the US and the Arctic.

Mike Keen on his way up the coast of Greenland. Photo: Courtesy of Mike Keen

Chef kayaked Greenland’s 3200 kilometer coast to test the Inuit diet

Mike Keen only ate local food and frequently sent samples of feces to a lab in Nuuk.

Christiane Drieux - The northernmost friendship in the world

An encounter in north-west Greenland throws into question the plans of a sportswoman and traveller who embarks on a profound relationship with the Inughuit people.

Sphen Magic - Same-sex penguin 'love' or anthropomorphic projection?

Julia Hager

The Sea Life Sydney Aquarium recently had to say goodbye to one of its most famous residents: the gentoo penguin Sphen. His same-sex partnership with Magic made headlines worldwide, bringing the couple international fame.

The Polar Retrospective – Turning a walrus into hope for the US Coast Guard

The US Coast Guard plans to acquire the “Aiviq” for its Arctic missions due to the problems of the icebreaker program whose future could also depend on the upcoming elections.

The anthropologist in the Arctic, between collaboration and exhibition

With two articles published last month in the same review, anthropologists remind us of the importance of participative collaboration with Arctic Indigenous populations, as well as exchanges with the public.

The Polar Retrospective - The heat is on in polar regions

Both Greenland and the middle of Antarctica are currently experiencing a hot climate, although the reasons and type of climate are different.

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