Society

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

Administrator

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.

Anna Diljá Sigurðardóttir (left) and Gudrun Havsteen-Mikkelsen during the recording of one of their RADIO ARCTIC shows. Photo: RADIO ARCTIC

Meet the women behind RADIO ARCTIC

Anna Diljá Sigurðardóttir and Gudrun Havsteen-Mikkelsen have backgrounds in design but now use the medium of sound to explore the poles.

Polar bear attack on researcher in East Greenland

In an attack by a polar bear on a German researcher in East Greenland, the man was injured and the bear was shot.

The Polar Retrospective - Arctic leaks

Leaking tanks and pipelines, diesel and cyanide pollution of soil and water have been going around in the Arctic in recent weeks.

The Polar Retrospective - Negative and positive energy on Svalbard

Positive energy towards small expedition vessels and negative energy towards the local power company made the headlines in Longyearbyen last week.

The Polar Retrospective - South Greenland and the polar bears

Stalemate between South Greenland's Kujalleq municipality and Greenland's government over how to deal with polar bears in South Greenland.

Prof. Airini, Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami president Natan Obed, and University of Saskatchewan president Peter Stoicheff during a ceremonial signing of an agreement to secure verification of Inuit students at the university. Photo: University of Saskatchewan

Canadian university implement first-of-its-kind anti-fraud system to prevent Inuit pretenders

The system was introduced after a woman was sentenced three years in prison for identity fraud in Nunavut.

The polar retrospective - A look back for a look ahead

From July 8 to August 12, we will be publishing reports and longer articles and at the same time upgrading our platform with new functions and sections for you.

The Polar Retrospective - Languages of the Arctic and the Digital Age

The indigenous languages of the Arctic are getting a further social boost thanks to artificial intelligence, as Google has integrated Kalaallisut and Samí into its translation app.

Nunavut lines up projects to combat housing crisis

Encouraging access to home ownership and building student housing with the active participation of students, Nunavut has launched a series of projects to combat the housing crisis.

Now you can get a bachelor’s degree in biology in Greenland

Guest Author

The new SILA biology program at the Ilisimatusarfik is open to applicants for the first batch of students ever.

Why are there suddenly salmon in Canada's far north-west?

Northwest Territories residents and scientists work together to understand how new species of fish end up in the nets of subsistence fishermen. They find that salmon pass through the open waters of the Bering, Chukchi and Beaufort Seas.

Amazon-prime-package-somewhere-in-Nunavut

Nunavut communities in petition to regain access to vital Amazon deliveries

An Amazon warehouse in Iqaluit vastly expanded the selection of products and gave new agency to Nunavut residents, researcher tells Polar Journal.

The Polar Retrospective – Playfully into the Polar Regions

Video gamers and the gaming industry have also discovered the polar regions, bringing together history, the environment, culture and the economy.

Bodø2024: Half-time for the first European Capital of Culture in the Arctic

Julia Hager

The Norwegian town of Bodø in the province of Nordland once thrived on the export of stockfish and is now the first town in the Arctic to be awarded the title of "European Capital of Culture".

Time moves slowly in the Norwegian town of Vadsø, which is why their mayor suggested to make its days 26 hours long. Photo: Aurora Lab, Vadsoe

Norwegian mayor suggested 26-hour days to attract workers to the Arctic

The request made to the EU Commission gained world-wide attention but was never meant to be taken seriously, the mayor of Vadsø told Polar Journal.

Mercury concentrates in eastern Canada and southern Greenland

The flight movements of 837 birds covered the North Atlantic, the Barents Sea and the Kara Sea, and their feathers indicated the distribution of mercury in the food chain. Levels are of particular concern in the western part of this zone.

Culture

"Honouring Our Future" at the NONAM