Tag: Environment

The Polar Retrospective - Arctic leaks

Dr. Michael Wenger

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 - Arctic tourism like hiking in the polar night

Dr. Michael Wenger

Tourism in Arctic regions is increasingly at the center of a debate between politics, science and industry, and searching for solutions seems like a hike in the polar night.

New Svalbard report: Stronger national control by Norway and fewer ships

Julia Hager

In the recently published new white paper on Svalbard, the Norwegian government announces, among other things, its intention to strengthen national control in many areas of society.

Problems at the Pole

View of the snow overburden on the exterior of the arches containing the Admunsen-Scott Station’s power plant (exhaust pipes on left), logistics warehouse (left doorway), and vehicle maintenance facility (right doorway). Extensions to the air vents for the arches can be seen above the vehicle maintenance facility, indicating the depth of the snow. Photo: Seth Pilgrim

Guest Author

Environmental and Infrastructure issues present challenges at the southernmost US research station in Antarctica.

Environment over tourism on Svalbard: New rules from January 2025

Julia Hager

The Norwegian government has adopted stricter environmental regulations on Svalbard, which will come into effect on January 1, 2025, with significant consequences for tourism.

Mobile antennas change migration routes of reindeer herders

Heiner Kubny

A group of anthropologists were able to confirm that the migration routes among the Nenets have changed in recent years due to mobile antennas in tundra regions.

Greenland-EU mining agreement: "We're starting from a blank sheet of paper"

Camille Lin

In Greenland, 25 of the 34 critical raw materials for the energy transition are present in significant quantities, and last Thursday the European Union and this country signed strategic agreements to develop sustainable value chains for the exploitation of these resources.

PFAS pollution hits East Greenland population hard

Dr. Michael Wenger

Among the population of Ittoqqotoormiit in East Greenland, researchers found alarming levels of PFAS ('forever chemicals'), which they ingest as a result of their traditional way of life.

U.S. government balances between Arctic protection and exploitation

Dr. Michael Wenger

The Biden administration is committing a difficult balancing act by OKing a huge petroleum project in Alaska while simultaneously establishing Arctic protected areas.

Chemical pollutants discovered in Svalbard's ice cap

Dr. Michael Wenger

According to a study, PFASs are transported from the Eurasian region to Svalbard, where they are deposited in ice and snow, threatening the archipelago's fjord systems.