Posts tagged with ‘arctic’ (92)
Posted by Jimmy Thomson
on Tuesday, May 14, 2013
The Arctic Council flag outside the Haparanda Stadshotell, Sweden. (Photo: Arctic Council)
The Northwest Passage was one of the most coveted geographical prizes of the 19th
century. Dozens of ships attempted to find it, and most, like the doomed Franklin expedition, failed. Times have changed, however; ever-growing numbers of cruise ships and freighters make the transit each year with the benefit of modern charts, satellite navigation and thinning ice.
This week, Canada is taking the reins of the Arctic Council as the Northwest Passage literally and figuratively heats up. Canada claims rights to the route, although that has been disputed by other nations - but that is far from the only disputed claim in the Arctic. Debates over mineral rights, territorial boundaries and Aboriginal rights have been ongoing for centuries.
Read full post »
Arctic Ocean Acidification (2013) - Short (3 minute) version from AMAP on Vimeo.
As if the Arctic didn’t have enough to worry about. In addition to diminishing sea ice, pollution and rising temperatures, scientists are now warning of the widespread effects that ocean acidification could have on the North.
Read full post »
Posted by Jimmy Thomson
in Nature
on Saturday, May 04, 2013
An Arctic hare runs across the tundra in Greenland. (Photo: Jimmy Thomson)
At the start of the war in Afghanistan, Canadian troops drew international ridicule when they showed up in the desert equipped with green camouflage designed for forests. Their gear, intended to make the troops blend in with their surroundings, did just the opposite, and brown camouflage uniforms were hastily procured.
According to a new study published in the Journal of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the Canadian army may not be alone. Some Arctic mammals’ camouflage is starting to malfunction as the snow disappears faster than it should each spring and takes longer to appear in the fall. Most notably, snowshoe hares — known for their striking white winter coats and brown summer coats — are struggling to adapt to the changing background colour of their environment.
Read full post »
Stephen A. Smith and Julia Szucs tell the story of two Inuit communities in Nunavut and Greenland in the documentary Vanishing Point.
The film crew had been waiting weeks for the birds. A storm was breaking over their heads as they crouched high in the rocky tundra. The family they were filming expressed their impatience. Their kids had to be back for school. The birds were out at sea, gone for the winter. But the film crew of Vanishing Point, a 2012 Canadian documentary, waited, long after they should have left.
Read full post »
Wildlife photographer Mike Beedell has been photographing polar bears such as these ones for 37 years. Click on the image to view more of Beedell's photos.
Mike Beedell has spent more summers in the Arctic than elsewhere. He has been guiding trips in Canada’s Arctic, Antarctica, Greenland and other remote areas for 37 years and taking spectacular photographs all the while. His images have been published in
Canadian Geographic,
National Geographic,
Equinox, and many other publications; his work has even appeared in New York’s Times Square.
Read full post »
