WWF - The Circle

The Circle 01.13

2013-05-07

Download this issue

The Arctic Council Ministerial meeting in Kiruna, Sweden, in May 2013 completes the first full rotation of circumpolar countries chairing the Council since its creation in 1996. Much has changed in the far north since then. This next cycle will be a time to look at how the Arctic Council functions as a regional process, the new challenges and new realities the Arctic faces.

This edition of The Circle explores some of these issues. Authors delve into the readiness of Arctic nations to use the Council to provide environmental stewardship; they reflect the huge responsibility circumpolar countries are feeling towards the people locally and globally who will be affected by the council's successes or failures while others scrutinize the political will and commitment to balancing sustainable development with protecting and preserving this unique place on the globe.

The Circle 04.12

2012-12-19

Download The Circle

This edition of The Circle is dedicated to the Arctic's ice whales: the bowhead, the largest whale in polar waters and the longest-lived mammal species on Earth; the narwhal, whose long tusk has mystified humans for years; and the beautiful white beluga, a sentinel of the Arctic Ocean's health.

In September 2012, it became clear that the arctic sea ice extent was a record low this year. In this issue, we are looking at the dramatic changes that are currently taking place, and the impact that these developments may have on arctic cetaceans.

As extractive industries are increasing activities in the Arctic, the observed summer-time melting of arctic sea ice has already far exceeded the worst-case projections from climate models of the Inter-governmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). The time to implement effective climate change adaptation measures is now. We need to strengthen the linkages between policy makers, scientists, local communities, and industry, to be able to mitigate the quickly increasing threats faced by arctic cetaceans and the people that depend on them.

The Circle 03.12

2012-09-21

Download The Circle 03.12

The history of protected areas in the Arctic goes back more than a century, to the establishment of Afognak Island State Park in Alaska. Historically, such parks were considered to be places that would protect natural values, from species to landscapes. However, there are pressures in the Arctic that mean future conservation models must expand from the existing, relatively static park system towards more dynamic and comprehensive concepts.

In this issue of the Circle, we explore existing models for a new, expanded conservation approach and consider how they could be applied in the North -- whether by adapting a successful model from somewhere else in the globe, or growing a local approach in the Arctic.

Whatever the conservation methods chosen, it is clear that the Arctic is changing fast, and that policy makers and conservation managers must also move quickly in order to be effective at conserving the locally and globally valued – not to mention valuable - species, landscapes, and ecosystems in the region.

The Circle 02.12

2012-06-18

Download The Circle 02.12

Arctic peoples have depended on fish for their survival for centuries. Fisheries today provide vital income for many coastal communities in the region, and maintain an important role in subsistence. Arctic fisheries are also important for food security beyond the Arctic, as several of the world's largest fisheries are found there, feeding consumers around the world.

At the same time as these fish stocks are growing in global importance, they are facing global threats. Overfishing has started to threaten some species, climate change is increasing sea temperatures, and the carbon dioxide driving climate change is also increasing ocean acidification. At the same time, the petroleum industry is showing a growing interest in the Arctic region, contributing to tension and strengthening the concern that co-existence of these two industries is impossible.

In this issue of The Circle, we look at the challenges faced by arctic fish stocks, and discuss solutions that can ensure a full and healthy arctic fish basket for future generations.

The Circle 01.12

2012-03-14

Managing arctic natural resources in times of rapid change

Download The Circle 01.12

Rapid change is the new constant in the Arctic, yet our approaches to managing arctic land, seas and natural resources have not kept pace.

This is all the more surprising as the world looks to the Arctic to learn how we can address change -- and safeguard the functioning of ecosystems, granting us the goods and services we all depend upon. In many parts of the transforming Arctic, traditional ways of managing places and resources will become increasingly ineffective.

Resilience-based thinking offers a path out of current dilemmas but there have been few real-world applications in the Arctic. As a result, we often lack concrete examples of resilience in practice, and its benefits.

This issue of The Circle seeks to identify ways forward by looking at resilience-related approaches and tools for arctic natural resource management. While Ellen Inga Turi and Svein D. Mathiesen point out that much could be learnt from traditional reindeer-herding, Gary Kofinas looks at resilience with an ecosystem service lens, and Raul Primicerio and Michaela Aschan outline the possibilities and challenges from an ecosystem-based management perspective.

Highlighting the very timely nature of this topic, we also present the recently initiated Arctic Resilience Report, and WWF's new RACER project. Finally, Donald McLennan looks at how these tools and ideas could be applied in the concrete case of Canadian national parks, and Ambassador Andreas von Uexkull points out the role the Arctic Council could play in the future to link theory and practice in this area.

The Circle 03.11

2012-01-12

WWF's Arctic History:

20 years of the Global Arctic Programme

This is a special year for WWF's Global Arctic Programme, as it marks 20 years since some visionary people decided to create a WWF body to champion conservation in the Arctic.

Download this issue

When the programme was founded in 1992, there was very limited understanding of the Arctic and its importance. Today, understanding of the Arctic is improved if still limited, but its importance is recognized as a variety of interested parties race to take advantage of its natural resources and shipping opportunities.

The reason for the renewed interest? Arctic temperatures are warming more than twice as fast as they are for the planet as a whole. Sea ice is melting. Northern shipping routes and oil deposits are reliably accessible for the first time.

But as the region warms and development increases, Arctic wildlife and peoples are beginning to live altered lives.

In this issue of the Circle, we celebrate the history of the Global Arctic Programme, and its ongoing mission to ensure a resilient, sustainable future for the Arctic.

The Circle 02.11

2011-11-09

Arctic Council: coming of age?

The Arctic Council has risen from being an agreement on discussing cooperation on environmental issues in the Arctic to become a body where binding agreements are negotiated. This change of status allows for sweeping solutions to Arctic problems, but also raises new issues about who can influence the Council's decisions.

In this issue of The Circle, we examine these questions through the eyes of the states and Indigenous peoples who participate in the work of the council, and also through the eyes of some interested observers.

The Circle 01.11

2011-03-31

Reindeer and caribou - herds and livelihoods in transition

This special edition of The Circle contains excellent articles on the science, environmental threats, herd management – or mismanagement – and conservation efforts for caribou and reindeer populations. But what I found to be missing was the sense of what it is like to experience these nomadic animals in the wild. For me, the impressions are humbling and unforgettable, writes Monte Hummel, President Emeritus of WWF Canada, and co-author with Dr. Justina C. Ray of Caribou and the North; A Shared Future, Dundurn Press, 2008.

From a cliff, I have observed some 10,000 animals attempting to cross an Arctic river in spring flood, being washed a kilometre or more downstream as they struggled to reach that far shore. Imagine the pandemonium – cows and calves calling for each other, little ones trying to keep up but often becoming separated, sometimes on opposite sides of the river. Some turned back midstream, while the bulls powered ahead – a successful passage always culminating with that triumphant shower of spray as they stopped to shake off after scrambling out of the current.

Another time I experienced an obviously large herd without ever seeing it, evidenced by the mats of caribou hair everywhere. Further proof of its passing was the muddy gravel churned into rubble by thousands of approaching and exiting hooves.

Download The Circle 01.11 to read more.

The Circle 04.10

2010-12-14

Ocean acidification threatening our oceans

Readers of The Circle are accustomed to editorials that frame the issue we're examining in each edition, along with information about WWF solutions and initiatives.

We pride ourselves on being a solutions-oriented organization. However, ocean acidification is too new and the research too incomplete for us to fully understand how to tackle this growing threat to our oceans.

We are working with organizations such as the Catlin Arctic Survey, which you can read about in this edition that spent weeks on the sea ice to conduct research into the effects of ocean acidification. Another article features the team of Dr. Ulf Riebesell, which lugged two tonnes of equipment to Svalbard, then posted 24-hour watches over their experiments aimed at analyzing the impact of acidification on plankton communities.

This sort of cutting edge research will help inform further actions, although it already seems clear that there will be changes to the ecology of the Arctic Ocean, and that the root cause of these changes is the amount of carbon dioxide that people are pumping into the atmosphere.

This is our first concerted effort to tackle ocean acidification at a circumpolar level, and to bring together some of the experts urging and taking action. As Alanna Mitchell writes, "we need to make ocean acidification visible".

The WWF Global Arctic Programme believes that by increasing its visibility here through The Circle, that we are contributing to a solution.

The Circle 03:10

2010-09-13

On the horizon of arctic oil

The Gulf of Mexico and the Arctic don't seem to have much in common. One is located in the midst of human civilisation and is surrounded by millions of people living in a warm tropical climate; the other is characterised by vast expanses of wilderness, an extreme climate of ice, wind and freezing temperatures and ranges from sparsely populated to totally uninhabited space.

Yet despite their differences, the Gulf and the Arctic do have some things in common - one very important thing in the presence of oil, and oil drilling operations that are pushing the very edge of technological capacity. Easy oil is over and the petroleum industry is being forced to plumb the unknown ocean depths for its oil, or to set its rigs amidst the uncertainties of arctic sea ice.

The Arctic is considered one of the largest untapped hydrocarbon reserves on the planet, and it is clear that this area will play a role in the global energy market. It is also clear that as the carbon in the atmosphere steadily erodes the annual extent of arctic sea ice, accessing this oil and gas is becoming less and less theoretical. Unfortunately, what remains theoretical is the technology required to effectively manage the environmental risks that come hand in hand with arctic oil. Up to this point, governments and industry have turned a blind eye to the technological limitations of response capability. The Gulf of Mexico calamity has forced the entire planet to reconsider what is responsible, and where regulators need to step in for the protection of the environment and the people that depend upon it.

But while questions are being asked and commissions formed, drilling is already proceeding in the Arctic. WWF poses the question: "What if the Gulf happens in the Arctic today?" The Indigenous peoples of the Arctic have called this area home for millennia – they need the jobs and prosperity that could be provided by development, but they are increasingly wary of the trade-offs that may accompany industrial development. Viewpoints across the Arctic differ regarding if and when oil should be accessed, but concern is rapidly outweighing a drive for short-term profits. WWF feels that the only logical approach is to call a halt on new drilling until governments, industry, NGOs and the people of the Arctic have time to answer the questions posed in this edition about the safety and sustainability of offshore arctic oil drilling, including its impact on global energy. We believe those who support drilling must be able to demonstrate that such activities are safe and sustainable before drilling plans are approved. Following the report from the US commission into the Gulf spill, a critical decision will lie before arctic governments. WWF is looking forward to working with governments and industry to make sure that the decision taken is the right one.

The Circle 02:10

2010-06-16

Strong voices from the Arctic

Close your eyes and think of the Arctic: what do you see? We're willing to bet you're seeing a picture of a barren white landscape, with maybe an iceberg or two, and a polar bear. In this issue of The Circle, we are inviting you to look closer into your mental picture of the Arctic, and to see the people who inhabit the landscape. People are present here, and they are often intimately affected by changes being triggered in their environments by people living far away.

Who are the people living in the Arctic? How are their lives influenced by the dramatic changes occurring in the region, as temperatures reach record high levels, the sea ice is melting with an alarming speed, and countries and companies compete for access to the wealth of arctic resources? How do people of the North cope with and adapt to these changes, and what is the role of traditional knowledge in these processes today? Is it possible to find a way forward to ensure a balance between resource exploitation on the one hand, and conservation of the Arctic's unique and vulnerable natural values on the other? How do the arctic peoples themselves contribute to these processes?

These are some of the questions we asked in this issue of The Circle, which focuses on arctic peoples, or human response to arctic change.

As always, we have asked for contributions from some of the key people involved in analysing and trying to understand these issues. But most importantly, we have invited people who live in the Arctic to share their perspectives; people from a variety of countries, backgrounds, cultures and professions – from the student/fisherman in Norway to Indigenous leaders and the Premier of Greenland.

According to the Arctic Council, around four million people live in the Arctic. These people are spread out over one sixth of the Earth's landmass and cover 24 time zones, and include over thirty different Indigenous peoples and dozens of languages.

With such a population diversity, we did not expect anything else than a diversity of opinion in terms of what the challenges and solutions are.

But some important trends emerge. The people in today's Arctic are living through some of the most dramatic changes the region has ever experienced. They are in many ways living on the margins of the rest of the world, in terms of geography, but sometimes also in terms of access to resources, decision-making and human development. But as the world is turning its attention to the Arctic and its possibilities and its challenges, the peoples of the North have strong opinions. They want to be included in the discussions and they demand to be listened to. After all, these are the people who can call the Arctic their home.

The Circle 01:10

2010-03-22

Shipping means many things to the various people that live and work in the Arctic, writes Gary Miller, Interim Director, WWF International Arctic Programme.

To local communities it means the seasonal supply of essential provisions. To the fishermen that ply their trade in the Barents Sea it is the means to access and harvest one of the largest sources of white fish on the planet. It is the means to deliver the petroleum and minerals from the far north to the markets of Europe, America and Asia. 'Shipping' could even be used to describe the small craft used by Indigenous communities to harvest fish and marine mammals. Indeed many forms of shipping have been an essential component of human endeavour in the Arctic for hundreds of years.

However, climate change and increasing arctic industry have delivered a new perception of arctic shipping. Headlines in the world's media are announcing the opening of new trade routes in the wake of receding sea ice. The Arctic is proclaimed widely as the world's last untapped hydrocarbon reservoir, and an increasingly important and accessible source of coal and minerals. As the wilderness areas of the world continue to diminish, tourists and explorers are looking to the poles as the ultimate nature experience.

The diversity of shipping in the Arctic goes hand in hand with a diversity of opinion regarding what the future will hold. As usual when producing The Circle, we have asked people from a variety of sectors and backgrounds to outline what they see as the challenges and ways forward for arctic shipping, hoping in this way to fuel international efforts to identify gaps and develop solutions.

The Indigenous perspective on shipping presented here highlights the importance of respecting the rights and livelihoods of the people in the Arctic. The NGO contributors outline the unique natural values of the Arctic and the need for precautionary approaches, given the uncertainties and risks related to arctic shipping. The legal perspectives point out that the current legal regime is left open for interpretation, while also outlining the ongoing processes to ensure better regulation through mandatory measures and a Polar Code for shipping. The national and security perspective contributors outline the attractive economic potential and strategic interests linked to arctic shipping. Finally, the commercial perspective provides a reality check for everyone who thinks that trans-arctic shipping will be the norm before the middle of this century.

While few look at the issue of shipping from the same angle, important trends can be seen. We hope that these trends, facts and opinions will contribute to a better understanding of the shipping challenges that emerge as the ice is melting, and ultimately to governance and industry solutions that will be effective and appropriate for tomorrow's Arctic.

The Circle 04.09

2009-12-14

CORRECTION: Please note that the photo of the bowhead whale on page 19 is taken by Tim Stewart, not Ben Wheeler. Thank you to both photographers for their support, and our apologies for the mistake.

The Circle 03.09

2009-10-06

The Circle 02.09

2009-06-30

The Circle 01.09

2009-04-28

Arctic Bulletin 04.08

2008-12-19

Arctic Bulletin 03.08

2008-09-17

Arctic Bulletin 02.08

2008-05-19

Arctic Bulletin 01.08

2008-02-27