News
A renewed call to protect arctic seas.
Montreal step
Real progress was made at the Montreal climate talks in December as governments finalised the ground rules for the first phase of the Kyoto Protocol.
CryoSat Mission lost
The European Space Agency’s (ESA) CryoSat Mission, which was designed to gather and analyse data on sea ice thickness in the Arctic, ended in failure in October due to an anomaly in the launch sequence.
Prince Albert II of Monaco to visit North Pole
His Serene Highness Prince Albert II of Monaco will embark on an expedition to the North Pole in April 2006.
Caribou numbers decline
A population survey by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources in Canada’s Northwest Territories (NWT) has revealed ann 80 percent decline in the Bluenose West caribou herd.
Bear legislation
Legislation to protect polar bears in Alaska and Chukotka in north-east Russia is being crafted by Republican Alaska Senator Ted Stevens, chairman of the US Senate Commerce Committee.
Killer whales most toxic
Initial scientific results show Norwegian killer whales are the most toxic mammals in the Arctic.
Clean coast boost
The likelihood of protecting the vulnerable Norwegian Barents Sea coast from the worst ravages of an oil spill were increased in November when WWF trained the first group of oil spill clean-up volunteers in northern Norway.
Mackenzie update
Imperial Oil executives recently announced that the company and its partners in the Mackenzie Gas Pipeline are ready to move to public hearings, content that sufficient progress has been made in negotiations with northern aboriginal groups over financial rewards, rights to jobs and business opportunities.
The Arctic Bulletin is a quarterly magazine produced by the WWF International Arctic Programme. Its goal is to inform decision-makers, scientists and the interested public about arctic environmental and development issues. It is distributed free to around 4,000 arctic stakeholders worldwide, including government officials and publicly-elected representatives, indigenous organisations, conservationists, scientists, NGOs, libraries, and business executives. While communicating WWF’s goals and work, the magazine’s editorial team strives for editorial independence and objectivity, and actively solicits independent articles and interviews from policy-makers, including aboriginal leaders; government officials; scientists and NGOs throughout the Arctic. For further information about the Arctic Bulletin, or to contribute an article, please contact Nigel Allan, nallan@wwf.no.
A study of little auks will provide a valuable insight into how climate change is impacting arctic species.
A remote refuge in the Bering Sea
Last summer, the WWF’s Margaret Williams visited St Matthew and Hall Islands, in the northern Bering Sea, two of the most remote outposts of the Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge. This is her report.
Climate stories from the Russian Arctic
Indigenous communities in one of the most remote regions in Russia are witnessing climate change. In the spring of 2005, Tero Mustonen and a team from Snowchange visited Nizhnikolymsky in the Russian Arctic to learn more.
Connected to the Arctic: Linking Mesopotamia to the Arctic
Satellite tracking helps plot the path of the lesser white-fronted goose. The WWF’s Petteri Tolvanen reports.
Arctic melt accelerating
For the fourth consecutive year, scientists using satellite data have tracked a stunning reduction in arctic sea ice at the end of the northern summer. Stephanie Renfrow of the National Snow and Ice Data Centre reports.
Killer whales’ toxic load
Norwegian killer whales are some of the most toxic mammals in the Arctic according to new research. Hans Wolkers, a researcher with the Norwegian Polar Institute, carried out research in 2002 and in the early winter of 2005 in Tysfjord, Norway.
Northern youth take a stand
The young of the Arctic are speaking out on issues that will affect their future. Jenn Sharman of the Arctic Indigenous Youth Alliance (AIYA) in Canada, and Verner Wilson of Alaska Youth for Environmental Action (AYEA) in Alaska, report on the growing youth movement to build a sustainable future in the Arctic.