Eye on the Arctic 2010 Roundup

Wednesday, 22 December 2010 15:01 Written by Ingrid Hein

In fact, 2010 was an exciting year for the Arctic –period.

A lot happened in the North – and while the melting ice dominates all else, the geopolitical, cultural, and developmental changes are all equally important when we try to understand our changing world from an Arctic viewpoint.

In an interview with Discover at the end of 2009, Geographer Mark Serreze talked about how change in the Arctic plays a leading role in the future of the planet we inhabit.

"The Arctic is a wickedly complex system, and there are all these cascading effects. Change in itself isn't always that bad. Look at the great ice ages of the past. The key here is how rapidly the change will unfold. Do I fear for the extinction of the human species? No, but you can say good-bye to a lot of species that we have today. We're looking at a different world. That world is coming fast, and the Arctic is leading the way."

---

2010 marks the end of a decade that saw the dramatic acceleration of the loss of sea ice. From 2000 to 2010, about two million square kilometres of sea ice melted. Just to compare, in the two previous decades, less than a million square kilometres were lost.

Business and Culture

Inuit hunters have had to adapt to the new environment, and develop new hunting techniques. Wildlife is adapting too; in some cases thriving, and in others, seeing a decline in numbers. In some cases, the Inuit traditional hunt -essential to Inuit survival- clashed with southern culture and policy, most notably, the EU ban on seal products. Our feature story Sealskins on Ice talks about the seal ban and how it affects the Inuit economy and culture.

Eye on the Arctic also put other aspects of Arctic indigenous business culture into perspective. Contributions from our Swedish media partners focused on how Sami reindeer herders are affected by changes in climate while attempting to work with new growing wind farm business and how their interests clash.

The changing climate is also reflected in Arctic arts and culture - Swedish artist Britta Marakatt Labba Marakatt Labba wove her insight into climate change into her sculptures, tapestries, and even church vestments. We produced a feature series on how Canadian Inuit artists  - known worldwide for traditiona prints and carvings - are producing contemporary art more reflective of today's realities in the North. The New Raw series explores how art is reflecting changing Inuit social and cultural change.

A film released by ISUMA called Inuit Knowledge and Climate Change also puts the face of the changing Arctic tundra into perspective this year. Observations by Inuit elders are helping scientists better understand what is happening, as they reveal empirical evidence of drastic changes.

Arctic Boundary Agreements

Probably the most notable Arctic geopolitical event of 2010 was the signing of an historic document between Norway and Russia, defining the Russian-Norwegian border in the Barents Sea and the Arctic Ocean, and removing a moratorium on the development of oil and gas deposits on the Arctic shelf. Not long after, Canada stated its intention to prove its rights to the underwater Lomonosov Ridge, where Russia is also laying claim.

The Voice of Russia offered Eye on the Arctic continuous stories on how Russia is exploring and establishing their Arctic claim, and how Arctic geopolitics may reshape the global map.

Our geopolitics blogger Heather Exner-Pirot kept us up-to-date continually on what new agreements and claims mean by putting them in context.

Oil

The Arctic became an important peripheral conversation following the BP Oil Disaster. Oil companies' ability to properly clean up a spill in the North, given the dark, cold, remote nature of Arctic oil extraction continues to be an important question as new oil exploration and developments evolve. This story will continue to be at the forefront of all new Arctic oil exploration.

Our Alaska, USA partners kept us continually abreast of how northern Americans are coping with cultural political and environmental changes and how oil, policy and the changing climate are drastically affecting Alaska's future.

The Canadian National Energy Board's approval of the $16.2 billion Mackenzie Valley Pipeline project is notable too, as its approval follows 40 years of discussion and inquiry.

2010 was also The Year of the Inuit. Many of our feature stories were focused around how Inuit life is being altered by not only the climate, but also by the politics as the world becomes increasingly interested in the North.

Eye on the Arctic intends to be there to document how our world is changing, by bringing our audience stories from the front lines of climate change, with our circumpolar partners, and our increasing contributors to the site.

It was a good year to launch Eye on the Arctic. This is the year that has truly put the realities of climate change on the map. We hope to keep you informed with insight on Arctic life into 2011.

Happy New Year.