The expansion of an iron ore mine in the Arctic that would have increased shipping and led to the “complete extirpation of narwhal” from the region has been blocked. After four years of consultations and deliberations, the Nunavut Impact Review Board rejected a request from Baffinland Iron Mines Corp asking to significantly increase mining on […]
Tag: Arctic
Climate crisis behind drastic drop in Arctic wildlife populations – report
A drastic drop in caribou and shorebird populations is a reflection of the dire changes unfolding on the Arctic tundra, according to a new report from the Arctic Council. The terrestrial Arctic spans approximately 2.7m sq miles (7m sq km), marked by extreme cold, drought, strong winds and seasonal darkness. Species living in this environment […]
“Pizzly” Bears Found in Arctic
Live Science reports that a new species of bear, “Pizzly” bears are now being found in the Arctic. Scientists believe the hybrid polar-grizzly bears are partly due to climate change. Polar bears, which are listed as endangered, have started breeding with grizzly bears, which is making “pizzly” bears, scientists shared. Starving polar bears have […]
Petition: Arctic Animals Movement Patterns Shifting Due to Climate Change
A study funded by NASA has recently determined that wildlife in the Arctic are responding to climate change in different ways. This has researchers worried that entire ecosystems could be disrupted. “The Arctic is showing more extreme indications of climate change,” said study co-author Gil Bohrer. The team analyzed data from the Arctic Animal Movement […]
Petition: Polar Bear Dens in the Arctic Threatened by Oil Industry
Polar bears use dens to give birth and care for their young. The location of these dens is already endangered due to climate change and changing geographical landscapes. A new study has found that these dens are also disturbed by oil companies’ activities in the Arctic. The study examined disturbances between 1979 to 2016 and […]
Listening to marine mammals is helping scientists understand Arctic impacts of climate change
A 4-year bioacoustic study of marine mammals in the northern Bering Sea will help scientists track the impacts of global climate change on Arctic ecosystems. Researchers with WCS (Wildlife Conservation Society), Columbia University, Southall Environmental Associates, and the University of Washington wanted to understand how seasonal variation in sea surface temperatures and sea ice affect […]
I’ve Seen the Many Wonders of Arctic Alaska. We Must Keep Our Protected Areas Free From Drilling.
On a July day several years ago, I sat on the spine of a hill in the northern foothills of the Brooks Range on Alaska’s North Slope and watched 15,000 caribou stream around me, some just a few yards away. I could hear their clicking feet, their untroubled breathing, and their rough coughs so closely […]
Thousands of Dead Seabirds Washed Up on Alaska’s Shores Again This Year
The first reports came in May. They were sparse, but enough to put seabird-monitoring coordinator Hillary Burgess on edge. “Here we go again,” she thought. By late June, almost every time she checked her inbox, yet more news of washed-up seabirds on the Alaskan coast greeted her. Volunteers had collected nearly 9,200 seabird carcasses by early […]