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Future Arctic

Author: Edward Struzik

Publisher: Island Press

Published: 2015-02-03

Total Pages: 214

ISBN-13: 1610914406

In one hundred years, or even fifty, the Arctic will look dramatically different than it does today. As polar ice retreats and animals and plants migrate northward, the arctic landscape is morphing into something new and very different from what it once was. While these changes may seem remote, they will have a profound impact on a host of global issues, from international politics to animal migrations. In Future Arctic, journalist and explorer Edward Struzik offers a clear-eyed look at the rapidly shifting dynamics in the Arctic region, a harbinger of changes that will reverberate throughout our entire world. Future Arctic reveals the inside story of how politics and climate change are altering the polar world in a way that will have profound effects on economics, culture, and the environment as we know it. Struzik takes readers up mountains and cliffs, and along for the ride on snowmobiles and helicopters, sailboats and icebreakers. His travel companions, from wildlife scientists to military strategists to indigenous peoples, share diverse insights into the science, culture and geopolitical tensions of this captivating place. With their help, Struzik begins piecing together an environmental puzzle: How might the land’s most iconic species—caribou, polar bears, narwhal—survive? Where will migrating birds flock to? How will ocean currents shift? And what fundamental changes will oil and gas exploration have on economies and ecosystems? How will vast unclaimed regions of the Arctic be divided? A unique combination of extensive on-the-ground research, compelling storytelling, and policy analysis, Future Arctic offers a new look at the changes occurring in this remote, mysterious region and their far-reaching effects.

Sustainable Shipping in a Changing Arctic

Author: Lawrence P. Hildebrand

Publisher: Springer

Published: 2018-08-11

Total Pages: 486

ISBN-13: 3319784250

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This volume brings together multiple perspectives on both the changing Arctic environment and the challenges and opportunities it presents for the shipping sector. It argues for the adoption of a forward-looking agenda that respects the fragile and changing Arctic frontier. With the accelerated interest in and potential for new maritime trade routes, commercial transportation and natural resource development, the pressures on the changing Arctic marine environment will only increase. The International Maritime Organization Polar Code is an important step toward Arctic stewardship. This new volume serves as an important guide to this rapidly developing agenda. Addressing a range of aspects, it offers a valuable resource for academics, practitioners, environmentalists and affected authorities in the shipping industry alike.

The Changing Arctic Environment

Author: David P. Stone

Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Published: 2015-02-16

Total Pages: 375

ISBN-13: 1316300447

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This accessible and engagingly written book describes how national and international scientific monitoring programmes brought to light our present understanding of Arctic environmental change, and how these research results were successfully used to achieve international legal actions to lessen some of the environmental impacts. David P. Stone was intimately involved in many of these scientific and political activities. He tells a powerful story, using the metaphor of the 'Arctic Messenger' - an imaginary being warning us all of the folly of ignoring Arctic environmental change. This book will be of great interest to anyone concerned about the fate of the Arctic, including lifelong learners interested in the Arctic and the natural environment generally; students studying environmental science and policy; researchers of circumpolar studies, indigenous peoples, national and international environmental management, and environmental law; and policymakers and industry professionals looking to protect (or exploit) Arctic resources.

Whither the Arctic Ocean?

Author: Guillermo Auad

Publisher: Fundacion BBVA

Published: 2021-05-01

Total Pages: 264

ISBN-13: 8492937823

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Climate change in the Arctic Ocean has stirred a remarkable surge of interest and concern. Study after study has revealed the astonishing speed of physical, chemical, ecological, and economic change throughout the expanse of the Arctic. What is more, the consequences of the changing Arctic are not restricted to the Arctic itself, but affect everyone in the Northern Hemisphere, ranging as they do from extreme weather to resource availability and food security, with implications for politics, economics, and sociology. The challenge is to comprehend the full extent and variety of these consequences, and meeting this challenge will demand a multi- and transdisciplinary understanding. Only by this means can we hope to map out a knowledge-based ecosystem and move toward knowledge-based resource management—the essential precondition for any sustainable future. In this book, leading international experts, from many felds of science and across the entire pan-Arctic region, give their specifc takes on where the Arctic Ocean is heading. All have taken care in their writing not to exclude non-experts, in the conviction that multi- and transdisciplinarity can only be achieved when communication and outreach are not tribal in nature. The recurrent guiding theme throughout these pages is “Whith -er the Arctic Ocean?” Taken in concert, the essays synthesize the current state of scientifc knowledge to project how climate change may impact on the Arctic Ocean and the continents around it. How can and how should we prepare for the imminent future that is already lapping at the threshold of the commons? What readers will hopefully take from this multi- and transdisciplinary endeavor is not the individual perspective of each contribution, but the picture that emerges across the entire suite of essays. As we move into a near future that will encompass both the probable and surprises, this book attempts to conjure the multi-dimensional space in which a sustainable future must be brought into being.

Arctic Matters

Author: National Research Council

Publisher: National Academies Press

Published: 2014-04-13

Total Pages: 37

ISBN-13: 0309371619

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Viewed in satellite images as a jagged white coat draped over the top of the globe, the high Arctic appears distant and isolated. But even if you don't live there, don't do business there, and will never travel there, you are closer to the Arctic than you think. Arctic Matters: The Global Connection to Changes in the Arctic is a new educational resource produced by the Polar Research Board of the National Research Council (NRC). It draws upon a large collection of peer-reviewed NRC reports and other national and international reports to provide a brief, reader-friendly primer on the complex ways in which the changes currently affecting the Arctic and its diverse people, resources, and environment can, in turn, affect the entire globe. Topics in the booklet include how climate changes currently underway in the Arctic are a driver for global sea-level rise, offer new prospects for natural resource extraction, and have rippling effects through the world's weather, climate, food supply and economy.

Changing Arctic Ocean

Author: Roxana Sühring

Publisher: Frontiers Media SA

Published: 2021-05-25

Total Pages: 158

ISBN-13: 2889668770

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The Arctic is the most northern part of our Earth. It is a huge area that spans over several countries including; Canada, Denmark (Greenland), Finland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden, Russia, and the USA. However, the largest part of the Arctic is not on land but is covered by water – the Arctic Ocean. For hundreds of thousands of years, large parts of the Arctic Ocean were covered by ice all year around. Many animals, such as polar bears, Arctic foxes, seals, fish and birds, and even some people have made this icy place their home. They have learned to live with the ice, and some animals even need it to live. But recently, things in the Arctic have been changing. You have probably already heard a lot about Climate Change. Climate Change impacts the long-term weather (climate) everywhere on our planet. Many areas get warmer, some get colder, and everywhere we see more extreme or unusual weather, such as storms, floods or droughts. But nowhere is Climate Change happening as fast as in the Arctic. You might have also heard about the “2°C goal”. This is a goal that many governments around the world have agreed to. The plan is essentially to make sure the average global warming of our atmosphere stays at less than 2°C compared to what people like to call “pre-industrial time” (the year 1948 is used as a reference). Right now, most of the world is at around 0.8°C warming. In the Arctic, we are already at 2.3°C warming – that is 0.3°C above what should be the absolute maximum according to the “2°C goal”. Now you probably ask why it is so bad that the Arctic is getting a bit warmer. That should make it a nicer place to live, right? Unfortunately, the warm temperature means that the ice that has covered the Arctic Ocean for all this time is melting. It looks like that will change the Arctic Ocean forever and with it the animals and people that call the Arctic their home. In this collection, we want to tell you what we, as scientists, know about the changes in the Arctic; how we investigate these changes and what we have learned from our travels to the Arctic and the analyses we do in our research institutes. We will tell you about how the higher temperatures in the Arctic change the ice. How very tiny animals can have a huge impact. We want to introduce you to life in the ice, under the ice, and at the seafloor. We will talk about processes that make the Arctic Ocean so special and chemicals that can travel from our homes and cities all the way to the Arctic.

Understanding Present and Past Arctic Environments

Author: Neloy Khare

Publisher: Elsevier

Published: 2021-08-20

Total Pages: 520

ISBN-13: 0128230789

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Understanding Present and Past Arctic Environments: An Integrated Approach from Climate Change Perspectives provides a fully comprehensive overview of the past, present and future outlook for this incredibly diverse and important region. Through a series of contributed chapters, the book explores changes to this environment that are attributed to the effects of climate change. The book explores the current effects climate change has had on Arctic environments and ecosystems, our current understanding of the effects climate change is having, the effects climate change is having on the atmospheric and ocean processes in this region. The Arctic region is predicted to experience the earliest and most pronounced global warming response to human-induced climatic change, thus a better understanding is vital. Presents a thorough understanding of the Arctic, it’s past, present and future Provides an integrated assessment of the Arctic climate system, recognizing that a true understanding of its functions lies in appreciating the interactions and linkages among its various components Brings together many of the world's leading Arctic researchers to describe this diverse environment and its ecology

Arctic Thaw

Author: Stephanie Sammartino McPherson

Publisher: Twenty-First Century Books

Published: 2014-10-01

Total Pages: 64

ISBN-13: 1467747882

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Ice in the Arctic is disappearing—and opportunity is calling. As climate change transforms the top of the world, warmer conditions are exposing a treasure trove of energy resources previously trapped in ice. The Arctic's oil, natural gas, minerals, and even wind and hydroelectric power are becoming more accessible than ever before. With untold riches hanging in the balance, the race is on to control the Arctic and its energy potential. Oil companies vie for drilling rights that go to the highest bidder. Nations around the globe—whether they're on the Arctic's doorstep or half a world away—hope to claim territory for themselves. And the indigenous peoples who have called this region home for thousands of years are determined to be on the ground floor of its development. But the Arctic's new possibilities come with grave risks. The pursuit of oil and natural gas threatens to further damage the Arctic's fragile ecosystems and accelerate global warming worldwide. International disputes over who owns which pieces of the Arctic could bring countries to the brink of war. The fate of the entire planet may hinge on how far people are willing to go to tap and control the Far North's energy resources. From oil rigs to military bases, the Arctic has never before hosted so many warring interests, and the stakes have never been so high. Join Stephanie Sammartino McPherson on a journey to the Far North to explore the energy controversies that will decide the future of the Arctic—and of the earth.

The Arctic in the Anthropocene

Author: National Research Council

Publisher: National Academies Press

Published: 2014-07-31

Total Pages: 240

ISBN-13: 0309301866

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Once ice-bound, difficult to access, and largely ignored by the rest of the world, the Arctic is now front and center in the midst of many important questions facing the world today. Our daily weather, what we eat, and coastal flooding are all interconnected with the future of the Arctic. The year 2012 was an astounding year for Arctic change. The summer sea ice volume smashed previous records, losing approximately 75 percent of its value since 1980 and half of its areal coverage. Multiple records were also broken when 97 percent of Greenland's surface experienced melt conditions in 2012, the largest melt extent in the satellite era. Receding ice caps in Arctic Canada are now exposing land surfaces that have been continuously ice covered for more than 40,000 years. What happens in the Arctic has far-reaching implications around the world. Loss of snow and ice exacerbates climate change and is the largest contributor to expected global sea level rise during the next century. Ten percent of the world's fish catches comes from Arctic and sub-Arctic waters. The U.S. Geological Survey estimated that up to 13 percent of the world's remaining oil reserves are in the Arctic. The geologic history of the Arctic may hold vital clues about massive volcanic eruptions and the consequent release of massive amount of coal fly ash that is thought to have caused mass extinctions in the distant past. How will these changes affect the rest of Earth? What research should we invest in to best understand this previously hidden land, manage impacts of change on Arctic communities, and cooperate with researchers from other nations? The Arctic in the Anthropocene reviews research questions previously identified by Arctic researchers, and then highlights the new questions that have emerged in the wake of and expectation of further rapid Arctic change, as well as new capabilities to address them. This report is meant to guide future directions in U.S. Arctic research so that research is targeted on critical scientific and societal questions and conducted as effectively as possible. The Arctic in the Anthropocene identifies both a disciplinary and a cross-cutting research strategy for the next 10 to 20 years, and evaluates infrastructure needs and collaboration opportunities. The climate, biology, and society in the Arctic are changing in rapid, complex, and interactive ways. Understanding the Arctic system has never been more critical; thus, Arctic research has never been more important. This report will be a resource for institutions, funders, policy makers, and students. Written in an engaging style, The Arctic in the Anthropocene paints a picture of one of the last unknown places on this planet, and communicates the excitement and importance of the discoveries and challenges that lie ahead.

Changes in the Arctic Environment and the Law of the Sea

Author: Myron Nordquist

Publisher: BRILL

Published: 2010-05-03

Total Pages: 624

ISBN-13: 9004187391

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Changes in the Arctic Environment and the Law of the Sea is based on the 33rd Annual Conference of the Center for Oceans Law and Policy, a primary sponsor, along with the Law of the Sea Institute of Iceland as well as with the U.S. Arctic Commission, the University of Alaska (Fairbanks) and the Law of the Sea Institute, Law School (Boalt Hall), University of California, Berkeley.