Tag: arctic

The great retreat: Climate change is pushing the muskox back north -can they keep up?

40 years of data show that climate change in the Arctic is forcing muskoxen to find new habitats. And it is not alone - other species must do the same

Why the new Arctic 'Cold War' is a dangerous myth

OPINION: Discussing “a new Cold War” detracts from the broader roles that militaries play throughout the Arctic and stokes the very tensions it warns of.

The Arctic: we don’t know as much about environmental change in the far north as we'd like to think

The region is warming faster than anywhere else on Earth and its polar bears and melting glaciers have become a key symbols of climate change. But the Arctic, it seems, is not as well researched as you might think.

Can nature clean up oil spills in the Arctic?

Oil-eating microbes often perform the bulk of the clean-up after an oil spill. But we might not be able to rely on these bacteria to clean up oil in the cold Arctic.

One quarter of the Arctic is a hotbed for overlooked greenhouse gas

New study shows how thawing Arctic peat releases large quantities of nitrous oxide—an overlooked greenhouse gas that is almost 300 times more powerful than carbon dioxide.

Climate scientists build laboratory under the ice with a balloon

Climate scientists working in Greenland can now construct field laboratories using a giant balloon. The result is a hall under the ice suitable for scientists and visiting tourists.

Four big changes in the Arctic and what to do about them

“The Arctic is heading for a train wreck” and the window to confront the worst of these changes is narrowing, say scientists behind a recent report. Here is what we can do.

Why is China so quiet in negotiations about fisheries in the central Arctic Ocean?

OPINION: Non-Arctic states such as China must be involved in regulatory efforts to achieve sustainable management of fisheries in the Arctic Ocean.

When will the Arctic be ice free?

Sea ice is declining rapidly and the prospect of an ice-free Arctic is drawing ever closer. But when will it happen? We cut through the headlines to bring you the facts.

Arctic plants help cool the planet

GREENLAND: Global warming is making Arctic plants release compounds that might help cool the planet. But don’t expect it to outpace global warming.

Chemical pollution is causing brain damage in polar bears

Toxic chemicals end up in the Arctic where they cause brain damage in polar bears. They could even affect humans, scientists warn.

Chemical pollution is causing polar bear penises to break

Polar bears' penis bones are eroded by chemical pollution. So much that it might break during intercourse, scientists warn.

Arctic bacteria converts mercury

Bacteria in the Arctic converts harmful mercury to less harmful, airborne mercury. This helps protect polar bears and seals from poisonous human emissions.

Inuit drum history longer than realised

Two 4,500 year-old pieces of frozen wood found in Greenland have added a couple of thousand years to the history of the Inuit drum. But they help little in revealing the drums’ origin.