Polar News and Notes Current News

Recently, we introduced Elaina Wahl, a Columbus, OH teen and the Columbus Zoo’s first Arctic Ambassador. We’re pleased to report that Elaina is now in Churchill, Manitoba, for Polar Bears International’s Polar Bear Leadership Camp. Elaina is meeting students from across the country, learning about polar bears and conservation, and preparing to return to Columbus as the […]

From late March to the middle of August, scientists and others at Antarctica research stations were resigned to no air service during the months without sunlight. A C-17 Globemaster III changed all that in September by landing at McMurdo Station in complete darkness using night-vision goggles technology and reflective cones on the runway.
The mission was […]

A trio of seal-sniffing dogs was featured in the September issue of Current, a monthly newsletter of the National Science Foundation. Marine biologist Brendan P. Kelly and researchers at the University of Alaska Southeast use the three Labrador retrievers to locate ringed seals in the sea ice of the far north.
Researchers are seeking to […]

The Polar-Palooza tour of presentations at science centers and natural history museums continues this fall with stops scheduled from coast to coast (see schedule below).
Three-day presentations in major U.S. cities feature scientists who are working in polar research, authentic props, such as a piece of ice core over 2,000 years old and fossilized wood […]

In conjunction with Polar Bears International and in celebration of the Year of the Polar Bear, the Columbus Zoo has selected Elaina Wahl as their Arctic Ambassador. Elaina agreed to share her experiences with Beyond Penguins and Polar Bears and is today’s guest blogger!
Hi, my name is Elaina Wahl, and I’m a junior at Bishop […]

Small islands in the South Pacific and the Caribbean as well as islands and coastal communities in the Arctic consider themselves to be weather vanes of global environmental change. All are carrying out research and assessments of expected changes to their regions. Now they are working together in a program called Many Strong Voices to […]

Predictions of how much seas will rise as a result of climate change continue to differ. Some say the global seas will rise by 20 feet or more by the end of this century. Now the University of Colorado at Boulder has issued a study concluding that the seas cannot rise more than 6 feet.
The […]

Bangladesh, a South Asian country that believes climate change is responsible for repeated natural disasters, is asking rich nations to pay four billion dollars to repair present and future damage. Environment Secretary A.H.M. Rezaul cites a World Bank study and climate scientists in placing the blame on the big carbon emitters.
Located on the Bay of […]

Melting glaciers in mountain ranges are expected to reveal a lot about past periods of climate change on our planet. Recently, they are also revealing clues about the travels and lives of early people.
The melting glacier at Schnidejoch pass, 9,000 feet above sea level in the Swiss Alps, has exposed objects dating back as far […]

The National Ice Center reported last week that a passageway opened up due to retreating sea ice in the Arctic Ocean, rendering an open ring of potentially navigable ocean around the Arctic ice cap. According to the National Ice Center, “This is the first recorded occurrence of the Northwest Passage and Northern Sea Route both […]