Category Archives: Conservation

Despite the continued clucking of climate sceptics the sea ice in the Arctic is continuing to dwindle each year. Sea ice in the 2011 season represents the second-lowest summer ice extent since records began (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-14945773) and all signs indicate that this retreat will continue.

Some are hailing the retreat as an opportunity – new shipping lanes are emerging and resources historically guarded by impenetrable ice are now opening up. Soon the millions of barrels of oil and gas locked beneath the Arctic seafloor will be ripe for the taking. Super tankers will be able to carry the precious fuel though the dwindling ice fields to western markets were we can pump this Arctic gift into our SUVs and trucks to burn. Some will wrinkle their noses as the fumes of Arctic oil scratch at their sinuses as the carbon escapes our exhausts to join the army of anthropogenic gases circling above our planet to continue the attack on the ice.

As the sea ice of the Arctic grows and shrinks with the seasons it seems a slowly flapping white flag signalling the surrender of the sea ice – an easy flag to ignore as it is well beyond the sight
of most of humanity …. and it gets a little smaller every year. But the surrender of the ice is seen by some eyes.

The Arctic is not entirely barren – indigenous people have called the frozen north home for thousands of years and to local communities the retreat of the ice represents the retreat of a lifestyle that defines them. The lost ice means that many of the animals that the Arctic people rely upon are also lost. Certainly, there are also opportunities that come in the wake of the retreating ice…. but what good is a fist full of oil stained cash when the larder is empty?

And, of course there are other less human eyes that see the retreating ice. Though comprehension may be beyond animals such as the polar bear and the walrus, the ice unravelling beneath their paws and their flippers may be flagging the end of their species. Many arctic animals depend upon ice as a platform for breeding or hunting in the short summers of the north. No ice may mean there is no future for many of the species we love to see in our BBC documentaries – a disappointment for many lounge chair naturalists certainly, but a disaster for the species involved.

For two in the blue the retreat of the ice may make our trip north next year a little easier, less ice means the way is clear to explore more of the amazing coastlines of Svalbard and Greenland. A thrill for us certainly, but ultimately a poor consolation prize.  In a way it feels like we are joining the gold rush flocking north in the wake of the ice – joining the industrialists sailing north to seek their fortunes amidst the remnants of the ice. I only hope that we leave the Arctic a better place when we turn south again. We head north to records the surrender of the sea ice, and I hope that a few may listen to the cry for mercy.

Well, only a couple of days before the water is once again cradling Widdershins and I begin sailing south towards my rendezvous with Leonie in Kristiansand late in May. It’s been a long week of re-fitting Widdershins with new equipment and servicing all the various parts that will keep us safe on the seas. However, waking early to the sound of seagulls wheeling around and the gentle spring sun of Norway has been a pleasure, albeit I feel just a little grotty having been covered with oil, pain and various other substances for the past few days.

As I speak on oil, I should also divert to mention that while I am ok with my own person being covered with a horrible black mess I am definitely not happy with the prospect of an oil spill in the Arctic. After the mess in the gulf of Mexico last year the world called strongly for a halt on oil exploration in the Arctic and the need to prevent a similar disaster in this pristine part of the world where the wildlife is far more vulnerable to a spill and where the physical conditions make it almost impossible to either engage in a spill response similar to the Gulf (as there are no facilities and few people or boats capable of aiding). Similarly the weather conditions and sever climate mean that most of our technology for cleaning spills simply won’t work here which in my mind suggests we should simply keep out until we can show the capability of adequately responding to a spill here. Better yet, the world should take note of the universal call for alternative energies and keep out completely. It seems just a little short sighted to drill for every last drop of oil before we finally take the initiative to look elsewhere for our energy and the health of our planet.

Meanwhile, as the universal concern over the Gulf fades into our short media memory, sights are being turned back towards the Arctic – towards profit and resource security for the nations that circle this wilderness. Greenpeace have just abandoned their protest of the drilling platform heading to Greenland due to weather conditions that should be a reminder to the operators that this is not a safe place to drill. In the US Thad Allen, the government point person for the Gulf response while acknowledging the various concerns has not ruled out further exploration and drilling the Alaskan Arctic (http://www.star-telegram.com/2011/04/30/3039017/arctic-oil-spill-could-be-more.html). In the meantime Shell’s existing lease in the Chukchi Sea is still planning on being operational by 2012 despite all the risks and inadequate technology.

As for the oil I will be carrying on Widdershins we will have a strict zero discharge policy to make sure we don’t contribute to any spills or impacts in the Arctic. More importantly perhaps, wherever possible we will not be using diesel – we are in no rush and the wind supplies ample energy to get us around and see this fantastic wilderness. Besides …wind is free.

As I paint the hull of Widdershins with a thick coat of black antifouling paint it is worth thinking of the journey before us and the vestiges that we will leave behind us. The paint, you see, is an antifouling paint containing toxic copper compounds that prevent animals settling on the hull and slowing us down. Perhaps more importantly, the paint stops marine species from here in Norway catching a ride with us to the Arctic and ultimately even to the American continent. Having spent years as a scientist researching the types of impacts such alien hitchhikers can cause I am determined that our venture into the remote extremes of the earth will not be the vector for an invasion that will cause havoc to the natural environment. On the other hand, we will be heading north with a coat of toxic paint designed to slowly leach into the water. A bit of a conundrum. Some paints such as Tributyl-tin (TBT) have been internationally banned due to their toxic effects and though we aren’t using such strong toxins, copper paints have also been found to cause impacts in high concentrations.

Meanwhile, the University of Alberta has recently found toxic levels of mercury in the Arctic ocean http://www.montrealgazette.com/health/Deadly+form+mercury+found
+Arctic+waters+researchers/4691544/story.html – and to show how unpredictable these things can be. The origin of these toxins, which reached the oceans via our industry and coal burning plants, was originally a non-toxic form that unfortunately transformed into a killer neurotoxin that will affect not only Arctic wildlife but also the Inuit people that depend upon them. Remember also that the Arctic is one of the largest sources of whitefish for the entire planet!

As for me, I’m currently liberally covered with the toxic paint myself, not being the neatest painter on earth, so I guess I’ll be the first to suffer, but it is a reminder that when we set forth into the pristine frontiers of the globe we need to pause and consider all details to make sure we leave it in the same state we found it. In our case I hope we can leave it even a little better!