July
14, 2006
Circumpolar world
celebrates midsummer in style
Countries across the European Arctic each have their own special way of celebrating
the summer solstice or midsummer.
The longest day of the year is June 21, but midsummer celebrations started
June 23 this year and continued throughout the weekend.
Decorating a midsummer pole, singing traditional songs and folk dancing are
among the Swedish customs. A meal of potatoes, pickled herring and local vodka
follows.
The St. Hans-tradition in Norway includes setting small fires at edge of fiord
grilling meat, sausages or fish over the bonfires.
Juhannus Päivä in Finland means a sauna (wood-fired steambaths),
bonfires, good food and drink, and family. But every year about 10 Finns drink
too much and drown, either by falling out of boats or swimming while intoxicated.
In the old days, people in the Russian countryside celebrated "Ivan Kupala
Day." They burned fires, jumped over the flames and went searching for
treasures under the ferns thought to bloom only on midsummer night.
July
14, 2006
Greenland bans narwhal
exports
Greenland has slapped a ban on all narwhal products, with a few exceptions.
"The decision becomes effective immediately, however, previously issued
permissions may still be used," say a June 16 announcement on the decision.
This ban applies to jewelry and art objects made from narwhal tusk. Whole teeth
are also covered by the ban.
"Since the ban becomes effective immediately, tourists visiting Greenland
this year may no longer repatriate handicraft or other items including narwhal
tusk or other parts of the animal," says the announcement.
However, residents of Greenland will still be able to buy narwhal products,
and be able to export the products in connection with the moving of household
effects. And residents will still be able to bring personal jewelry and possessions
from travel abroad.
"However, the effects brought along must be brought back to Greenland,"
says the ruling.
The reason for the ban is that the Greenland Institute of Natural Resources
cannot document that "exports are without importance to the catch."
"As the catch is also not deemed sustainable since it exceeds the recommendations
from international advice, it can therefore not be ruled out that exports of
narwhal products contribute to harming the Greenlandic population of narwhals,"
says the announcement.
According to researchers and international marine mammal management bodies,=
the narwhal population in Greenland has declined to only 25 per cent of its
original size. There may be as few as 1,500 narwhal left - down from a population
of about 30,000 not so long ago.
The ban follows moves by the Committee on the Trade of Endangered Species,
CITES, to severely limit narwhal trade.
Greenlandic exports of narwhal products have already been subjected to limits
in relation to the European Union. With the decision by the Greenland Home Rule
Government, tourists' export of narwhal products to EU countries is now also
included.
The ban is considered temporary, says the announcement, and will be maintained
as long as it cannot be ruled out that exports "may harm our narwhal population."
July
7, 2006
Greenland's ice sheet
- smaller than ever
The Greenland ice sheet
reached a record in total melt extent in 2005.
June melting varies considerably
from year to year, but so far the melting this June is looking quite similar,
reports LiveScience.
A satellite image of the
west coast of Greenland, taken by NASA's Terra satellite on June 26, shows the
melt zone along the edge of the Greenland ice sheet.
Unlike the bright, uniform
white of the ice farther inland, the melt zone appears in shades of gray when
it is becoming saturated with water, and gray-blue melt ponds dot the fringes
of the melt zone.
The ponds can cause even
more destruction to the ice sheet. That's because as the water in the ponds
works its way down to the base of the ice, it eases the friction between the
ice and the underlying rock, allowing the ice to move toward the sea more quickly.
Glaciologists estimate
that the melting of the Greenland ice sheet typically reaches its peak around
July 20 each year.
If Greenland's ice sheet
were to completely melt, it would raise world sea levels by several metres.
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