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The world's northernmost alternative newspaper Vol. 9, Issue 1 January 3, 2017 www.icepeople.net 'Longyearbyen at its best:' Modern SVALBARD'S 10 STRANGEST STORIES OF 2016 tragedies, triumphs part of traditional tributes during Syttende Mai celebration Page 7

“ To believe that the governor can rescue people out, regardless of circumstances, is wrong. There is no guarantee for that. - Per Andreassen, police lieutenant Svalbard governor's office ”

Late update: 12 apartments vacated again due to building, infrastructure damage. icepeople.net

GREENPEACE BRITISH ANTARCTIC SURVEY MARK SABBATINI / ICEPEOPLE A pianist on a glacier, a research vessel suffering from an identity crisis and a gigantic mailbox belonging to the outlaw Santa kept things weird in 2016. WIGGINGWIGGING OUTOUT See DOCK, page 12 Boaty McBoatface, Aquaman, Pokémon among stars in Svalbard's version of the year of surreality By MARK SABBATINI will of the people. A political ad where an in- yet again. Nuclear armageddon, yet again. Editor nocent little girl was obliterated by a weapon When it came to the ways we were weird, A travesty of an election that ignored the of mass destruction. Battling alien invaders, See SURREAL, page 6 Related coverage: • Letters to the Future: grope and change...7 Stormy sendoff • Fleeing Svalbard is easy – sort of……....11 Blizzard buries cars and homes, exposes kindness and resolve By MARK SABBATINI fatal avalanche a year ago. But it didn't cause Editor any tragedies and, while many experienced has- ROLF STANGE MAKSYM BOREIKO Of course, 2016 had to screw us over one sles and minor damage, it was also indiciative A tourist is dwarfed by a drift near Spitsbergen last time with a storm resembling that from the See STORM, page 4 Hotel after a major snowstorm last week.

Russian troope arrivesSee REALITY, Topping page 4 the charts Musseling in Getting lit IMAGE COURTESTY OF SNØHETTA Things get Record heat, Creatures Lots and lots of A twin-dock floating pier, seen here in an artist's curiouser in precipitation in arriving from spirits for the illustration, is being proposed for Longyearbyen. Barentsburg 2016 Mediterranean holidays Page 2 Page 3 Page 9 Page 12

https://us- mg6.mail.yahoo.c om/neo/ launch?.rand=epm v8hf4ja5bp# Page 2 January 3, 2017

Who's to blame and how So…2017 is going to be very, very curious too to express your wrath

Editor Mark Sabbatini

Bag lady Marion Prudhon

Principal of principles Kristan Hutchison

Psychiatrist Irene Gallion

Accomplice Jeff Newsom

Mailing address Icepeople Vei 210 -2- 13 Longyearbyen, Svalbard 9170 Norway

Telephone GRUMANT SVALBARD Norway: +47 41 51 46 38 Barentsburg residents perform a scene during the debut of their new theater production based on U.S. +1 (970) 673-4472 "Alice in Wonderland" in the Russian settlement's performing arts center on Dec. 30. The production, which will be featured during the 2017 tourism season, features an ensemble of more PRIVATE E-mail than 60 people. More photos from the performance are available at tinyurl.com/zmrsgdb. [email protected]

Web site www.icepeople.net Icesheet

Icepeople is published weekly (or thereabouts) Random bits of the week's weirdness: on Tuesdays (or thereabouts), with printed Since this week's fishwrapper is pretty much copies available free on a limited basis in all about random weirdness, it seems fitting to Longyearbyen. Additional printed copies are start this space off with an item that conve- available locally and by mail upon request. niently combines some of the more eye-open- Charges are on an "at cost" basis. ing stats of the past week. We've run stuff all Briefly year about record-high heat and precipitation, Copyright stuff and record-low sea ice, so the record year-end figures weren't in themselves all that shocking Cruising: Getting out of Original contents of this publication can be to us. But even so it did boggle our tiny minds reproduced for non-commercial purposes free to read the "Dec. 19-like" storm that hit last danger, but into 'death?' of charge if Icepeople is credited as the week pushed the edge of Svalbard's ice sheet NORWEGIAN METEORLOGICAL INSTITUTE Another cruise season is about to embark source. The original writers, photographers 60 to 70 kilometers further north, according Life on the edge? No sweat: All you have to do full speed ahead in Svalbard, but the smiles of Mainland town claims to be top and other contributors retain their rights to all to the Norwegian Metereorlogial Institute. is walk at a pace of four km/h for 18 straight hours those greeting passengers aren't being shared published works. Junk scientists will of course say this is one of to keep from falling into the sea as a gale-force by a lot of industry executives these days. per-person telethon giver, a title those accelerating and cumulative climate blizzard nibbles away the ice sheet. They took a blow last month when Britain held by Longyearbyen for years Corrections policy change things that happen when extreme ing polar bear, reindeer, walruses, and seals — issued a warning telling travelers cruising here weather and waves meet the extremely thin ice and few tourists…Of course, with the threat of is too dangerous. That warning may be re- When we screw up you'll know about it – on that has replaced the thicker stuff from past polar bears, carrying a firearm is recommen- the front page. One of the big complaints days. But those who speak post-truth to power ded." Oh, the outdated places you'll go with this about newspapers is they tend to bury know it just means the Creator really, really advice (and won't when you learn a weapon is corrections and clarifications deep inside wants us to stick lots more holes in the ocean more than "recommended") … But 'tis the sea- where few people who read the original article floor so we can watch all that oil come out … son for annual travel articles – often written af- see them. If we need to fix something, an alert Or maybe he (no PC gender iffyness here) is ter "hosted" trips by tourism companies, often box on the front page will state what story is in just opening more waters for ships carrying written by desktop globetrotters repeating each error and where the full correction is printed. tourists since we barely have any right now. So others' cliches – and most seem to contain at says Smarter Travels in an article headlined least a glitch or two. Such as India's Economic "Ten Secret Places To Go Before Everyone Times in an article (tinyurl.com/z8hfrd5) Submitting material Else" (tinyurl.com/zyngqmt). The text is per- about five no-go zones around the world fect for looking to set the clock back to the days (flashback: a couple months ago someone actu- Letters, columns, photos and other material when icky things like gay marriage and "happy ally stated this place has been overrun by Mus- are welcome, but we can't offer pay for holidays" were taboo: "With Iceland now in- lims). In this case, it was just another article published items since nobody here is getting creasingly attracting travellers, thanks in part to about the Doomsday Vault, with the assertion paid at the moment. Submissions in electronic free stopovers from Icelandair and Wow Air that "only a designated researcher or plant form (text, Word documents, JPEGs, etc.) are (um, we were taking advantage of this 15 years breeder can enter the facility." Which doesn't highly preferred, although typing and/or ago), it’s time to look elsewhere for a crowd- seem too absurd until you start looking at all scanning of items will be considered on a per- free Nordic vacation. And while Svalbard… those pictures and documentaries of media case basis. We reserve the right to edit doesn’t currently have any free stopover…it folks, celebrities and other not-always-VIP submissions for length, clarity, accuracy, libel does offer unique scenery and wildlife – includ- types taking the somewhat regular tours there. January 3, 2017 Page 3

HEADLINES STOLEN FROM SVALBARDPOSTEN VERDENS NORDLIGSTE AVIS Svalbard Airport gets electric cars, public charging station Svalbard Airport has obtained two new electric-powered cars and plans to install pub- lic charging stations this summer. The cars, replace two gas-powered vehicles used by the airport, are being purchased now due to the recent installation of solar panels at the facili- ty. "Previously, we have not quite seen the NORWEGIAN METEORLOGICAL INSTITUTE point of electric cars because the power still A chart shows temperatures at Svalbard Airport this year (blue and red line) were constantly above came from coal-fired power plant," said Oper- the historical average (black line). In addition, precipitation (blue bars) was far above average. ations Manager Carl Einar Ianssen. "When we got solar panels installed at the airport this summer it was more natural to go to the pur- chase of electric cars." The panels should pro- Frighteningly normal vide sufficient power for the vehicles and the charging station, he said. The airport received Record high temperatures in Lie wrote. 230,000 kroner from the Svalbard Environ- The situation in Longyearbyen is hardly mental Protection Fund to build the charging 2016 continue a trend for unique. The average global temperature record station. In addition, parent company Avinor Longyearbyen and Earth also set a new high in 2016, as did virtually ev- provided 450,000 kroner for the project. ery region of the Arctic. By MARK SABBATINI “The year 2016 will break the global tem- Arctic Race backs out of plan Editor perature record that was set in 2015, which At this point it’s not really news to set a broke the record that was set in 2014,” Noah S. to include Svalbard this year record-high temperature for a month or year Diffenbaugh, a professor of the Department of Plans to include Svalbard in this yeasr's since it’s an ongoing thing in Longyearbyen Earth System Science at Stanford University, Arctic Race have been scraped due to and much of the rest of the world. But that told the San Jose Mercury News. scheduling and logics problems, according to doesn’t mean it’s any less alarming for experts “This reality is not going to simply disap- a race's founder. "We worked hard to look at analyzing the long-term trends after the town’s pear by denying that (climate change) exists, or the possibility, but there are some sports-relat- warmest and wettest year in recorded history. by dismissing it as a hoax, or by claiming that it ed things that didn't work out," said Knut-Erik The average temperature for the year was is too complicated to understand or to address.” Dybdal. "In addition, we were behind in terms minus 0.1 degrees Celsius, or 6.5 degrees Cel- Lie, in his summary of Longyearbyen’s of booking of accommodation." Race organiz- sius above normal, according to Bernt Lie, a weather statistics for 2016, called the trend here ers visited last May and said there was strong weather statistician who operates the website a “frightening development.” enthusiasm for adding a Svalbard leg to the Vær og Vind (Weather and Wind). In addition, “Over the last 26 years it has become more bike race. But one problem is the EM sports a record 310 millimeters of precipitation fell than 2.2 degrees (exactly 2.28 degrees) warmer challenge is the week before the race and during the year, 63.2 percent more than normal in this populated part of the Arctic,” he wrote. adding a Svalbard leg to the bike race would and soundly topping the previous record of “Continued temperature rise at the same pace in make it difficult for many to participate. 267.9 millimeters in 2012. Longyearbyen until the year 2050 will provide “In July, October and November there was a 30-year average temperature for the year of Small tykes ask for big things record heat,” he wrote. minus 1.4 degrees…or a rise of more than five from Santa in their letters Temperatures at Svalbard Airport in De- degrees in 60 years.” "I want to be a billionaire. and my own cember were 7.4 degrees Celsius above normal, Experts have stated climate change will re- telephone." Such were the requests from kids the 73rd straight month of above average tem- sult in increasingly frequent and extreme mailing letters to Santa this year using his cus- peratures, according to Lie. storms. Longyearbyen experienced heavy snow tom mailbox at the foot of Mine 2B. Other re- Despite the longer-term records, there was and rain during the first two months of the year, quests included everything from dogs, to ser- only one daily high-temperature record of 10.3 then a deluge of rain starting in July that culmi- vents to machine guns to yachts. "There are an degrees set in October. There was also only one nated in landslides in October and November increasing number of wish lists from the low-temperature daily record of minus 18.5 de- that were the most severe in more than 40 mainland," Santa said in a prepared statement. grees set on dec. 8. years. "Some are even from abroad." He said if kids “So few coldest days has not occurred There's more! Visit www.icepeople.net didn't get what they wanted, there's always since measures began at the airport in 1975,” for the complete story. next year. Weather forecast for Longyearbyen

Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Partly cloudy. SW winds to 22 Snow. SW winds to 25 km/h. Partly cloudy. N winds to 35 Partly cloudy. Variable winds km/h. High -5C (-11C wind High -2C (-8C wind chill), low km/h. High -6C (-15C wind to 22 km/h. High -7C (-12C chill), low -7C (-12C wind chill). -4C (-10C wind chill). chill), low -8C (-16C wind chill). wind chill), low -8C (-14C wind chill). 24-hour darkness 24-hour darkness 24-hour darkness Extended forecast: Sunday, cloudy, -8C (-12C), -9C (-14C), light 0:00h; Monday, cloudy, -7C (-14C), -9C (-16C), light 0:00h; Tuesday, p. cloudy, -7C (-12C), -8C (-13C), light 0:00h; Wednesday, p. cloudy, -8C (-12C), -9C (-14C), light 0:00h Data provided by yr.no Page 4 January 3, 2017

MARK SABBATINI / ICEPEOPLE Guests and staff evacuate Gjestehuset 102 Wednesday afternoon after The Governor of Svalbard ordered an evacuation of Nybyen due to a storm. Blizzard forces evacuation of Nybyen STORM from page 1 er service, told Svalbardposten. ing, or break trees.” of how Longyearbyen residents have joined to The earlier storm, which destroyed 11 The avalanche on Dec. 19, 2015, was more overcome difficulties during a year defined by homes and killed two people, was preceded by 50,000 cubic meters in size. words such as "surreal" and "post-truth." a warning calling for 23 millimeters of precipi- An evacuation of Nybyen affecting 58 peo- An alert issued last Tuesday by the Norwe- tation and winds gusting to 160 kilometers an ple – mostly visitors in two guest lodges – was gian Meteorlogical Institute forecast up to 18 hour. ordered at midday Wednesday by The Gover- millimeters of precipitation and gale-force In addition, the Norwegian Water Re- nor of Svalbard. winds of 90 kilometers an hour, with gusts to sources and Energy Directorate delared there “According to NVE’s ratings Wednesday 135 kilometers an hour in exposed locations, was a level-four risk of avalanches (the second- morning, there is a possibility of smaller between 6 p.m. Wednesday and noon highest possible) during and after the storm avalanches in Longyearbyen, but not so that Thursday. Wednesday and Thursday, which could result they will jeopardize settlements,” a statement “The statistics being reported now are rem- in the natural release of size-three avalanches issued by the governor’s office noted. “Nybyen iniscent of the storm on Dec. 19 of last year,” with a mass between 1,000 to 10,000 cubic me- will be most at risk and is therefore ordered Trond Lien, a duty meteorologist for the weath- ters that can “bury a car, destroy a small build- See STORM, page 5 icepeople

Landslide warning is now the first newspaper in Europe to be accepted as a full member of the Association of issued to hikers Alternative Newsmedia. That means a whole new global audience will be looking to Svalbard – and A what it might have to offer those who visit. Tell Longyearbyen Community recalls that them what you have with our extremely affordable everyone is responsible for their own safety out print and website advertising, designed either by you or by us. and about. Contact [email protected] or 4151 4638 These days there is a part landslides around, for details. so pay attention.

We ask you to pay special attention to the area north of sarcophagus (where the path toward sarcophagus - Lars Breen runs), here have big soil slid out in recent weeks. When masses slipping out it means that the permafrost thaws further down, which may cause new landslides. January 3, 2017 Page 5

TOVE JENSSEN RØDDESNES Isak Røddesnes, 3, peers out a show-covered window after the worst of a blizzard passes on Thursday. An evacuation of homes was lifted soon after. Helping hands STORM from page 4 things to get buried by drifts that caused far evacuated. The road to Nybyen will be closed more problems for some than others. Tove from school. The road to Huset on the west side Jenssen Røddesnes told NRK she ccouldn't see of Longyeardalen will remain open.” out of her house because all of the windows are Public events, including movies and a tra- covered with snow ditional post-Christmas party at Svalbard "But I’ve peeked out the door” she said. JEANETTE BALTZERSEN Church, were cancelled Wednesday night and “We have a real shovel job to do to get us out." officials asked the public not to travel except in Rolf Stange, a local guide and author, said emergencies. The storm raged through the he spent several hours digging out two cars be- night, but Svalbard Gov. Kjerstin Askholt said ing used by guests. at midday Thursday no major damage or Many others seeking help got it – including avalanches were reported, although the the author, who suffered a severe back injury avlanahce risk remained high. trying to extract a snowmobile, with three peo- "We encourage people who live along the ple digging out his car – and some got it with- roads in Longyearbyen to use reflectors so that out even asking. they are clearly visible to those driving snow- Jeanette Baltzersen posted a picture of her plows, which still have a big job to do,” she home on Vei 238 on a community Facebook said. “Mostly it’s going well, but there have page, noting the doorway had been shoved JEANETTE BALTZERSEN also been some cases where people have been clear while she was away on holiday. A Longyearbyen resident away on holiday during difficult to see.” There's more! Visit www.icepeople.net the storm discovers her doorway on Vei 238 has But it didn’t take an avalanche for some for the complete story. been shoved clear by her neighbors.

MARK SABBATINI / ICEPEOPLE A blizzard, left, reduces visibility in Longyearbyen to near-zero during much of Wednesday night and Thursday morning. At center, a car belonging to Icepeople Editor Mark Sabbatini is shown immediately after the storm. At right, the car after being dug out by three people after the editor was injured. Page 6 January 3, 2017

SVALBARD'S 10 STRANGEST STORIES OF 2016

RED THREAD GAMES "Fighting off the milling mutant masses set on satiating themselves on your loot" – maybe Svalbard's future is a lot like Donald Trump's America after all. Snowflakes arriving in Svalbard SURREAL, from page 1 McBoatface's name. 2016 made Svalbard great again. Bigly. Forget the weather that was off-the-charts A bunch of terrified U.S. residents whacky. The bewildering shift in businesses. discover Svalbard's 'open borders' The trippy TV "docu-soap." And the fact lots of Canada's immigration website broke the in- locals were forced to undergo three enemas (or, ternet the day after Wiggy Donald won the U.S. as the mainstream media put it, "they were presidential election: Spooked-out snowflakes evacuated") within a year. discovered moving north of the border wasn't All that surreality and more that also hap- as easy as they hoped, but fortunately hundreds pens to be a substantial significance will be of articles were published shortly afterward list- brought up when Icepeople's "10 Biggest Sto- ing the best places to flee to – and Svalbard was ries of 2016" is published next week. This list is included in every one because it has by far the all about weirdness for weirdness' sake in the FOUNDATION FOR ECONOMIC EDUCATION easiest residency requirements. But while im- many ways only possible where man, giant mu- Is the next leader of the free world related to the migration policies are anti-Trump (at least offi- tant polar bears and cleverly hidden 300-meter- creature above? If so, it would explain a lot. cially, but with the percentage of foreign resi- high trees co-exist. dents rising Norwegian policians are pondering 34,371 for runner-up Poppy-Mai. Bureaucrats So, in no particular order because that ways to discourage the trend), the articles note immediately freaked, saying the name was woud require extra effort, here are Icepeople's drawbacks such as noting the newcomers "are undiginified the results weren't binding. Plenty 10 strangest stories for 2016: not entitled to social services. All residents of of researchers on the other hand, expressed de- Svalbard must be able to provide for them- light because the name would ensure tons of or- selves financially and those who cannot may be The truly tragic election in the UK: dinary folks would eagerly read about every 'expelled or refused entry into Svalbard.'" Boaty McBoatface project the vessel was involved with. Of course There's also the mention weapons are kinda "What You Get When You Let the Internet the 'crats won and announced the vessel will be mandatory, prompting one newspaper to muse Decide," a headline in The New York Times be- named the RRS Sir David Attenborough, after "it might not be that different from living in moaned. Um, yeah, because if we learned any- the polar explorer who turned 90 this year. Sure Texas – at least the governments share the same thing about elections in 2016, the results are he's done a lot of cool stuff, but he finished a values." much more rational if people vote in person. mere 113,825 votes behind Boaty McBoatface The British government conducted an online and it was his narration in “Frozen Planet” that election this spring to name its new £200M po- caused a minor scandal when supposed footage Greenpeace puts an old man on ice lar research ship, whose destinations will in- of a mother giving birth to cubs was from a and releases its own 'Daisy' ad clude Ny-Ålesund upon completion. The run- Svalbard den was actually footage from a The organization's antics run the gamut away winner was Boaty McBoatface, submitted Dutch zoo using artificial snow. But in a small from heroic to evil, but this year their most by PR guru and former BBC employee James concession, the 'crats will equip the ship with a noteworthy Svalbard stuff was merely strange. Hand, receiving 124,109 votes compared to autonomous underwater vehicle bearing Boaty See SURREAL, page 7 January 3, 2017 Page 7

SVALBARD'S 10 STRANGEST STORIES OF 2016

DON'T PANIC A little girl takes in the wonders of the sea from her safe space. With the environmentalists at Greenpeace behind the trip, what could possible go wrong? Nukes for fun and profit SURREAL, from page 6 bit upset about the idea), but something went A local vigilante militia goes on a The biggest attention-getter by far was Italian awry – which Russia of course didn't mention real-life hunt for alien invaders pianist Ludovico Einaudi, performing his origi- in its initial press release after the launch. But Then there's the war at home that's already nal composition “Elegy for the Arctic” on a no worries. “(The fuel components) are com- going on. We feel dirty even mentioning the floating platform near a massive glacier in the pounds that mix well with water,” according to campaign known as Pokémon Go and its corpo- archipelago. It was neither the most novel nor Øyvind Voie, a research manager with the Nor- rately commercialized creatures we'd like to most gifted of oh-so-many outdoor musical wegian Defense Establishment. And, hey, if cremate since 100 percent* of all media publi- gimmicks here, but to loosely quote Time mag- there's catastrophic damage those affected are cations did as well in 2016. But while those azine's official Personalty Cult of The Year: allowed to send a bill to Russia to cover the ex- "mainstream" publications were mentioning "what matters is he looks the part." As of this penses. problems such as hunters going into high crime writing there are more than 2.6 million views of areas and cemeteries, catching critters in Sval- the video on YouTube (tinyurl.com/zlrh848). Video games, government play bard means unique problems ranging from Utter and pure genius. But Greenpeace, like around with Doomsday in Svalbard wandering into the zone where a bunch of PETA and others who tend whack out of con- homes were destroyed by an avalanche to trol at times, just couldn't help themselves. It's always a good time for a nuclear holo- caust in Svalbard and that was the case again in glacier crevassses (not mention you'll need They also teamed with the absurdly named more than a cell phone as a weapon if you wan- company Don't Panic to release a short video ti- 2016 in a big way. The latest of many A-release video games featuring the theme was “Code der into the hills and valleys). We're guessing tled "The Little Explorer" (tinyurl.com/j2ktx5s), somebody with a lot of money and a satellite featuring an innocent young girl exploring the Name Svalbard,” a single- and multi-player RPG that challenges “what’s left of humanity… phone will see if it's possible to catch anything Arctic sea depths in some fantasy sub a lone on an expedition to the North Pole this spring. child can navigate. But the video ends as sub- to rise again to rebuild civilization.” It seems tlely as the Don making women an offer that the secret to do so lies beneath the local ice, reuqiring players to "investigate a barren, hos- Svalbard tops 'city of brotherly love' can't be refused as the child is snagged, tortured by not just booing, but exiling Santa and carried away in a horrible death that's sup- tile Arctic landscape. Find the clues to the loca- posed to make people think "cool...I need to be tion of the biological ark of humanity. Select First the bureaucrats declared his workshop paying to see this stuff." Never let it be said the treasures you will reintroduce into the a condemned area. Then they decided he was a we're not impartial: we mock idiocy no matter world. Travel to exotic places, fighting off the deplorable for having a mailbox. Anybody which side it comes from. milling mutant masses set on satiating them- who's lived here any amount of time knows selves on your loot. Oh, and the giant mutant Santa's real workshop in the allegedly aban- See SEQUEL, page 8 polar bear.” But it wasn't just gaming geeks doned Mine 2B, but Store Norske declared ear- Russia lauches nuke-type missile, getting into the ghastly role playing. Govern- lier this year the place was condemned due to Norway shrugs off toxins near here ment grunts with the Norwegian Armed Forces rot damage. That was followed by the city gov- Seriously...Russia in June fired a repur- let us know we should be afraid – be very ernment denying an extension of a permit to posed Cold-War-era ballistic missile that acci- afraid – in a report titled "Battle for Svalbard keep the "world biggest Santa's mailbox" in an dentally(?) jettisoned boosters containing high- 2030" that basically states we're at Russia's industrial area near the beach. It seems his ly toxic fuel into the water south of Svalbard mercy if they stage an all-out invasion because agent, Po Lee Lin, didn't do all the necessary and Norway blew it off because, well, Russia they have far more impressive toys. Of course, paperwork or ask the neighbors for their bless- announced the launch in advance. The rocket like the video game promo, the report's objec- ing, so the city ordered it removed by Oct. 1 or was fueled by hydrazine, which is so toxic Rus- tive was to put money in the pockets of those a fine of 500 kroner would be imposed. But sia is one of only two countries still using it, authorizing it since one of the recommenda- Santa apparently is a rich rebel, since the mail- and was only supposed to jettison the boosters tions was obviously a big boost in defense box was still there at the end of the year. in Canadian waters (plenty of folks there were a spending. See SURREAL, page 8 Page 8 January 3, 2017

SVALBARD'S 10 STRANGEST STORIES OF 2016

ELENE NILSEN DC COMICS Svalbard's invasaive species problem left, got far worse this year. Meanwhile, a warm-water creature, right, found himself high and dry after migrating here. Superheros and superstars seek solutions SURREAL, from page 7 who obviously can't see there's no ice in the sea Best reality show of year: Blonde Aquaman's only chance for survival for the first time in living memory (we'd say it's busts out in 'Stranded in Svalbard' complicted, but we are after all talking about a is climbing to high hills of Svalbard? Space is short, but luckily the written word comic book). Also, it's hard to understand why is a poor way to expose people to Viky Look, we get climate change is screwing the bad guys trying to kill him didn't just shoot Viktoria's adventures and misadventures after everything up, but this might be the black-is- him instead of relaying on their snow scheme. her husband stands her here. To see how she white story of the year. The geeks at comicsal- Anyhow, as we noted, it doesn't matter if he gets around the archipelago, so to speak, check liance.com dug out this back issue from 1961 succeeds or not because his corporate masters out her YouTube series at tinyurl.com/grqfhx6. where Aquaman has to reach the snowline here have more power than God if the superhero's There's more! Visit www.icepeople.net to survive since he's a completely clueless idiot existence is good for the bottom line. for the complete story.

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Volume 1, Issue 28 "Seeking the villain that standed Aquaman here" svalbarddailyplanet.com

P. LEOPOLE / UIT These mussels – hidden among seaweed, bryozoans, hydroids and other organisms – were among the first observed by researchers in Svalbard in 2004. the Polar Code that took effect Jan. 1 imposes a TUESDAY MONDAY total ban on discharges of oil and noxious liq- uids, stricter rules for emissions of waste and Svalbard's mussels come Allowing Civil Defense troops sewage, and new requirements for rescue equipment and a separate vessel "polar certifi- from the Mediterranean in Svalbard sought by ministry cate." Training requirements are also stricter, Ever since living mussels were first found Allowing The Norwegian Civil Defence to according to Norwegian Minister of Trade and on Svalbard, researchers have wondered where respond to accidents and natural disasters in Industry Monica Mæland. "Over 80 percent of they came from. Perhaps mussels from Lofoten Svalbard is being recommended by the Norwe- shipping in the Arctic goes today in Norwegian – or perhaps they have been there ever since the gian Ministry of Justice and Public Security. waters," she said. "We therefore have a special last ice age? Now scientists believe the mussels The proposal comes after The Governor of responsibility to ensure safe and environmen- actually come from the Mediterranean. "Since Svalbard requested the agency's help followng tally friendly ship traffic in these areas." the first marine biologists began investigating the Dec. 19, 2015, avalanche, but was denied – NRK our waters we have known that there is an im- because existing provisions in civil defense du- migration," said Jørgen Berge, a biology pro- ties don't apply to the archipelago. "We could SATURDAY gressor at the University of Tromsø. "But that have used the Civil Defence for security in con- some mussels were coming from as far south as nection with this avalanche," said Torgeir Norway, China resolve feud, the Mediterranean came as a great surprise to Prytz, a Conservative member of the Longyear- us." Berge has charted the Arctic deposits of byen Community Council. "We will certainly make polar issues a priority mussels in collaboration with colleagues from need extra troops for major accidents and inci- The full restoration of diplomatic relations Greenland and Russia, and the discovery was dents than the resources we have in Longyear- between Norway and China after a six-year pe- recently published in the journal Evolutionary byen." The ministry and directorate met last riod may significantly increase cooperative sci- Applications. Berge said Svalbard's fjords are month and, while a final proposal isn't expected entific, commercial and political activities in kept warm and ice-free during the winter until later this month, there is mutual support the Arctic, according to Marc Lanteigne, a se- thanks to the warm waters of the northern part for enacting the change. nior research fellow at the Norwegian Institute of the Gulf Stream system. Ocean currents al- – NRK of International Affairs in Oslo. Relations be- lows underwater life is constantly exposed to tween the two countries were strained when natural migration of living organisms from the SUNDAY Beijing protested the awarding of the Nobel south. Live mussels on Svalbard were first ob- Peace Prize to disssident Liu Xiaobo in October served in 2004 in Isfjorden. Researchers later 'Polar Code' toughens rules of 2010. Among other incidents, Norway in found mussels in several places elserwhere in 2014 denied permission for China to a build Isfjorden and Kongsfjord. for ships in Arctic, Antarctic large radar antenna in Svalbard and a bid by – Forskning.no A new set of international rules known as See DAILY, page 10 Page 10 January 3, 2017

ESA The Envisat satellite provides monitoring of environmental and climate data, which is distributed via plasma ionized gas between the station and Earth. DAILY, from page 9 ma between space and Earth, but researchers future launches at Norway's Andøya Space Chinese entrepreneur to buy property here. are concerned disturbances in those signals will Center. Each univetrsity has developed its own – Arctic Deeply affect the safety of ships navigating Arctic wa- code that "tags" the data. "Kobe's codes are a ters. In addition, many satellites operated from little different than ours and we are implement- SATURDAY FRIDAY Svalbard and elsewhere provide critical envi- ing many of their methods in our programs," ronmental and climate data. A project simulat- said Wojciech Miloch, an associate physics Plasma in space may threaten ing how rockets disrupt plasma during launches professor at the University of Oslo. "This part- is being conducted by staff and students Uni- nership is about the exchange of knowledge, safety of ships in Arctic versity of Oslo and the University of Kobe in not only of students and researchers." The range of research conducted on Svalbard this year Satellite GPS signals are disturbed by plas- Japan. The project will also analyze past and – Forskning.no has been expanded considerably. In particular, the construc- tion of a cryospheric monitoring site based on the Circumpo- lar Active Layer Monitoring (CALM) standards is underway near Barentsburg; random ice observations on Nordenskiöld Need the straight scoop on all things Svalbard? Glacier have given way to long-term monitoring; and the first long-term hydrological monitoring program covering all Our website offers "one-stop" booking for all lodging, tours and other activities, plus: stages of the hydrological cycle in Gronfjorden Bay and rivers in its basin has been launched.to. – CNN Photos of glacier taken 75 years apart show vast melting Two pictures of a Svalbard glacier taken 75 years apart reveal an enormous loss of ice, as well as a trend occurring elsewhere in the archipelago, according to Hanne Hammer Stien, general manger of the Polar Museum in Tromsø. "It's one thing is to hear someone talk about the ice melting and disappearing," he said. "It's something completely different to see it in black and white as with these images." The first photo of Gullybreen in Magdalenefjorden was taken in 1937, the second in 2012 by photographer and historian Tyrone Martinsson as part of an exhibition at the museum until Jan- uary showing historic photos of Svalbard compared to mod-

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www.visitsvalbard.com • +47 79 02 55 50 • [email protected] January 3, 2017 Page 11 Research-based education of the next generation of Arctic experts The University Centre in Svalbard Photo: Nils Pe t er Dale www.unis.no Would you trade this icepeople space for a middling is seeking an editorial intern bottle of wine? The world's coolest alternative newspaper has managed to go from dead to undead during the past few weeks, as our editor and lone reporter (Or dinner for two, a week's worth of coffee has officially been certified as a zombie. And with or the tip from a guided snowmobile tour?) this fishwrapper expanding from four pages at the beginning of last year to 12 pages – and maybe more – this year, it's haunting to think what he A print and website ad in Icepeople might turn into if he continues to do it all himself. costs about the same for a couple Requirements (hard to believe, but we really are of weeks as a website ad for a day hardcore "old-school" journalism disciples): at the "other" newspaper. • Basic news writing and photography skills. • An ability to appear sober while doing interviews. What you get: And if you're worried you aren't • Nothing (at least in terms of money, but that clever enough to captivate could change if we start turning a profit). customers without drinking the • A bunch of clips and photos that will definitely get you noticed when you apply for jobs. wine, we'll help for no extra charge • Expert (seriously) guidance in the ways of the (with the design, not the drinking). trade from our maniacal editor, who's been doing this for real all over the world for 30 years. Contact Mark Sabbatini at 4151 4638 or For details,+47 7902 contact 1816 • [email protected] this dude Follow us on Facebook: Gullgruva Arctic Design [email protected] if interested. Page 12 January 3, 2017

Celebrating in Svalbard's traditionally unique way What's up

Jan. 4 6 p.m.: Movie: "Shelly," German horror, ages 15 and up. Kulturhuset. Jan. 8 5 p.m.: Movie: "My Neighbor Totoro," Japanese animated/adventure, all ages. Kulturhuset. 7 p.m.: Movie: "Assassin's Creed," U.S. action/adventure, ages 12 and up. Kulturhuset. Jan. 9 8 p.m.: Trivia quiz: Svalbar. Jan. 11 6 p.m.: Initial meeting of Out & About, offering organized snowmobile outings for youths. First two meetings will focus on safety and other instruction. Longyearbyen Red Cross building. Fireworks, above, Jan. 15 explode above Longyearbyen just 5 p.m.: Movie: "Why Him?" U.S. comedy, after midnight on Jan. ages 12 and up. Kulturhuset. 1. The show was as 7 p.m.: Movie: "Perfetti Sconsciuti," much audio as visual Italian romance/comedy, all ages. in areas with industrial Kulturhuset. and ancient mining facilities, with the Jan. 16 booms triggering a 8 p.m.: Trivia quiz. Svalbar. rebounding series of high-ptiched metallic Jan. 17 pops among the 2 p.m.: Meeting of Youth and Cultural structures. At top left, Committee. Næringsbygget 3. flowers and candles Newtontoppen room. grace the alter at Jan. 18 Svalbard Church just before the start of one 6 p.m.: Movie: "Collateral Beauty," U.S. of two Christmas Eve drama, all ages. Kulturhuset. Masses, with a Jan. 20 capacity crowd of locals and tourists at 6 p.m.: Movie: "Marcus & Martinus - both. Many of the Sammen om Drømmen," Norwegian same people also documentary, no age limit specified. gathered at three Kulturhuset. community holiday Jan. 21 dinners at hotels in town. At bottom right, 2 p.m.: Opening of exhibition TBA. the Polargospel Kunsthall Svalbard. children's chior Jan. 22 performs Christmas hymns during the 6 p.m.: Movie: "Marcus & Martinus - Mass. All photos by Sammen om Drømmen," Norwegian Mark Sabbatini / documentary. Kulturhuset. Icepeople. What's online "This book does not only cover comprehensive THE complete guidebook information concerning all Icepeople.net provides daily updates of fields of possible by the complete guide news about Svalbard and the world's interest, but is at the same time a photo book polar regions, plus extras for articles from containing many color the print edition. Among the latest news: images to illustrate many wildlife and flower ● More Greenland quakes as ice shrinks? species and to document landscapes ● Engineering thicker Arctic sea ice? and places from all over ● the archipelago." Big drug breakthrough from Antarctica? Sailing Voyages • Books • Photography • DVDs • Polar News And Information ● Secret Nazi UFO base in Antarctica?