THE 2019 SPEAKING THE COUNCIL WORDS “CLIMATE CONSERVATION CHANGE”: A SAAMI SCORECARD PERSPECTIVE MAGAINE No. 2 6 9 THE 2019 CIRCLE PUBLISHED BY THE WWF ARCTIC PROGRAMME

✦ Rising sea levels ✦ Industrial development ✦ Plastic pollution ✦ Alternative energy sources ✦ Human/wildlife conflict

THE ARCTIC CHECK-UP THE ARCTIC CHECK-UP The Circle 2.2019

Contents

• EDITORIAL Working together toward a sustainable Arctic 3 • IN BRIEF 4 • INTERVIEW: ARNE RIEDEL The 2019 Conservation Scorecard 6 • INTERVIEW: ÅSA LARSSON BLIND Why we must speak the words “climate change”: A Saami perspective 9 • NICK GOLLEDGE Fast-forward to the past: What can ice core records of a warmer Earth tell us about the Arctic’s future? 10 • FEMKE HILDERINK and GERT POLET in the backyard! 13 • ANDRÉS CÓZAR Migrating plastics: Even the Arctic is not immune 16 • DAVE APLIN The Pebble prospect: the wrong place and the wrong mine 19 • INTERVIEW: MARTHA LENIO Making the move to green energy in 22 • The picture 24

The Circle is published Publisher: Editor-in-chief: COVER ILLUSTRATION: quarterly by the WWF Arctic WWF Arctic Programme Leanne Clare, [email protected] Ketill Berger, filmform.no. Programme. Reproduction 8th floor, 275 Slater St., Ottawa, and quotation with appropri- ON, Canada K1P 5H9. Managing editors: ABOVE: Meltwater in ­southern ate credit are encouraged. Tel: +1 613-232-8706 Sarah MacFadyen, [email protected] Articles by non-affiliated Fax: +1 613-232-4181 Patti Ryan, [email protected] crevasse. sources do not necessarily Photo: NASA/John Sonntag reflect the views or policies Internet: www.panda.org/arctic Design and production: of WWF. Send change of Film & Form/Ketill Berger, [email protected] address and subscription ISSN 2073-980X = The Circle queries to the address on the Printed by Lowe-Martin right. We reserve the right Date of publication: to edit letters for publication, May 2019. Thank you and assume no responsibility for unsolicited material. for your interest in The Circle. Many of our ­subscribers have moved to an e-version. To receive an electronic copy in your email instead of a paper 2 The Circle 2.2019 copy, please write to us at [email protected] and help us reduce our costs and footprint. EDITORIAL

Working together toward a sustainable Arctic

WHAT HAPPENS in the Arctic does not stay in the Arctic. Indigenous Peoples. Striking the right balance between This fact has become more apparent in recent years environmental protection, economic growth and social as glaciers retreat and sea levels rise all over the world. development is essential. To that end, will strive At the same time, the Arctic is becoming increasingly to lead continued cooperation on economic development, accessible, a situation that brings both challenges and gender equality, connectivity, green energy solutions and opportunities. International interest in the region is resilience. growing; multilateral, political and academic attention is Healthy oceans are vital to global sustainable develop- increasingly focused on the Arctic; business interest is on ment. Among other goals, Iceland will work toward the rise. strengthening Arctic Council cooperation It is against this backdrop that Iceland is taking over on mitigating plastic pollution in the from Finland as chair of the Arctic Council. The guiding oceans. We have also proposed a project principle of Iceland’s chairmanship will focusing on the Blue be sustainability, with equal focus on Bioeconomy and Arctic each of its three pillars: social, environ- Iceland will strive region. Our hope is that mental and economic. to lead continued by applying innovation Golli. Photo: Icelandic MFA, GUDLAUGUR THÓR Temperatures in the Arctic are now and the sustainable cooperation on economic THÓRDARSON is rising at more than twice the average methodology of the Iceland’s Minister for global rate. Moreover, Arctic warming development, gender Blue Bioeconomy, Foreign Affairs and trends are expected to continue toward we can dramatically incoming chairman of equality, connectivity, the Arctic Council. mid-century, while trends after 2050 green energy solutions increase the use and are likely to depend on the mitigating market value of fish catches while actions we take today. Dealing with and resilience. significantly reducing biowaste from the repercussions of climate change is fish-processing operations. a global challenge, and the only way forward is to limit Working closely with all partners inside and outside greenhouse gas emissions worldwide. Ocean acidification the Arctic region is of utmost importance for the area’s and melting sea ice put the entire marine ecosystem at prosperity and security. The conflictive dynamics that risk. Adaptation will be challenging for most communi- may result from opening up the Arctic—such as how ties in the North in the decades to come. to address climate change, how to manage access to The future of the Arctic must include environmental renewable and non-renewable natural resources, and protection as well as economic prosperity and the social how to respond to increased marine traffic—make the well-being of the four million people who live and Arctic Council’s contribution to sustainable development work there. This is especially important to the region’s increasingly relevant. l

The Circle 2.2019 3 IN BRIEF

CANADA Thawing UNDERWATER NOISE permafrost Calling on Artic causing thousands nations to of landslides turn down the volume in our NEW RESEARCH published in Nature Communications oceans warns that the Arctic is experiencing a substantial ARCTIC WARMING is making increase in the number of the region more accessible

landslides. to shipping, oil and gas Photo: Arto Rajanen Focusing on Banks Island, exploration, and military Peter Winsor and Liisa Rohweder of the WWF Arctic a land mass of about 70,000 activities. As these activi- Programme present WWF's underwater noise petition to square kilometres in the ties advance steadily into Kristina Bär from the Arctic Council Secretariat. Canadian , Arctic waters, seals, whales, researchers studied “retro- and other forms of have already signed a peti- 150,000 signatures before gressive thaw slumps,” which marine life are exposed to tion asking Arctic states the end of the summer. are landslides that can take increasing levels of under- to recognise the threat of Please add your voice by place on gradual inclines water noise. underwater noise pollution going to https://arcticwwf. when permafrost thaws. In February 2019, WWF and commit to keeping org/action/noise/. Over These landslides move slowly, asked people around the noise at safe levels for ocean the next two years, we will but are worrisome because world to add their voices wildlife. On May 5, WWF also be advocating for Ice- they tend to grow and stop- to a campaign to put a stop presented the petition to the land—the incoming chair of ping them is very difficult. to these rising noise levels. Arctic Council at its bien- the Arctic Council—to put Based on archive imagery And people listened: more nial Ministerial meeting in ocean pollution, including over a 20-year period, than 81,000 concerned Rovaniemi, Finland. underwater noise, at the top researchers identified a people from 100 countries WWF hopes to collect of its agenda. 60-fold increase in the num- ber of these landslides—from 63 in 1984 to 4,077 in 2015. GREENLAND The Particularly alarming is the The four warmest summers is about 1.7 million square possibility that warmer ocean on record were associated The melting kilometres in size, covering waters are shrinking the ice with the highest numbers. about 80 per cent of Green- sheet from underneath at a The implications are sober- ice sheet land’s surface. The study—the faster rate than warmer air ing, since the Banks Island first to measure as far back is melting it from above. Sci- area is likely representative A NEW STUDY published in as 1972—found that the ice entists think bottom-melting of many other parts of the Proceedings of the National sheet has lost 4,976 gigatons glaciers may be predisposed Arctic. Landslides cause sub- Academy of Science has found of water since then. (One giga- to rapid collapse. stantial erosion and changes that the Greenland Ice Sheet ton is about 1 billion metric The Greenland Ice Sheet is in lakes and rivers. Their has lost trillions of tons of ice tons.) About half that loss massive enough to raise sea increasing incidence has the to melting—a transformation has occurred in just the last levels by 7.4 metres world- potential to alter ecosystems that scientists characterise as decade, which indicates that wide if it melted entirely. and landscapes. a profound geological shift. the melting is accelerating.

4 The Circle 2.2019 INSPIRING YOUNG PEOPLE WWF’s Our Planet

T WWF, we love to hear that our work is making a difference—and sometimes, it inspires even the Avery young to want to do their part. In April, we heard from an American parent, Tracy McElroy, whose three-year-old son, Mack Petterson, was so moved by an episode of Our Planet that she decided to get in touch to learn more and ask about donating. Our Planet is a Netflix original documentary series and a ground-breaking, four-year collaboration between Netflix, Silverback Films and WWF. Supported by the latest science, it explores the rich natural wonders, iconic species and wildlife spectacles that still remain on Earth, and reveals the key issues that threaten their existence. “Frozen,” the episode that touched young Mack, included a difficult scene where in northern Russia’s Chukchi Climate change is forcing Pacific Sea perish by falling from cliffs. In 2017, walrus in Russia onto land in large more than 100,000 walrus gathered along numbers to rest because there a stretch of coast in the area. They normally is no sea ice near their feeding gather on ice platforms, but these have van- grounds. Some climb high cliffs to ished as the climate has warmed. Crowded on escape the crushing crowds and land, a number of walrus climbed up rocks can become stranded, falling to and cliffs to find more room. But many had their deaths. trouble getting down safely, and plunged to their deaths. In an email to WWF, McElroy said the scene brought on many questions and con- cerns from her son. “He actually cried, he was so sad for them, and he kept saying, ‘Mommy, they are dying, we need to help them!’ Mack recommended that we send Band-Aids. I told him that we would do what we could for the walrus.” PHOTO: Sophie Lanfear/Silverback/Netflix PHOTO:

The Circle 2.2019 5 Arctic state check-up The 2019 Arctic Council Conservation Scorecard

Thawing permafrost, loss of sea ice, shrinking caribou herds, ocean acidification: the impacts of climate change in the Arctic are accelerating, and will continue to do so unless the eight Arctic states take bold steps to limit the pressures and stressors on the region through good governance.

To that end, the Arctic Council has made recommendations—and the 2019 Arctic Council Conservation Scorecard, an initiative of the WWF International Arctic Programme, has evaluated how the Arctic nations are faring when it comes to implementing them. WWF engaged Ecologic Institute to conduct the research and analysis for the Scorecard. We spoke with ARNE RIEDEL, project coordinator and Arctic coordinator at Ecologic Institute in Berlin, for some insights into what the Scorecard reveals.

What is the Scorecard’s main pur- for example. Still, they scored reason- pose? Arne ably well on the other areas. The Scorecard looks at how countries Riedel are doing when it comes to protect- Which area still needs the most ing biodiversity and ecosystems and work across the Arctic? preventing their harm from negative I would say shipping. That area is about impacts generated by black carbon crafting national policies, reducing and methane emissions, oil spills and carbon emissions, looking at national shipping. At its core, it examines the measures and implementing technologi- concrete actions Arctic states are taking cal standards, and we saw very little in these areas to fulfill their responsi- of that. I was surprised that so many bilities as the primary stewards of the Arctic states received their worst scores region. on shipping, because that’s where The Scorecard measures the states they have the opportunity to be quite against recommendations they devel- active, exert national influence and oped themselves within the Arctic take national actions. But the shipping Council’s working groups. Although the industry is big, and it can take time for Scorecard can be critical, and aims to measures to be implemented. keep the Arctic states accountable, it is Which countries earned the best A positive surprise was that many also meant to help states see where they scores this year? states received high ratings on ecosys- may have information gaps and how Overall, Sweden and Finland received tem-based management. But the recom- they can fill them. I would sum it up as the highest scores, but some indicators mendations (and thus the indicators) in an exercise in cooperation that assesses didn’t apply to them, since they are not this area focused on passing legislation, how seriously the various countries are linked to the . The maxi- not [yet] implementation. We will need taking their commitments to protect the mum number of points they could score to watch future developments in this Arctic environment. was lower than for Norway or Russia, area closely. ➤

6 The Circle 2.2019 Arctic state check-up The 2019 Arctic Council Conservation Scorecard 20192019 0verall OVERALL Ratings RATINGS

The 2019 Scorecard examines Arctic Council recommendations of crucial importance to the Arctic environment by focusing on the progress that has been made by each individual government and highlighting where states need to work harder to fulfil their commitments. ECOSYSTEM- CONSERVATION BASED BLACK CARBON BIODIVERSITY AREAS MANAGEMENT AND METHANE OIL SPILLS SHIPPING

CANADA

DENMARK

FINLAND

ICELAND

NORWAY

RUSSIA

SWEDEN

UNITED STATES Graphic: WWF

The Circle 2.2019 7 It examines the concrete actions Arctic states are taking in these areas to fulfill their responsibilities as the primary stewards of the region.

where governments also have to con- front other important issues and work within budgets. Another is about the need to streamline the flow of informa- tion. When we reached out to the Arctic

Photo: U.S. Coast Guard, Petty Officer 2nd Class Charly Hengen states for information, they sometimes The Russian tanker Renda transits toward the port of Nome, Alaska, 13 January referred us to six or more different 2012. people, which shows you how many departments are involved and, in some What challenges did you encounter agreed to refrain from commercial cases, how stretched their efforts are. in developing the Scorecard? fisheries in the high Arctic for the next To reach their goals, they will need to One key challenge was communica- 15 years. On the other hand, it’s been become more effective at collecting and tions—the quantity and quality of the difficult to see the US making bold, sharing data. information we received from states uncomfortable policy statements [such varied massively, and it’s difficult to as at the ministerial meeting of the What is the solution to these infor- have a Scorecard without complete Arctic Council in Rovaniemi, Finland mation-sharing problems? information. Another challenge was that in May]. The Arctic has been a place of Having an Arctic focal point is a some of the states’ commitments are scientific cooperation and environmen- proven strategy. There are even some not very ambitious. We are measuring tal protection for many years, and this non-Arctic states that have an Arctic countries against recommendations should not be jeopardised. ambassador, or at least dialogues they negotiated themselves, and some between involved ministries. But even set the bar higher than others. What major take-aways does the then, coordination and communica- Scorecard offer? tion among departments can still be What is Ecologic’s take on the On balance, it shows that Arctic states problematic, especially with regards results? What do they tell us about still face many challenges. One is to setting ambitious environmental the future of the Arctic? fighting for the implementation of protection policies. I think part of the Research shows us that there will be international commitments at home, solution for environmental departments massive shifts in the coming decades is enabling civil society to engage in that when it comes to climate change discussion and increase the ambition impacts and biodiversity, and based on I was surprised that so many level. Not all Arctic states are inclined the results, the Arctic may not be able to this way, of course. I would also say the adapt as quickly as it needs to. To take Arctic states received their communications angle is important for on these challenges, cooperation is key: worst scores on shipping, transparency and should be tackled by cooperation among Arctic Council states Arctic states, so everyone knows what is and with Permanent Participants and because that’s where actually happening on the ground. This observers supports informed and imple- may help develop creative ideas about mentable decisions. The Scorecards they have the opportunity how implementation can be expanded show, however, that national implemen- and improved. l tation is still lagging. to be quite active, exert On the international level, recent national influence and You can go to arcticwwf.org to read developments have sent mixed signals. more about the 2019 Arctic Conservation For example, the Arctic states recently take national actions. Scorecard.

8 The Circle 2.2019 Arctic Indigenous governance Why we must speak the words “climate change”: A Saami perspective In early May, the foreign ministers of the eight Arctic nations convened in Rovaniemi, Finland for their biennial meeting. For the first time since the Arctic Council was estab- lished in 1996, the meeting ended without a joint declaration to guide the Council’s work for the next two years.

The meeting was supposed to result in the Council’s first-ever longer-term strategy for balancing the challenges of climate change with demands for sustainable development. But the U.S. reportedly refused to sign the declaration because it included the words “climate­ change.”

ÅSA LARSSON BLIND was one of the representatives who spoke at the meeting in Rovaniemi. She is the President of the . Here is an excerpt from her speech.

The Intergovernmental Science-Policy wizard, Lord Voldemort, who is also Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Åsa Larsson Blind referred to as “he who must not be Services released its global assessment named.” If he is named, he might with a clear message of an alarming rate appear. By naming the enemy, the other of species extinction and nature’s dan- wizards would put their lives at risk. We gerous decline. The findings are horrific. would like to underscore the fact that The report states that: climate change and its impacts are noth- “Three-quarters of the land-based ing like Lord Voldemort. They won’t environment and about 66 per cent only appear if mentioned. For those of of the marine environment have been us living in the Arctic, we can tell you significantly altered by human actions.” climate change is already taking place It’s worth noting that on average, these and has a great impact on our lives. But trends have been less severe or avoided by calling it by its real name, we can in areas held or managed by Indigenous fight it and reduce its impacts. We do Peoples. not even need magic. This room has the Cooperation and co-management power and potential to agree on ambi- between Indigenous Peoples and states tious levels of emissions reductions and as equal partners is indeed the best set a standard for the rest of the world. chance we have for an Arctic with high Today, we express our deepest con- bio- and cultural diversity—a prosper- cern about the development of the com- Photo: Arctic Council Secretariat/Linnea Nordström Photo: ous Arctic for all. mitment for this ministerial. In a time Yet one of the findings presented in are challenges with implementation at a of great urgency, we, the Arctic states the WWF Scorecard suggests that Arctic national level. But unlike other regions and Arctic Indigenous Peoples gathered states continue to show an unwilling- in the world, we have the Arctic Council around this table, are in the best posi- ness to recognize Indigenous Peoples as a forum for cooperation. tion to make commitments to act in the as equal partners in the management In the popular youth book series best interests of the environment and of the Arctic region. This shows there about Harry Potter, there is a dark global humanity. l

The Circle 2.2019 9 Rising sea levels Fast-forward to the past: What can ice core records of a warmer Earth tell us about the Arctic’s future? We often hear about how our rapidly changing climate is already accelerating the melting of glaciers and ice sheets across the globe. But what about the reverse: could the melt- ing polar ice sheets themselves disrupt climate, creating a feedback loop that leads to runaway environmental change? To explore that idea, NICK GOLLEDGE brought together an international team of climate scientists—and the results were alarming.

INSIDE A FROZEN TENT at the end of July 2010, Dorthe Dahl-Jensen, a Danish paleoclimatologist, announced the com- pletion of the North Greenland Eemian Ice Drilling (NEEM) project. The team had finally hit bedrock, 2,537 metres below the surface of the Greenland Ice Sheet. Dahl-Jensen and her team had spent three summers camped high on the summit plateau, painstakingly drill- ing to recover cores that would tell them how the ice sheet had changed during the Eemian period 125,000 years ago. This interval—the last time Earth was warmer than it is today—is important because it poses a worrying question. Average air temperatures then were only a degree or so above current tem- peratures, yet the global sea level was more than six metres higher than it is now. How could this be possible? As we head toward an artificially warmer world, can the NEEM ice core records give us a window into our future? −0. −0. 0.0 0. 0.4 One way to address this question is to Extra surface warming (C use computer models to simulate these periods of the past, and then use the periods; predictions of how the climate ice sheet. same models to project into the future. may change in the future; and a numeri- In our recent work, we used a model For this we need three things: evidence cal ice-sheet model that incorporates developed by a team at the University of how the world (particularly the the necessary physical equations to of Alaska, Fairbanks. Over the last polar ice sheets) looked during warmer accurately simulate the flow of an entire 10 years, we have used this model to

10 The Circle 2.2019 Photo. Nick Golledge Galciers calving into Lazarev Bay, Antarctic Peninsula. predict how both the Greenland and compared with the volume of the ocean, Antarctic ice sheets have evolved in the it is buoyant because it contains no salt, past, as well as how they might change We found that meltwater so it floats on the sea surface. Normal in the future. By checking our past from the Greenland Ice ocean circula- simulations against geological records tion relies on a NICK as well as ice core records from sites Sheet can accelerate its own process known GOLLEDGE is such as NEEM, we have developed as convective retreat by up to 40 per cent. an associate confidence that the model can be used overturning, professor in reliably. in which the Antarctic this thinning happens most swiftly at relatively warm Research Centre at DYNAMIC THINNING the terminus, or end of the glacier, the water rises Victoria University of Wel- Climate models suggest that our current overall gradient of the ice surface gets from depth at lington in New Zealand. governmental commitments to mitigat- steeper, which in turn encourages the high latitudes, He uses computer simula- ing greenhouse gas emissions will lead ice to flow more quickly and discharge releases heat to tions of the Greenland to average global warming of 3°C to even more of its mass into the ocean. the atmosphere and ­Antarctic ice sheets 4°C by the end of the century. When we In Greenland, our model suggested and, once to understand how they used our model to simulate how the ice that this would happen to the greatest cooler, begins behave under different sheets would respond to this warming, extent in the northwest sector of the to sink. climates and what this we found they lost ice, not just through ice sheet. Using a climate model, we But this might mean for global sea melting at their surface, but also then calculated that this meltwater sinking relies levels. through dynamic thinning, a process would ultimately find its way into on the water through which ice-sheet outlet glaciers the North Atlantic. And this is where being salty, and are melted by heat from seawater, the problems begin: even though the therefore dense. Adding freshwater, thinning their lowest regions. Because amount of meltwater released is tiny even if it is cold, prevents this sinking ➤

The Circle 2.2019 11 process. As the meltwater from Green- the Aleutian Islands, but producing con- land flows south, it meets warm water siderably warmer temperatures across from the Gulf of Mexico being carried The last time Earth was Svalbard and as as the North north. When the Gulf Stream moves warmer than it is today, Pole. Worse still, the discharge of ice east, it releases so much heat into the sheet meltwater into the oceans seems atmosphere that northwest Europe is average air temperatures to upset circulation patterns in a way kept far warmer than areas at compa- that can amplify year-to-year climate rable latitudes in eastern Canada. As were only a degree or so variations, producing unreliable weath- this current slows down, however, this er that can be far warmer or colder than heat transport reduces, and northwest above current temperatures, average from one year to the next. Europe cools. But the heat in the ocean yet the global sea level Recent research has shown that the remains—and it has to go somewhere. levels of warming expected over the was more than six metres coming centuries have no analogue in A DANGEROUS POSITIVE the recent past. In fact, conditions by FEEDBACK LOOP higher than it is now. How the end of this century will be similar With the rate of sinking suppressed, to those last seen three million years there is less vertical mixing in the water could this be possible? ago, when the sea level was around column, so the warmer, deeper layers These processes form a self- 20 metres higher than it is now. More retain their heat. This heat is especially reinforcing loop, also known as positive alarmingly, some studies have suggested dangerous for ice sheets, because many feedback. Yet the complexity of combin- that positive feedbacks could trigger an outlet glaciers flow through deep ing ice sheet models with global climate unstoppable chain of events that would troughs that can be hundreds of metres models has meant that this feedback lead to a “hothouse” world entirely dif- below sea level and beneath the cold was ignored in previous predictions. ferent from the one we inhabit today. sea surface. Instead, these glaciers are By including this loop, we found that Whether we choose to fast-forward flowing into the deeper, warmer parts meltwater from the Greenland Ice Sheet into that kind of future is down to us. of the water column, where the extra can accelerate its own retreat by up to But evidence from the past suggests that heat—trapped by the reduced overturn- 40 per cent. unless we rapidly reduce our emissions, ing—accelerates the melting of the Furthermore, the disruption to ocean the changes we are setting in motion submarine ice fronts. The glaciers once circulation caused by ice sheet meltwa- now may play out for hundreds—or again get steeper, flow more quickly and ter extends across the Arctic, reducing more likely, thousands—of years. l discharge even more ice. air temperatures in parts of Siberia and

Dynamic glacial thinning in Greenland: A self-reinforcing loop

➊ Freshwater melts on the surface of the glacier, flowing down and through creasses.

➋ Cold, buoyant freshwater rises to the surface, keeping the warmer saltwater down below, creating a pump effect.

➌ More and more buoyant freshwater stops warmer water from the Gulf Stream from surfacing, “pumping” it along the bottom of the glacier. ➍ Warm water from the Gulf stream circulates at the bottom of the glacier, melting it from below and causing large pieces to cale off, accelerating glacial ice loss. Design: etill Berger, filmform.no

12 The Circle 2.2019 Human/wildlife conflict Polar bear in the backyard! People around the world have always lived with potentially dangerous animals—but Photo: alvaroprieto, Creatrive Commons, Flickr.com as the human population increases and wildlife habitats shrink, this is becoming more challenging. FEMKE HILDERINK and GERT POLET explain why we all have a role to play in facilitating coexistence.

This warning sign in Svalbard, Norway tells people that polar bears may be anywhere in Svalbard.

The Circle 2.2019 13 Polar bear, Churchill, ­Manitoba, Canada.

IMAGINE YOU’RE ON YOUR way to the supermarket. Kids are running around in the playground while dogs doze in the sun. Shopping bag in hand, you turn the corner of a building and suddenly find yourself face to face with a polar bear scavenging for scraps in a waste bin. The moment the bear sees you, it lifts its head and sniffs the air. Your heart starts racing and your knees begin to shake. While you panic and try to consider the best response, the animal turns away and slowly lumbers out of view. Fortunately, this hypothetical episode ends well, with no one hurt. But it could have gone FEMKE another way. Dangerous ­HILDERINK is a encounters like nature conser- this happen not vation advisor only with polar with WWF- bears, but also Netherlands with elephants, and GERT tigers, apes and POLET is head many other on people for their long-term survival. of its wildlife wildlife species Such conflicts will only grow as unit. Together around the expanding human infrastructure and they facilitate a People and wild animals have world. agriculture continue to diminish and WWF initiative that seeks People and fragment wildlife habitats. The impacts a coordinated approach to always shared the planet. wild animals of climate change, such as droughts managing human/wildlife have always But encounters between and reduced sea-ice cover, are further conflicts around the world. shared the affecting or limiting available wildlife planet. But them are now occurring more habitats. Effective conservation mea- encounters between them are now often, and increasingly result sures can also serve to increase wildlife occurring more often, and increasingly populations, leading to more, not fewer, result in damaged property, injuries or in damaged property, injuries interactions with people. On top of that, even the death of people, their domesti- many species are opportunistic and cated animals and the wildlife itself. As or even the death of people, curious. For example, the polar bear in a result, local people can begin to argue our hypothetical village discovered there against conserving potentially danger- their domesticated animals was an easy meal in the waste bin and ous species, many of which now depend and the wildlife itself. was not afraid to go and get it.

14 The Circle 2.2019 Other hot spots for human/wildlife conflict

■■ There are numerous locations around the world where conflict between people and wildlife is leading to killings of one or the other. For example, in Asia, elephants and tigers are increasingly coming into contact with people. This is due to the loss and fragmentation of their habitats from expanding roads and railways, human settlements, agricultural fields and other development. In India, 100 people are killed by elephants every year, and in the Indian Sundarbans, 22 people are killed by tigers in an average year. Many animals are also killed in retaliation. WWF supports local people to secure their crop fields and livestock, and works with authori- ties to improve land use planning that protects wildlife migration routes. Meanwhile, in the mountains of cen- tral Asia, snow leopards are preying on Photo: Polar Bear Town, Flickr.com, www.facebook.com/polarbeartown/ Flickr.com, Town, Photo: Polar Bear local herders’ goats and sheep, leading To allow for coexistence, we all have ecosystems healthy, not to mention to conflicts with herders that often a role to play. For example, food and their significant roles in many people’s result in the leopards’ deaths. One waste can be stored properly in commu- cultures and livelihoods. Funding agen- study estimated that between 220 and nities. Response teams, such as those cies should invest in people who live 450 snow leopards have been killed that already operate in several Arctic alongside wildlife and, with government over the past 11 years, mostly due to towns, can be formed to help people on support, create environments that are conflicts with herders. Snow leopards a day-to-day basis. Land-use planners more conducive to ensuring that local can kill animals that are three times need to think about wildlife migration communities continue to safely benefit their weight, so their ability to hunt routes. And while a lost life is irreplace- from the presence of wildlife. domestic sheep and cattle makes them able, insurance companies and govern- As the custodians of wildlife, local targets for herders. WWF supports ments can cover some of the costs and people are needed to safeguard these herders to improve livestock housing economic losses suffered by people. animals. After all, they are the ones to prevent predation by snow leopards, Harmonious coexistence between bearing the risks of living with wildlife. and is also helping them find additional people and wildlife depends on our We should be looking to minimise the sources of income to reduce the pres- efforts to share space safely. And there attendant risks and explore opportuni- sures on snow leopards caused by are good reasons to do so: wild animals ties that can benefit local communities ever-growing livestock numbers. play an important role in keeping our that have wildlife in their vicinities. l

The Circle 2.2019 15 Pollution

Migrating plastics: Even the Arctic is not immune

The research vessel Tara completed a five-month expedition around the . The researchers sampled floating debris and measured the concentration of the particles caught. Anna Deniaud/Tara Expeditions Foundation Anna Deniaud/Tara

We were surprised to find that plastic debris was plentiful in the Greenland and Barents seas to the east of Greenland and north of Scandinavia. Our study concluded that most of the plastic found in this part of the Arctic was coming from faraway sources, including the coasts of northwest Europe, the UK and the east coast of the United States.

16 The Circle 2.2019 It’s common knowledge that climate change has been causing a series of profound transformations in the Arctic Ocean. But until recently, it was believed that marine litter was primarily a concern in temperate and tropical regions. Not anymore. ANDRÉS CÓZAR CABAÑAS explains the changes that are making the Arctic more susceptible to plastic pollution.

THE ARCTIC’S REMOTE LOCATION and hostile environment have helped preserve The extent of the it as one of the most pristine places on polar ice cap in August 2013. Earth. But in recent years, human vorac- ity has led governments and businesses to turn a speculative eye toward this untapped piece of our planet. The polar regions are warming much more quickly than the rest of the Earth, and a shrinking ice cap is opening the door to unprec- The North Atlantic edented development. subtropical ocean gyre and the global thermo- THE SCIENCE BEHIND “GARBAGE haline circulation PATCHES” poleward branch. There are virtually no human settlements north of the Arctic Polar Circle, located above Iceland at 66.34 degrees latitude. The biggest sources of marine litter are far from there, and a powerful system of ocean currents works to retain the floating litter at mid-latitudes: the Earth’s wind Plastic concentrations: ANDRÉS

patterns mean that marine litter accumu- Universidad de Cadiz Andres Cozar, Map: CÓZAR lates at around 30 degrees’ latitude. Low High CABAÑAS is In each hemisphere, from the equator an ecology to 60 degrees, two steady wind belts blow Locations and plastic concentrations of professor at the in opposite directions south and north of the sites sampled. University of Cádiz, Spain. the 30th parallel. When these crosswinds ➤

➤

The Circle 2.2019 17 interact with the ocean surfaces, they sively more dense by cooling, ultimately generate convergence zones in the moving downward. This sink of ocean middle of each ocean basin. The results waters pulls surface water from the are the great subtropical gyres, more North Atlantic, collecting buoyant commonly known today as the “great plastic from highly populated latitudes plastic garbage patches.” and delivering it to the Arctic, where the In 2013, the research vessel Tara landmasses, together with the ice cap, completed a five-month expedition constitute a dead end for all floating around the North Pole. I was respon- debris. sible for leading the team that assessed This poleward migration of plastic plastic pollution in the waters around involves the so-called thermohaline the Arctic ice cap. The researchers circulation, a global conveyor belt cur- sampled floating debris by towing nets rently known for redistributing heat with meshes as fine as one-third of a across the global ocean and now con- millimetre wide and measured the con- necting remote sources of marine litter centration of the particles caught. with the Arctic. This expedition changed our under- Most of the hundreds of tons of standing of the isolation of the Arctic plastic found in Arctic waters appears Ocean. As expected, most of the ice-free in the form of aged fragments about surface waters in the Arctic Polar Circle the size of a grain of rice. A total of 300 were only slightly polluted with plastic Expeditions Foundation Anna Deniaud/Tara billion plastic pieces are estimated to Microplastics intermingle with plankton debris—a situation that seemed con- be present in surface waters alone, and from an Arctic Ocean sample. sistent with the low population settled it’s likely there is even more plastic on there. However, we were surprised to the sea floor. These tiny fragments are find that plastic debris was plentiful THE ARCTIC: A “DEAD END” nearly impossible to remove. in the Greenland and Barents seas to FOR FLOATING DEBRIS There is no way out for the plastic the east of Greenland and north of In addition to the wind-induced system entering the Arctic. It will stay there Scandinavia. Our study concluded that of subtropical gyres, there is a second for a long time, interacting with one of most of the plastic found in this part large-scale ocean circulation at work. the Earth’s wildest ecosystems. While of the Arctic was coming from faraway This one is driven by differences in the we still don’t fully understand the sources, including the coasts of north- densities of polar and tropical waters. consequences of so much plastic for the west Europe, the UK and the east coast The surface water in the Greenland Arctic, it is troubling that plastic pollu- of the United States. and Barents seas becomes progres- tion has made its way into the marine food chain. The migration of floating debris to the Microplastics in the Arctic Arctic is a non-stop process. A massive accumulation of plastic is just begin- Microplastics are tiny plastic fragments measuring less than 5 mm. We are sur- ning: years’ worth of plastic already dis- rounded by them—and they are clogging our oceans. posed into the oceans is now in transit A considerable quantity of microplastics find their way into the ocean when larger to the Arctic, and more and more plastic pieces of plastic, such as bags or bottles, are gradually broken down over a period of litter enters the oceans every year. time by the sun or the ocean’s waves. Microplastics can also enter the sea from health The Arctic is more vulnerable to and beauty products that get into water supplies (such as tiny plastic exfoliants in face remote sources of pollution than ever washes or toothpastes) or from activities like washing synthetic clothing. These tiny before. Plastic particles also have the plastic particles are then consumed by animals like plankton, sending the problem back potential to act as vectors for contami- up the food chain—and eventually to us. nants added during plastic manufac- But this isn’t only a southern problem. Record levels of microplastics have been turing or acquired from seawater. As found trapped inside Artic sea ice: one study found up to 234 particles concentrated well, invasive species are hitching rides into just one litre of melted Arctic sea ice. That’s much higher than in the open ocean. across the oceans on these long-ranging Researchers say that’s because sea ice forms from the top. Plastic particles also float plastic vehicles. Our study confirms that at the surface and become bonded to the ice as it freezes. As sea ice melts with climate the Arctic is indeed connected to the change, these plastics will be released back into the water, with unknown effects on rest of the world. wildlife. More than ever before, preserving the Arctic requires preserving the planet. l

18 The Circle 2.2019 Protesting the Pebble Mine in southwest Alaska. Photo: Scott Dickerson/WWF-US

Industrial development

The Pebble prospect: Photo: Brandon Hill the wrong place and the wrong mine There’s trouble in paradise. Bristol Bay in southwest Alaska is facing an unprecedented threat from a proposed open-pit gold and copper mine. DAVE APLIN warns that if ­permitted, the Pebble Mine would permanently compromise Bristol Bay’s intact ecosystem, ­abundant wildlife, fish-fuelled economy and bustling local communities. DAVE APLIN is the director BRISTOL BAY is a place that inspires superlatives. fishing economy worth $1.5 billion a year, and of education It is one of the world’s remaining salmon strong- centuries-old Indigenous cultures. The salmon and community holds—more than 60 million sockeye returned to also feed beluga whales, bald eagles and the largest outreach for the its rivers and streams to complete their epic life- concentration of brown bears on the planet. They WWF-US Arctic Program. cycle last year alone. Their annual return supports provide the nutrients that fertilize the willows and He lives in Homer, Alaska. more than 1,400 jobs, a sustainable commercial grasses upon which moose and caribou depend. ➤

The Circle 2.2019 19 Brown bears hunt for salmon at Brooks Falls, Katmai National Park and Preserve, Alaska.

Nyac

Bethel Le Cr Nttn Pr Pee n Preere Mne ret

uinhagak Newhalen

Goodnews Bay It is safe to say that Bristol Bay is like Togiak Dillingham nowhere else on Earth. The problem is:

ing Salm on its sustainable natural riches lie atop Kt Nttn Pr mineral riches—vast low-grade copper n Preere and gold ore deposits. It’s been 30 years since the Pebble deposit was first discovered by a Cana- arluk Pilot Point dian mining company and nearly 20 since another Canadian firm, Northern Dynasty Minerals, acquired the claim. Port Heiden An Nttn Since the discovery, the spectre of the Mnuent n Preere Pebble Mine has remained a conten- km tious issue, especially for the com- Chignik mercial fishermen, sportfishing lodge

Perryille owners and Alaska Natives who depend on clean water and healthy salmon for Mapdesign: etill Berger, filmform.no. Source: naturalearthdata.com, GeoHack their livelihoods and subsistence har-

20 The Circle 2.2019 Fisherman with salmon. Bristol Bay, Alaska. Photo: Chris Ford, Creative Commons, Flickr.com

Bristol Bay fishing boats at Dillingham. Photo: Paul Colangelo/WWF-US Photo: Christoph Strässler, Creative Commons, Flickr.com Photo: Christoph Strässler, vests. Today, nearly 80 per cent of area In spite of these risks, Northern US Environmental Protection Agency residents and the majority of Alaskans Dynasty, the sole remaining Pebble (EPA) to step in. In response, the EPA oppose the mine. partner, has persisted. initiated a three-year scientific review to In 2011, local tribes joined com- assess the potential impacts of the mine A PROJECT RIFE WITH RISKS mercial fishermen in petitioning the on the region’s environment, economy Over the past two decades, four major and cultures. The study’s peer-reviewed mining companies joined Northern findings led the EPA to conclude that Dynasty to become what is called the The study’s peer-reviewed the mine would substantially affect Pebble Limited Partnership. All four Bristol Bay’s freshwater and fisheries have since retreated from a project that findings led the EPA to resources, and it moved to protect the promises major challenges that include region. its remote location, low-grade ore qual- conclude that the mine However, a legal challenge to the ity and a laundry list of risks to Bristol EPA’s process stalled the implementa- Bay’s intact environment—including the would substantially affect tion of those protections until 2017. destruction of salmon habitat and the Bristol Bay’s freshwater That year, a new federal administration potential for the release of acid mine set aside the EPA findings and green- waste into the region’s rivers and streams. and fisheries resources. lighted Pebble’s permit application. ➤

The Circle 2.2019 21 Since then, the US Army Corps of Engi- neers has pursued a highly accelerated Alternative energy permitting process and aims to com- plete the process by summer of 2020. THE FIGHT TO PROTECT Making the move to BRISTOL BAY If not stopped, Pebble Mine would be allowed to develop the first 1.5 billion tons of its nearly 11 billion ton deposit. green energy in Nunavut If permitted, the mine would run con- tinuously for 24 years. And, like the pro- For people living in the Canadian territory of Nunavut, verbial camel’s nose under the tent flap, diesel fuel is essential to their daily lives. Residents rely permitting Pebble would set the stage for future expansion into nearby areas on it for heating, electricity and transportation. But diesel and could jump-start the development has a lot of drawbacks: it is expensive, pollutes the air, of a mining district in Bristol Bay. produces greenhouse gas emissions, and destroys habitats In response, a coalition of Indigenous groups, commercial and sportfishing and ecosystems when it spills. interests, tourism providers and non- governmental organizations, including For almost four years, MARTHA LENIO and others at WWF- WWF, have banded together to protect Canada in Iqaluit have focused on bringing green energy to Bristol Bay. WWF and others have retained scientists and economists the region as part of the Arctic Renewable Energy project. to review the rushed and incomplete Lenio spoke to The Circle about the work WWF is doing Draft Environmental Impact statement with communities to help reduce their dependence on die- released by the Corps of Engineer. Grassroots and grass-top activists are sel and make the shift to renewables. working to harness the support of Alas- kans to influence elected officials and agency professionals to throw out the Why is it important to work at flawed process and start over. At times, the community level to make this it appears to be an uphill struggle as transition? political leaders at the state and federal One of the big things is that we want levels embrace extractive industries these projects to be habitat-friendly over sustainable development. But it’s and renewable—so they don’t have a battle that thousands of Alaskans and an impact on caribou, birds or other many more people around the world are animals that people rely on. But the willing to fight. projects should also have social benefits Many locations around the Arctic face for the community and result in jobs. similar challenges in changing the meth- For that to happen, people should be ods we use to calculate value and wealth. involved. The projects won’t be suc- The controversy that swirls around the cessful unless communities want them, Pebble project illustrates the global need understand them and see real benefits to mainstream the understanding and in the community from renewable acceptance of factoring ecosystem ser- energy. vices into decision-making and financial Part of that is information: getting systems. The future of Bristol Bay and community members access to training many other irreplaceable Arctic jewels programmes. There are also a lot of depends on successfully navigating that concerns like, “Do solar panels work in Adamski Tomasz Photo: change. l the North? Do wind turbines work in Martha Lenio.

22 The Circle 2.2019 Projects won’t be successful unless communities want them, understand them and see real benefits in the community from renewable energy. Photo: Martha Lenio the North? Is it just going to break?” So, WWF-Canada's Martha Lenio says we need to give people some hands-on Nunavut residents are eager to learn training and the chance to see some of about renewable energy options. these projects in action. I think complet- ing one or two pilot projects will make a energy costs in many of the communi- big difference. Then people will be able ties. So with this project, we’re looking to say, “Yeah, this is working. This can at creative ways to encourage people in work in Nunavut.” social housing to decrease their energy

We want to have really thoughtful, Photo: Martha Lenio use. This is one of the things we’ve come renewable energy projects in communi- Waste oil drums in Gjoa Haven. up with. We’re estimating that it will ties that work to bring down costs and help bring electricity use down by 10 per make a difference in people’s lives. I’m really excited about that one in cent. particular. How receptive are people to mak- What could other communities ing this kind of change? What is the energy co-op project? learn from the project in Gjoa In general, they’re very receptive. The Gjoa Haven Energy Co-op aims to Haven? Energy is expensive up here and the use commercially available technology This project will have a lasting impact impacts of climate change are very real, designed to reduce diesel dependency. in both Gjoa Haven and Nunavut as a so people realise that we need to make The idea is to have really thoughtful, whole. The energy co-op will not only changes. People are very eager to learn renewable energy projects that work to reduce people’s dependence on diesel, and to hear about what the options are. bring down costs and make a difference but it will empower energy literacy in people’s lives. and create a better understanding of Can you tell us a little more Over two years, the co-operative will how energy projects that are operated about what you are doing in Gjoa be formed by implementing three exist- through a co-op can be financially via- Haven? ing technologies: home energy monitor- ble. Gjoa Haven’s experience in creating We asked people in Gjoa Haven what ing, solar net metering and waste-to- an energy co-op will provide a roadmap kinds of energy projects they wanted to heat energy. Personally, I think the for other remote Arctic communities see in their community. We started with home energy monitoring project is quite interested in doing the same thing. l a list of 12 initiatives that the commu- neat. It would focus on installing home nity wanted, then decided to focus on energy monitors in people’s homes, three of them: energy efficiency, wasted and then people would have real-time Energy is expensive up here heat and solar energy. Our approach has information about how much energy been to start with some pilot projects, they’re using and they could adjust their and the impacts of climate see how they work, and then expand behaviour to try and lower their bills. them once we have a good grasp of how One of the challenges in Nunavut change are very real, so the finances will work. is that a lot of people live in social people realise that we People in Gjoa Haven are also housing, so the housing corporation is interested in starting an energy co-op. actually paying the large majority of the need to make changes.

The Circle 2.2019 23 Return WWF Arctic Programme 275 Slater Street, Suite 810, Ottawa ON, K1P 5H9, CANADA

THE PICTURE

Walrus belong on ice Photo: Wild Wonders of Europe/Ole Joergen Liodden/WWF Photo: Wild Wonders

The walrus pictured here is on an ice floe in Svalbard, Norway. Walrus spend their time on sea ice, migrating with moving ice floes and resting on ice between dives for food. But climate change is dramatically shrinking available sea ice for walrus, especially between Alaska and ­Russia. As a result, thousands are swimming much further to seek refuge on shore, where they congregate in large groups known as “haulouts.” Unless we dramatically cut the emissions of greenhouse gases, pictures of walrus resting on sea ice could become a thing of the past.

Why we are here To stop the degradation of the planet’s natural environment and to build a future in which humans live in harmony with nature.

www.panda.org/arctic