FREE icepeople The world's northernmost alternative newspaper Vol. 7, Issue 4 February 3, 2015 www.icepeople.net Extreme makeover Government hastily drafting new blueprint for as Parliament begins Store Norske debate agreement the primary industry of coal mining By MARK SABBATINI • Work freeze: Labor strikers brave -20C. 5 Editor has a short future – which some want ended “ With anxiously awaiting • Oil slick: Drilling upsets goal of peace? 5 sooner than later due to environmental impacts To believe that the governor can rescue people out, regardless of word on a bailout to save its biggest employer, and the struggle to be economically viable. the Norwegian government has decided it needs lenges Svalbard is facing during a Parliament Anders Anundsen, minister of Justice and circumstances, is wrong. There is no guarantee for that. to do a quick overhaul of what is its vision of meeting last week revealed plenty of support Public Security, which has oversight of the - Per Andreassen, police lieutenant archipelago, announced the Conservative-led the area's economic future. for economic activity here and optimism about Svalbard governor's office An hour-long discussion about the chal- potential industries. But there was also general See BLUEPRINT, page 4 Burning ” ffff dsfijhk avalanche test ambition test test ffff dsfijhk Polarjazz aims for new musical and geographical boundaries with both local and global artists By MARK SABBATINI Editor Forget cigarette lighters. If you want to be a flamer at a concert in Svalbard you'd best bring a torch. A lineup of almost entirely new offerings, including the free torches provided for a short hike to a refurbished mining warehouse for a first-ever concert there Saturday afternoon, COURTESY OF NINA & THE BUTTERFLY FISH WENCHE RAVLO Best promo shot, band name and free streaming album: Nina & the Butterfly Fish, a Norwegian will be featured during this year's Polarjazz pop/world/jazz band, will also perform in the coolest venue at this year's Polarjazz festival with a festival starting Wednesday. The five-day event concert Saturday afternoon in a restored mining warehouse on the outskirts of Longyearbyen. See FESTIVAL, page 7

Inside Getting a kick out of 'sledsharing' Communal transport arrives Geeze…another week of polar porn? Svalbard style as 25 kicksleds Page 2 go where bikes and cars can't Queen Sonja to attend art hall debut By MARK SABBATINI Page 3 Editor Headlines from Svalbardposten Being without wheels – which aren't al- - Gov't facing more heat on Austre Adventfjord? ways all that helpful in Longyearbyen – just - Store Norske finally sells gold subsidiary got a bit easier. - Newcomer's lion wins Solfestuka logo contest Locals and visitors, especially students, Page 3 are discovering the joys of cruising the town on 25 new kicksleds available free for the shar- Weather forecast ing. The sleds were strategically distributed in MARK SABBATINI / ICEPEOPLE Page 3 January, but are now more likely to be found at Stig Lunde, left, and Jøran Skaar use one of Events calendar schools than stores. Longyearbyen's new communal kicksleds to get Page 8 "I think it's a very nice thing to do for us a package from the post office to their dorm See TRANSPORT, page 8 building three kilometers away in Nybyen.

Our biggest ice cap is collapsing abysmally fast. But, hey, glacial melting is a nice soundtrack. Page 6 MARK SABBATINI / SABBATINI Page 2 February 3, 2015 ???? Who's to blame and how 'Gotta love how you're the one on a leash' to express your wrath

Editor Mark Sabbatini

Principal of principles Kristan Hutchison

Psychiatrist Irene Gallion

Accomplice Jeff Newsom

Mailing address Icepeople Vei 210 -2- 13 Longyearbyen, Svalbard 9170 DAVID PARRY / PA WIRE An eight-foot-long "polar bear" confronts a poodle while wandering through the streets of London Telephone Jan. 27. The semi-animatronic bear costume was crafted by 19 Hollywood prop specialists using Norway: +47 41 51 46 38 90 square feet of fur and about 60 other types of materials. Two puppeteers guided the animal NORWEGIAN POLAR INSTITUTE U.S. +1 (970) 673-4472 after five days of practice and studying real polar bear movements. The costume weighed about A lone researcher wanders out onto the ice at 83 degrees 14 minutes north latitude and 21 20 kilos, compared to the 400 a real bear weighs. The tour was a publicity stunt for "Fortitude," a E-mail degrees 31 minutes east longitude, where "the weather is fantastic – minus 16 degrees Celsius new 12-episode TV series based in a town that's Longyearbyen in all but name. The highly [email protected] with light wind," according to the official blog for the Norwegian Young Sea Ice Cruise Project acclaimed and publicized series, which debuted Jan. 29, is airing on British and U.S. networks. (tinyurl.com/ksefnyy). The researcher is one of 20 from ten countries who will spend the next Web site three months living aboard the Norwegian Polar Institute's Lance, which is frozen into the ice, and www.icepeople.net collecting data related to climate change. The vessel is scheduled to spend an additional three Icesheet months frozen into the ice further north with a new team of scientists. Icepeople is published weekly (or thereabouts) on Tuesdays (or thereabouts), with printed Random bits of the week's weirdness: copies available free on a limited basis in You'd think overwhelming heat would be Longyearbyen. Additional printed copies are the last thing to worry about during the pro- "You forgot the sunscreen? Oh, crap." If we available locally and by mail upon request. longed cold spell we're having (a couple of weren't about to be crisped because volcanos Charges are on an "at cost" basis. blissful days in the middle of this week aside), just made the ozone vanish we'd totally own the but it turns out the Other New Burning Prob- polar bears 260 million years from now. Copyright stuff lem in Longyearbyen is still leaving many smoldering. Yet another fire caused by a per- Briefly Original contents of this publication can be son falling asleep with a no-longer-frozen JAN OLAV SÆTER / LONGYEARBYEN FIRE DEPT. reproduced for non-commercial purposes free pizza in the oven occurred Saturday, two This pizza has a four-star rating: OK, not this of charge if Icepeople is credited as the days after the fire department reported it re- particular pizza, but Dr. Oetker's plain cheese Cruising: Getting out of source. The original writers, photographers sponded to a record number of alarms in pies tend to draw raves from junk food bloggers. and other contributors retain their rights to all 2014. The most recent incident occurred in an many visitors this weekend, is attributed to the danger, but into 'death?' apartment complex with 36 units when the cul- published works. closure last January of a pizza place that was Another cruise season is about to embark prit came home from a party in the wee hours the last remaining food option for folks after full speed ahead in Svalbard, but the smiles of of the morning with the munchies, according to Mainland town claims to be top the pubs closed, forcing the hungry to fend for those greeting passengers aren't being shared Corrections policy our counterpart publication responsible for All themselves … Of course, a proper and nutri- by a lot of industry executives these days. per-person telethon giver, a title The Snooze That's Fit To Print. Although "it tious diet is essential, and it's hard to think of They took a blow last month when Britain When we screw up you'll know about it – on was one of the blackest pizzas I've seen," ac- held by Longyearbyen for years better way to illustrate this than a study get- issued a warning telling travelers cruising here the front page. One of the big complaints cording to the fire chief, the worst damage was about newspapers is they tend to bury ting lots of exposure that shows polar bear is too dangerous. That warning may be re- likely the ill-will of the culprit's neighbors who penises are weakening due to eating food corrections and clarifications deep inside were left standing out in the cold and the fines where few people who read the original article loaded with harmful additives. The study, of about 11,000 kroner the partier is facing. published in Environmental Research, exam- see them. If we need to fix something, an alert The fire department responded to 181 calls last box on the front page will state what story is in ined penis bone samples to determine their year (compared to an average of about 145 density and whether PCBs are affecting the re- error and where the full correction is printed. since 2005), with 14 classified as fires or se- sults over time. They found high PCBs led to a RANDALL MUNROE / XKCD.COM vere smoke situations. Of those, seven were "low baculum density" which, while we're not Submitting material caused by people – most or all drunk falling exactly sure what that means, is certainly in- asleep with food cooking in the early morning clined to leave us feeling (even more) impotent Letters, columns, photos and other material hours. The phenomenon, for the benefit of our … But the creatures remain fearsome for now, are welcome, but we can't offer pay for much to the relief and delight of people who published items since nobody here is getting depend on them for a living. No, not "junk sci- paid at the moment. Submissions in electronic entists," silly. Hollywood (and its foreign form (text, Word documents, JPEGs, etc.) are equivalents), which is on a tear these days highly preferred, although typing and/or when it comes to Svalbard-based entertainment scanning of items will be considered on a per- where there's always a fur factor. Among the case basis. We reserve the right to edit MARINE BIO latest is the bear-attacks-isolated-girls film submissions for length, clarity, accuracy, libel This is not a masturbation fantasy photo. At "Operasjon Arktis" which, aside from "the and other reasons, but we will also make least we really, really hope not, although we can cheesy freeze frame of the reunited family," every reasonable effort to contact the author sympathize with Arctic scientists feeling lonely screened to lots of positive publicity last about any changes prior to publication. after prolonged stretches in the field. week at the U.S. Sundance Film Festival. February 3, 2015 Page 3

HEADLINES STOLEN FROM SVALBARDPOSTEN VERDENS NORDLIGSTE AVIS

Gov't facing rising pressure in Austre Adventfjord cases The government is facing increasing pres- sure to resolve ownership and mining disputes on a large parcel of private land across the channel from Longyearbyen put on the market early last year, an analyst claims. Willy Øs- treng, president of The Norwegian Scientific Academy for Polar Research and former di- rector of the Fridtjof Nansen Institute, said the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Fisheries may find itself to blame if it pays a high price for MARK SABBATINI / ICEPEOPLE the land due to delays in responding to in- Queen Sonja, above at center, tells visitors at quiries from the owner. The government is Galleri Svalbard about her exhibit of also preparing for a trial appealing its ruling artistically altered landscape photos taken in on who has mining rights to a portion of the Svalbard during a 2013 visit to the Austre Adventfjord tract. The sale of one of archipelago. The queen is returning this Svalbard's two private land parcels has raised week and scheduled to attend the opening of concerns a foreign country such as China may Kunsthall Svalbard, located inside Svalbard purchase it to establish an Arctic foothold. Museum. At right, a glacier from Lofoton is the basis for the video "Glacier" by U.S. artist Joan Jonas, which will be the opening exhibit Store Norske unloads gold at the art hall. A public opening ceremony for subsidiary after long talks the hall is scheduled at 7 p.m. Saturday. Store Norske has sold its gold subsidiary COURTESY OF WILKINSON GALLERY, LONDON to an Alta mining company after months of difficult negotiations, officials said Friday. SHOWDOWN, from page 1 Cast your eyes on…um, the art The sale gives Antaeus AS the exploration rights to 72 sites in the Finnmark and Troms attending," said Knut Ljøgodt, director of the Queen Sonja to attend opening regions, while Store Norske is retaining its museum. rights to 27 sites in Svalbard. Storse Norske of new art hall during second Queen Sonja, a frequent participant in art announced its intention to sell its mainland events nationally and globally, visited Svalbard visit to Svalbard in two years rights early last year, but negotiations with almost exactly two years ago for the debut of three potential buyers proved contentious. The By MARK SABBATINI an exhibit of artistically altered photos she price of the sale was not disclosed, but was took during other visits to the archipelago. Editor not expected to be particularly high. Her Royal Majesty is about to experience A public reception for the opening, a rather skewed redefinition of what it means featuring Minister of Culture Thorhild Widvey, to eyeball a glacier in Svalbard. is scheduled at 5 p.m. Saturday. She will also New student's lion, 'Thief,' Queen Sonja will be among the guests of be one of several guests making presentations wins Solfestuka logo contest honor during the official opening Friday of the during a breakfast seminar at 10 a.m. Sunday Nora H. Nævdal, 11, experiencing her new Kunsthall Svalbard, featuring an opening titled "Art and Society in the North." first winter in the dark, is the winner of this exhibit of eclectic imagery and sounds built "Then it will be more open for discussion year's logo competition for around the tale of an Arctic glacier. about what part art will play in the north," the annual Solfestuka festi- The art hall in a 77-square-meter space Ljøgodt said. val in March that celebrates behind the reception area of Svalbard Museum The opening exhibit, "Glaciers" by U.S. the return of the sun. "I is a branch of the Northern Norway Art artist Joan Jonas, is a video work featuring thought I'd do something Museum. The queen, who is taking a modernistic embellishments of a Lofoton different," she said. "First I previously scheduled personal trip to Svalbard glacier. The project is an interpretation of the drew a polar bear, but it was with no public events scheduled as of Tuesday, novel "Under The Glacier" by Icelandic author a little weird and I saw that accepted an invitation from the Tromsø-based Halldor Laxness, and the soundtrack features there were others making then. The lion's museum museum to attend Friday's invitee- passages from the book and Sami joik lyrics. name, Thief, was inspired by a wayward only opening. There's more! Visit www.icepeople.net stroke while she was drawing it. "Obviously we think it's an honor she is for the complete story. Weather forecast for Longyearbyen

Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Snow. NW winds to 45 km/h. Snow. NE winds to 29 km/h. Cloudy. SE winds to 32 km/h. Cloudy. Variable winds to 32 High 0C (-7C wind chill), low High 0C (-5C wind chill), low High -20C (-25C wind chill), km/h. High -17C (-24C wind -5C (-13C wind chill). -14C (-21C wind chill). low -13C (-21C wind chill). chill), low -20C (-26C wind chill). 24-hour darkness 24-hour darkness 24-hour darkness 24-hour darkness Extended forecast: Sunday, cloudy, -19C (-25C), -21C (-28C), light 0:00h; Monday, p. cloudy, -21C (-27C), -23C (-28C), light 0:00h; Tuesday, p. cloudy, -19C (-25C), -23C (-28C), light 0:00h; Wednesday, p. cloudy, -19C (-25C), -20C (-27C), light 0:00h Data provided by storm.no Page 4 February 3, 2015

Researcher falls 25 meters into glacier, suffers hypothermia after being trapped for three hours

ALONA KULYK ANNE RAGNHILD FAUSE A drawing, left, by Alona Kulyk, a third-grade student at Longyearbyen School, showing a polar bear peacefully co-existing with its prey, helps the Norwegian government explain its environmental goals for Svalbard in its white paper now in effect for the archipelago. At right, a drawing by Anne Ragnhild Fause, a seventh-grade student, illustrates the government's goal of establishing Longyearbyen as a diverse, family-oriented community. Gov't turns dark into white BLUEPRINT, from page 1 families and affiliated industries are factored in tructure and resource development, tourism, government is drafting a new "white paper" – is especially troubling, Elvestuen said. commercial shipping, and educational opportu- that outlines national policy goals for Svalbard. "To maintain a viable community requires nities at The University Centre in Svalbard "It is precisely because there is so much a critical mass," he said. "Today there are were among the others possibilities envisioned happening in Svalbard right now and it is cru- about 2,100 people living in Longyearbyen. as proving a sustainable economic future. cial that we see this in context," he told those That is under what is considered sufficient to Longyearbyen Mayor Christin Kristof- at the meeting. maintain a modern society at 78 degrees fersen, a Labor Party member, said much of The most recent white paper, the fourth north." the discussion reiterated points emphasized by since 1975, was drafted in 2008 and 2009. Up- Elvestuen said it appears has Svalbard has Store Norke and local political officials during dates of previous reports were released roughly sufficient coal reserves for Store Norske to the past few months, which she sees as an en- every decade. Anundsen said he doesn't not continue mining until 2023 and opening other couraging sign. know when the revised report will be complet- areas that may extend that by several years "What I see is they're debating in terms of ed, but the intention is to release it as quickly should remain a possibility. But with many ex- a decision that Store Norske will have a solu- as possible. pecting the price slump to continue for the tion," she said, adding the focus on industry The debate about Svalbard was initiated foreseeable future, much of the discussion fo- expansion in general is a plus. by Ola Elvestuen, a member of the Liberal Par- cused on alternative industries Store Norske an Norway's Green Party has long sought a ty, which is fully endorsing Store Norske's re- the city in general can pursue. halt to coal mining in Svalbard. Rasmus Hans- quest for a 450-million-loan that will allow op- "Research is an important part of everyday son, a member of the party at the meeting, said erations to continue beyond the next few life in the Svalbard community and research he might be willing to support Store Norske's months. The company lost a record 537 million efforts can be in many ways increase," said loan request – with a simple change. kroner last year due to plunging coal prices and Frank Bakke-Jensen, a Conservative Party "Store Norske has requested 450 million the loan is part of a restructuring plan that in- member. "We also have messages that have kroner in support, of which 400 million will go cludes laying off about 100 of its 340 employ- said that we are not good enough at leveraging to maintaining coal mining and 50 million to ees last months and drastically scaling back the research infrastructure already present developing new industries," he said. "The sim- operations during the next two years. there." ple and obvious solution initially is reversing The number of layoffs – and the possibili- Offering the expertise of Store Norske and the amounts." ty hundreds more residents may leave when other companies in matters of Arctic infras- Anundsen said the revised white paper may change the blueprint for Store Norske, but "it is, however, important to remember that any What the last paper found end Norwegian coal mining in Svalbard does not mean that there is an end to coal mining in Svalbard, much like now, went through dramatic changes during the first Svalbard." decade of the 21st century. But the government was feeling a lot more Russia is continuing mining on a smaller optimistic about them. The white paper drafted during 2008 and 2009 scale in and there is the possibility found "development of infrastructure and services in Long-yearbyen and – albeit remote – of a foreign entity purchasing Ny-Ålesund has continued," prompting the government to also increase a large private tract of land near Longyearbyen its budget for the area. The area was more diverse economically and estimated to contain 20 million tons of coal, socially, keeping with the goal of developing a family community rather enough to sustain mining for up to 20 years. than a "company town." Yet, the "company" was doing fine as coal mining made a big upturn after a decline during the 1990s. There's more! Visit www.icepeople.net for the complete story. February 3, 2015 Page 5

MARK SABBATINI / ICEPEOPLE

MARK SABBATINI / ICEPEOPLE AVINOR More than 100 Longyearbyen residents, left, gather in the town square Wednesday during a two-hour national strike protesting proposed changes in labor regulations they say will result in longer hours and weaker worker protections. At top right, many of the protesters reconvene indoors at Fruene as temperatures of -20C cut their planned two-hour outdoor stay short. At bottom right, a notice at Avinor's website warns travelers to expect flight delays. Exposing employees Longyearbyen residents brave the -20C cold during the entire strike, most re- labor policy Store Norske has to follow and the treated indoors to cafes after about 30 minutes proposed changes. -20C cold during national strike and by 3 p.m. the square was empty. "You can't fire people overnight," she said. over proposed new labor laws Strike organizers expressed concern the The strike, which organizers claims drew proposed labor law changes will result in more 1.5 million participants, largely halted flights By MARK SABBATINI temporary employees working longer hours, and public transportation on the mainland, Editor more mandatory hours for permanent workers along with some kindergartens that closed. But Considering how hard it is to find a job in and more work on Sundays. the impact in Svalbard was considerably less Svalbard and the sacrifices often required of Polden said temporary workers face hard- noticeable. family members far away, Synnøve Polden ships beyond job insecurity, such as banks re- "There are no scheduled flights to the says it doesn't seem fair to be able to fire peo- fusing to provide loans. Conservatives argue mainland (that day) since it’s Wednesday," said ple at will because they won't suddenly work the changes will help businesses at a time when Svalbard Airport Manager Morten Ulsnes. "We longer for less pay. the country is facing severe economic chal- only have the mail plane, which departs before "Those of us who come from foreign coun- lenges, but she said results of similar policies the strike." tries can be exploited," she said during a strike in other European countries have failed. A flight carrying workers from Longyear- last Wednesday objecting to proposed changes "Everything says this will not give the gov- byen to Svea scheduled to take off shortly be- in Norway’s Working Environment Act by the ernment what they want," she said. fore the end of the strike was slightly delayed. Conservative-led government. "It takes advan- Many of the local strikers are employees at Labor organizations participating in the tage of the weakest employees." Store Norske, where layoffs, worker conces- strike include the Norwegian Confederation of More than 100 Longyearbyen residents sions and more efficient operations are being Trade Unions, the Confederation of Vocational gathered outside in the central square at 2 p.m. embraced as the mining company struggles to Unions, and the Confederation of Unions for for the nationwide strike by three of Norway's survive a crisis brought on by low coal prices. Universities College Graduates. four labor organizations. Although many of the But Anne Rakel Østli, a city government em- There's more! Visit www.icepeople.net locals said they intended to remain outside in ployee, said there's a big difference between the for the complete story. Oil blocking Norway's vision? Polar Institute hacked The Norwegian Polar Institute was the Critics: Offering 'Svalbard block' parcels are above latitude 74 degrees north, roughly equal with Bjønøya, which both victim of a network-based intelligence DEBATE, from page 1 of sea to drillers counter to goal proponents and opponents of Norway's drilling operation, apparently by a foreign power, of keeping the archipelago 'quiet' plans in the north said could be provocative. officials told TV2 this week. "Norway should abstain from drilling in The Norwegian Police Security Service By MARK SABBATINI the areas immediately adjacent to the Russian confirmed the attack, but did not speculate Oil exploration in the formerly disputed waters of the Barents Sea Editor border," Johan Barlindhaug, an Arctic oil which country may have been responsible. should not be affected by the deteriorating East-West relations, Ensuring Svalbard remains a "quiet" area analyst, told the Barents Observer. He said the Security assessments have stated the Norwegian Foreign Minister Børge Brende says. might be one of Norway's main goals for the activity could worsen already-strained East- Arctic is a prime target for espionage Teknisk Ukeblad area, but opening what other countries are West relationships. activities, with Svalbard being among the These blocks could have sparked a new debate about the "shelf" calling the "Svalbard block" to oil exploration .But an article in Teknisk Ukeblad declares most likely locations due to the large number around Svalbard. But so far there has been silence from other signature is raising a bit of a ruckus, critics say. so far there has been "an international silence of foreign and temporary residents. The NPI, countries. Licensing rights to 57 areas in the Barents surrounding the announcement…confirming which advises the Norwegian government The announcement of three oil blocks north of 74. latitude 23rd Sea, 34 of them in waters where borders with Norway's position on 'shelf' around Svalbard." and manages large amounts of vital data, licensing round could have been the start of an international conflict Russia have been disputed, were announced by There's more! Visit www.icepeople.net acknowledged detecting firewall irregular- ities but did not know their cause. around Svalbard, Norway with the center. the government late last month.Three of the for the complete story. Meanwhile, an international silence surrounding the announcement Page 6 February 3, 2015

REVIEW, from page 4

CPOM/GRL Cruise ship passengers, at left, observe a few of the meltwater rivers flowing from the Austfonna ice cap. Above, satellite images show changes in the ice since 2010 (elevation has dropped in the red areas). JØRN HENRIKSEN / NORWEGIAN POLAR INSTITUTE Radical weight loss REVIEW, from page 5 Austfonna ice cap melting 25 "What we see here is unusual because it although climate change is a likely cause. They has developed over such a long period of time, are planning to study the impact of warming times faster than 1995, loses 16 and appears to have started when ice began to ocean currents since air temperatures in the percent of depth in three years thin and accelerate at the coast," said Andrew immediate vicinity have remained relative Shepherd, a University of Leeds professor who stable, in contrast to most of the Arctic where By MARK SABBATINI co-authored a study about the results, in a they're warming at twice the rate as the rest of Editor prepared statement. the world. It's only Europe's second-largest ice cap. The study, published Dec. 23, 2014, in the "Whether or not the warmer ocean water Those of you living at least a meter or so above journal Geophysical Research Letters, notes and ice cap behavior are directly linked sea level probably have nothing to worry about. the ice cap lost 16 percent of its depth during remains an unanswered question," Shepherd Unless other glaciers are also disintegrating the past three years. said. "Feeding the results into existing ice flow freakishly elsewhere (oops). The most significant changes during the models may help us to shed light on the cause, The Austfonna ice sheet in northeast past five years occurred within the Basin-3 ice and also improve predictions of global ice loss Svalbard is losing ice 25 times faster than 20 cap in the eastern part of the larger field. and sea level rise in the future." years ago, according to observations from eight Basin-3 is surging forward rapidly, the first The report is available free at tinyurl.com/ satellites since 2010. The glacier, about 2,500 surge in 140 years, while also thinning quickly. pvhs8re. cubic kilometers in size, shrank about 50 meters The researchers said they cannot state with There's more! Visit www.icepeople.net in height between between 2012 and 2014. certainty the reasons for the disintegration, for the complete story. A midsummer's night scream Distress cries of calving glacier (tinyurl.com/n5sk4u8). "If glacier environ- ments are very loud already, this might help in Svalbard help researchers assess how certain types of human activities track melt's causes and impacts will impact the environment." The five-member international team By MARK SABBATINI monitored the glacier on three days in late Editor August of 2013. Using microphones to record A recording of a tragic tale in a foreign underwater calving and time-lapse photography language listeners struggle to comprehend the to observe changes above the surface (with the meaning of. mics recording the impact), determined each No, not a night at the opera, but the type of detachment has distinct characteristics. similarities are rife for researchers studying "For example, submarine cracks are most recordings of large-scale calving of Svalbard's likely preceded by underwater cracks and Hansbreen ice front. The main theme centers disintegrations," a summary of the study notes. around two compatible-yet-opposite voices "Typical subaerial calvings, in turn, are concealing a mystery that may end in triumph generally followed by small detachments, but or fatally harm. there no audible cracks underwater." NATIONAL SCIENCE CENTER, POLAND "Understanding the sources of noise – and The results allowed the researchers to Grant Deane, top, a Scripps Institution of putting numbers on how loud ice can be, at more accurately determine how much ice is Oceanography researcher, calibrates visual and what frequencies – will help many other breaking off and thus contributing to the rise in audio readings for a device that captures the people," wrote Philippe Blondel, a physics the global sea level. sound of ice melting underwater. Underneath, researcher at The University of Bath, in the There's more! Visit www.icepeople.net graphs track the sounds of glaciers calving official blog for the newly published study for the complete story. above the water and beneath the surface. February 3, 2015 Page 7

Polarjazz schedule Wednesday 8 p.m.: Vorspiel (warm-up) show by various local musicians. Radisson. Thursday 8 p.m.: Vidar Johnsen; Violet Road. Radisson. Friday 8 p.m.: Emilie Nicolas; Bugge Wesseltoft & the Organ Club. Radisson. Followed by Solid Comfort in Barentz Pub until 3 a.m. Saturday 1 p.m.: Nora Konstanse. Kroa. 4 p.m.: Free bus from Lompensenteret to Huset, where torches will be available COURTESY OF VIOLET ROAD for walk to concert at Gruvelageret. Violet Road, a Kåfjord folk/rock band that's released four albums since 2008, is scheduled to perform 5 p.m.: Nina & The Butterfly Fish. Thursday night at this year's Polarjazz festival. Four of the band's five members are brothers. Gruvelageret. 6:30 p.m.: Free bus from Huset to city Polarjazz recast as a trio (of towns) center. 8 p.m.: Árstíðir; Bo Kaspers Orkester; FESTIVAL, from page 1 won't feature much jazz, but musical explo- Morten Abel. Radisson. ration will be abundant with offers such as the 10 p.m.: Solid Comfort, followed by open debut of a "hymns above the frozen soil" suite jam session. Karlsberger Pub. by the Svalbard Kirkes Trio, two artists who Sunday won the equivalent of Norwegian Grammys 7 p.m.: Svalbard Kirkes Trio: Premier of last month, and first-ever festival concert in "Svalbardmesse." Svalbard Church. Ny-Ålesund. "It's several bands we have tried to get up here and several bands we have said no to be- Tickets cause we didn't have room," said Lasse COURTESY OF SOLID COMFORT Festival pass: 1,500 kr. Good for all Hansen, the festival's director. Norwegian blues band Solid Comfort will play shows Wed.-Sat. except Nina & The His said one of his favorites is Bugge mostly original songs Friday and Saturday, Butterfly Fish and Solid Comfort. Wesseltoft, a Hammond organist who will be starting late at night and ending at 3 a.m. Passholders may enter Radisson shows performing a jazz/funk/rap/soul set Friday stíðir, a quartet whose members include former one hour in advance, but must enter w/ night with a six-member accompanying en- Longyearbyen resident Ragnar Ólafsson on pi- regular ticketholders afterward. semble known as "The Organ Club." ano and vocals. Individual shows: Vorspiel, 150 kr.; "You never know what to expect," Hansen "They have also played in Russia and they Thursday and Friday evening concerts, said. "He's a musician who tries so many have a Russian manager, so we are sending things." them over to Barentsburg on Friday," Hansen 600 kr. each day; Nora Konstanse, 50 The group is also scheduled to perform said. kr.; Nina & the Butterfly Fish, sold out; Saturday afternoon in Ny-Ålesund. Hansen Two festival musicians are attracting plen- Saturday evening concerts, sold out; said he wanted to arrange the show in part be- ty of interest after being presented with Spelle- Solid Comfort, 100 kr.; Svalbard Kirkes cause drummer Bjørn Jensen has the extremely man Awards in January. Trio, 100 kr. rare distinction of being born in the interna- Emilie Nicolas, an electric pop vocalist, Online purchase of most tickets and tional research settlement, contrary to Svalbard was named newcomer of the year and best pop other festival information is available at law that requires expectant mothers to go to the soloist for last fall's debut album "Like I'm A polarjazz.no. mainland before their due date in case of medi- Warrior." She is scheduled to perform during cal complications. Friday night's two-concert show in the main The concert in the Gruvelageret mine restaurant of the Radisson Blu Polar Hotel, And for a change of pace... warehouse on Saturday afternoon will require a which will be converted to a sound stage dur- trek of a few hundred meters beyond Huset at ing the festival. A free performance of Edvard Grieg's the edge of town in dark and what's expected The other winner, Morten Abel, is another "String Quartet No. 1 in G minor" featuring to be bitter cold. While free buses will get lis- pop artist, but with a resume almost the polar Henning Kraggerud, described as one of teners from the center of town to Huset and the opposite of Nicolas'. The 52-year-old singer re- Norway's best violinists, is scheduled at 3 warehouse will be heated, Hansen said he leased his first Norwegian album in 1981, won p.m. Saturday at the Kulturhuset Cafe. wants to give the journey a bit of extra warmth. his first Spelleman Award in 1993, and has 20 Kraggerud will lead a quartet of visiting "You don't need (the torches), but I know album releases and numerous singles to his members from the Norwegian Arctic for sure the bus can't take you there," he said. credit. He won the "Honor Prize" for career Philharmonic Orchestra. "It can be nice for 80 people with torches achievement. The piece is the famed Norwegian walking up." The festival, now in its 18th year, tried to composer's only known completed string The concert features Nina & the Butterfly place more emphasis on jazz last year after quartet work, which he described as "not Fish, a Norwegian pop/world/jazz trio that's downplaying the genre for several years. Hansen intended to bring trivialities to market. It among the more eclectic bands this year. said he plans to feature more jazz again next strives towards breadth, soaring flight and "First of all, I couldn't use more than a year – aiming for "three good Norwegian jazz above all resonance for the instruments for trio," Hansen said. "This band, I think, is also a bands" on both Friday and Saturday nights – which it is written." little bit special." and alternating the formats each year. The quartet is also scheduled to perform at the public opening of the new Kunsthall Bringing both local and broad internation- There's more! Visit www.icepeople.net Svalbard at 5 p.m. Saturday. al flair is the Icelandic folk/prog-rock band Ár- for the complete story. Page 8 February 3, 2015

What's up

Feb. 4-8 Polarjazz festival. See schedule, page 7. Feb. 4 6 p.m.: Movie: "Staying Alive," Norwegian comedy, all ages. Kulturhuset. Feb. 5 5 p.m.: Book debut: "Isen Smelter – Etikk i Arktis" ("Melting Ice – Ethics in the Arctic") by multiple authors who will discuss their chapters. UNIS. ASGEIR DOMAAS PEDERSEN / VIMEO Feb. 6 Chilled swimmers head into a sauna tent on the beach at the Svalbard Sailing Club after taking a polar dip during the 2014 Hot and Cold. A similar gathering is scheduled Sunday as part 6 p.m.: Movie: "Citizenfour," U.S. of a weekend of outdoor activities hosted by Arctic Nature Guide and Basecamp Spitsbergen. documenary about Edward Snowden and NSA spying scandal. UNIS. Cold no sweat for nakedly ambitious Feb. 7 Freestyle race, photo tour, swim Nybyen at 5 p.m. following an afternoon of Noon-4 p.m.: Outdoor family activities in outdoor family activities at the site, challenges Nybyen, including a treasure hunt and and sauna offer outsiders an participants to get to the top of Trollsteinen dogsled rides. Nybyen. alternative during artsy weekend and back by any non-motorized means. A gathering featuring awards of varying sobriety 3 p.m.: Free concert: Edvard Grieg's By MARK SABBATINI – matching the mood of those gathered – "String Quartet in G minor" by members Editor follows at 10 p.m. inside a lavvo tent. of the Norwegian Arctic Philharmonic Just because its -25C doesn't mean you A more leisurely excursion setting out Orchestra. Kulturhuset cafe. have to wimp out at a swanky concert or art hall from Nybyen at noon Sunday is a three-hour 5 p.m.: Spitsbergen Up and Down race gala instead of going to the beach for a swim. "photo safari" ski tour of the surrounding area. from Nybyen to the top of Trollsteinen A weekend filled with arts events is also Those craving an even more leisurely – if not and back by any non-motorized means. offering plenty for those into the extreme entirely relaxing – afternoon can participate in outdoors – with bitter cold and winds providing the Spitsbergen Hot and Cold sauna and swim Leisure group starts at 5 p.m., the extreme – including an annual free-for-all gathering at the beach next to the Svalbard competitive group at 6 p.m. An awards race, a ski and photo tour, and a beachside tent Sailing Club. gathering will be held in a lavvo tent in sauna for those braving the waters. There's more! Visit www.icepeople.net Nybyen from 10 p.m.-2 a.m. The Spitsbergen Up And Down, starting in for the complete story. 5 p.m.: Official opening of Kunsthall Svalbard. Svalbard Museum. Sledsharing brings green in wintertime Feb. 8 TRANSPORT, from page 1 green and are fitted with a sign explaining the 10 a.m.: Breakfast seminar: "Art and students and schoolchildren who don't have the rules of sharing (in Norwegian). Society in the North," Kunsthall Svalbard. opportunity to take the bus," said Sivert "We chose the largest and most robust Svarstad, 13, who's been using the kicksleds kicksleds," wrote Trine Krystad, the project's 11 a.m.: Mass observing Sami National daily to get to Longyearbyen School and other manager, in an e-mail interview. Day. Svalbard Church. stops around town – although he and others say Several sleds have been spotted in rela- Noon-3 p.m.: Photo tour starting in they're not always at the right place at the right tively abandoned areas and/or with damaged Nybyen. Bring own camera and skis. time. signs during the month they've been in use, but "If you're in a hurry and going to school, Krystad said so far the sleds are holding up and Noon-4 p.m.: Hot 'N Cold sauna and and there's only half-an-hour until the lecture it appears people are respecting the rules. polar dip. At the Svalbard Sailing Club starts," Jøran Skaar, 28, at student The Univer- One concern, Krystad said, is the city fre- beach. sity Centre in Svalbard who was helping his quently needs to spread gravel on roads due to 5 p.m.: Movie: "Reisa til Fjørkongens friend Stig Lunde escort a kicksled with a large ice, which hinders the sleds. Rike," Swedish animated/adventure, package from the post office to Nybyen. Kicksled sharing is not a new concept, ages 7 and up. Kulturhsuet. The kicksleds were made possible by a with Krystad noting they're available in a 100,000-kroner grant to Visit Svalbard from handful of other Norwegian communities. the Svalbard Environmental Protection Fund. There's more! Visit www.icepeople.net last fall. The sleds are painted a distinctive for the complete story. What's online

Icepeople.net provides daily updates of the new icepeople.net lives! news about Svalbard and the world's really, we mean it this time after a (cough) few past false starts polar regions, plus extras for articles from • more local articles, with daily updates the print edition. Among the latest news: • random rants, which you're free to ignore ● North Norway-Russia traffic down a third • headlines from the region and polar latitudes ● Climate turning Iceland into a trampoline and most importantly after doing this for six years without pay: ● Saving underwater robots in Antarctica you can give money to us and buy ads! (please) ● 1,700 private jets fly to climate summit