FREE icepeople The world's northernmost alternative newspaper SYSSELMANNEN A helicopter navigates amidst glaciers as a rescuer dangles beneath. Officials responding Vol. 4, Issue 39 October 2, 2012 www.icepeople.net to 20 incidents this summer, five times more than in 2011, say many people remain Norway: unfamiliar with hazards inherent in Arctic waters.

Listen to both albums in full for free "Piramida" – tinyurl.com/8gbyhksn Kiss my "Radiomagnetic" – tinyurl.com/8cavsln ROSSIYSKAYA GAZETA ZHANG JIANSONG / XINHUA ice, EU Comment about drilling rights all the way to North Pole revives controversy about country's plans By MARK SABBATINI Editor The European Union can vote for all the Arc- ROYAL CANADIAN AIR FORCE INDIAN NAVY tic oil drilling bans it wants, but Norway has ex- clusive rights extending to essentially the North Russian Bishop Bishop Iakov, top left, presides over the lowering of a "holy memorial capsule" into Pole and there's nothing the EU can do about it. the sea at the North Pole in September in an attempt to "consecrate" the Arctic and reassert That scornful brush-off is being voiced by Moscow's claims to the territory. Efforts by nations to claim a stake in the oil-rich Arctic are Much of the old “settlement is top Norwegian officials in response to a European increasingly common, with military and other government members of China (top right), Canada Parliament’s Environmental Committee’s vote to located in landslide-prone areas. (bottom left) and India (bottom right) recently displaying their flags at the North Pole. enter a moratorium on Arctic drilling. - Vigdis Hole, Bydrift Among those making the declaration is Oil and Energy Minister Ole Borten Moe, who made response statement to study similar remarks in August and said he hoped to SPIES LIKE US present a plan to explore areas on the Arctic in a ” White Paper next year. Prime Minister Jens expect the Arctic's status as a primary target Battle for Arctic supremacy Stoltenberg quickly responded to objections by will continue to increase as nations fight for re- stating the ruling Labor Party has no plans to drill JOHANNES BUØ makes Svalbard a target for sources and jurisdiction in the area. near the North Pole. "I can confirm that we, like our Danish espionage, officials say – again The EU is taking aggressive, but often vague, sister organization, are seeing growing intelli- steps towards increasing its influence in Arctic By MARK SABBATINI gence activity in this area," said Martin policy. The body raised howls of objections from Editor Bernsen, manager of the Norwegian Police Se- Norway, for instance, when news reports last year Hmmm…maybe that's why our Russian curity Service, in an article published today by stated the EU was questioning the legality of the neighbors dominated last weekend's sports ex- Aftenposten. "We see that some countries are Svalbard Treaty. EU leaders quickly responded by change on Longyearbyen's home court. actively seeking to consolidate their positions stating that, while unresolved issued in the treaty Spying and espionage are increasing in in the north." should be addressed, they aren't seeking to chal- Svalbard and other parts of the Norwegian Arc- Bernsen's remarks came shortly after the lenge Norway's sovereignty of the archipelago. tic, security officials said his week. They also See SPOOK, page 3 See DRILLING, page 4 Inside Norwegian v. SAS III: Fee-for-all Discount airline plans return to No encore after CinemArctic bombs Svalbard, but for how long and Page 2 what's the catch of lower fares? Headlines from Svalbardposten - Cleaners must be licensed; wages an issue By MARK SABBATINI - Svalbard's population rises 7X rate of mainland Editor - Council to replace paperwork w/ digital tablets Fares will be lower, there's free wi-fi and Page 3 more available seats are seen as a blessing by lo- cal hotels still hurting from the long recession. NORWEGIAN AIR SHUTTLE Weather forecast On the other hand, the airline has bailed out Norwegian Air Shuttle in planning to return to Page 3 twice before – stranding passengers – there's a Svalbard on March 1, 2013, with three direct Events calendar lot more fees, customers complain about aging flights to Oslo a week. Listed debut fares are planes and employees may go on strike Oct. 10. about 40 percent lower than Scandinavian Page 4 See COMPETITION, page 4 Airlines, but fees offset much of the discount. Page 2 October 2, 2012 Watching in a winter waterland Who's to blame and how Schoolhouse rock to express your wrath

Editor Mark Sabbatini

Copy Editor Brennan Purtzer

Principal of princibles INSECTS, from page 1 Kristan Hutchison

Psychiatrist Irene Gallion

Mailing address Icepeople Vei 210 -2- 13 Longyearbyen, Svalbard 9170 Month of fundraising events Norway leading up to annual nationwide Telephone Norway: +47 41 51 46 38 telethon begins Saturday U.S. +1 (970) 673-4472 MARK SABBATINI / ICEPEOPLE Kjersti Kvile, right, explains a geology project Saturday at The University Centre in Svalbard as E-mail part of an open day at the Longyearbyen Science and Education Forum. The event – only the [email protected] second such public tour, with the other occurring in 2007 – also featured activities such as visits to the EISCAT radar facility in Mine 7, demonstrations of a Airlift Super Puma rescue helicopter, STEVE COULSON / UNIS Web site and numerous hands-on research project overviews. The day was part of a month-long series of www.icepeople.net local events raising funds in affiliation with the annual NRK telethon, with this year's proceeds ??? aiding Amnesty International's efforts to fight human rights violations abroad. UNIS is scheduled New bid process after grinder snafu HANNE EIK PILSKOG / UNIS Icepeople is published weekly (or thereabouts) to host another event this weekend with a flea market from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and BYDRIFT, from page 1 on Tuesdays (or thereabouts), with printed Sunday. There will also be a first-event relay race in the center of Longyearbyen at 1 p.m. There's more! Visit www.icepeople.net copies available free on a limited basis in Saturday and a car wash at the governor's garage facility Sunday. for the complete story. Longyearbyen. Additional printed copies are availably locally and by mail upon request. Charges are on an "at cost" basis. Icesheet Copyright stuff Random bits of the week's weirdness: Original contents of this publication can be As noted sarcastically in our spy story, vis- STEVE COULSON / UNIS reproduced for non-commercial purposes free iting Barentsburg schooled Longyearbyen in of charge if Icepeople is credited as the the first of two sports exchanges this fall. source. The original writers, photographers The Russians are far fewer in number and their and other contributors retain their rights to all home facilities are for crap, but the 18 visiting published works. athletes (often playing more than one sport) defeated the Norwegians at badminton, table Corrections policy tennis, hockey and basketball. Luckily for Longyearbyen, there was no chess match this MARK SABBATINI / ICEPEOPLE When we screw up you'll know about it – on time or the score would almost certainly have It ain't "Titanic:" An audience of six watches Briefly the front page. One of the big complaints been even more lopsided. The Norwegians did one of the movies screened at Kulturhuset during about newspapers is they tend to bury rout the Russians at volleyball and football the inaugural CinemArctic film festival last year. corrections and clarifications deep inside (soccer to you "Americans"), and will get a Cruising: Getting out of where few people who read the original article chance for revenge in Barentsburg on Oct. 13 mentality here, but things might be going too see them. If we need to fix something, an alert … Here's less-than-shocking news: There far when The Local Paper of Misguided danger, but into 'death?' won't be a CinemArctic festival in Svalbard Deeds has to run a story reminding folks it's box on the front page will state what story is in Another cruise season is about to embark this fall after the massive fiasco of the debut illegal to purchase booze for minors. Vigdis error and where the full correction is printed. full speed ahead in Svalbard, but the smiles of event last year. Last year's festival was Folde, manager at Nordpolet, said surveys those greeting passengers aren't being shared plagued with organizational turnover and un- show fewer parents are making such by a lot of industry executives these days. Submitting material certainty all the way up to the opening date, purchases, but "there's been more friend pur- They took a blow last month when Britain and attendance at the screenings was abysmal. chasing. We want to make young people aware issued a warning telling travelers cruising here Letters, columns, photos and other material Furthermore, a possible scandal looms as one- of the fact that it is a criminal offense." Setting is too dangerous. That warning may be re- are welcome, but we can't offer pay for third of the inaugural one-million kroner bud- aside the weirdness of a statistically significant published items since nobody here is getting get (including a bunch of government grants) percentage of people admitting to lawlessness, paid at the moment. Submissions in electronic was ostensibly set aside for a festival this year they're also looking at six months in jail and le- form (text, Word documents, JPEGs, etc.) are – which organizers said was part of the reason gal liability for any problems incurred by kid- highly preferred, although typing and/or last year's was skeletal – but there is no word dies getting loaded … Bashing politicians scanning of items will be considered on a per- what happened to the money. It should be not- comes so naturally here it definitely qualifies case basis. We reserve the right to edit ed, however, that officials are considering as weird to give them praise, as Longyearbyen submissions for length, clarity, accuracy, libel some kind of local satellite event during the politicians are chopping three weeks off and other reasons, but we will also make annual Tromsø International Film Festival in their summer vacations beginning next year, every reasonable effort to contact the author January … If we had any readers, they'd know with a break in meetings lasting from mid-June about any changes prior to publication. we're big fans of the anti "helicopter parent" to late August, instead of mid-September. October 2, 2012 Page 3

HEADLINES STOLEN FROM SVALBARDPOSTEN VERDENS NORDLIGSTE AVIS

Cleaning services must now be licensed; low pay an issue Cleaning services in Longyearbyen must now be approved by the Norwegian Labor In- spectorate, a move intended to ensure employ- ee safety, health and work conditions. ISS, the city's only licensed company, pushed for the change, saying it will allow them to compete on a more even basis. "Everyone who works at ISS is treated equally regardless of where HUGO ISAKSEN / KSAT they come from," said Gustav Halsvik, ISS' An antenna transmits data for the Svalbard Satellite Station (SvalSat), which is accused in a book department manager in Longyearbyen. "We and a U.S. government report of being an instrument of espionage and illegal assistance for military know there is a lot of social dumping in attacks. SvalSat and Norwegian officials say the facility collects and transmits weather and climate Longyearbyen" involving unlicensed compa- data available free to the public, and they're not culprits if such information is used by a military. nies and workers. However, a minimum wage requirement on the mainland still does not ap- ply to Svalbard, which Halsvik said will still Warming makes Arctic a spy hotspot leave workers open to exploitation. SPOOK, from page 1 ing used and hackers illegally accessing the sys- public release of a threat assessment by Jakob tem repeatedly in recent years. Svalbard's population jumps Scharf, head of Denmark's Security Intelligence A U.S. government report released last fall Service. His report finds heightened interest in states at least two of its environment-monitoring to 2,642, 7X mainland growth the Arctic makes espionage by foreign nations satellites were interfered with four or more Svalbard's population is 2,642 as of July against Denmark one of the clearest trends. times in 2007 and 2008, suggesting SvalSat was 1, 114 more than on Jan. 1. The 4.5 percent in- "There is a significantly increased focus on used to access them. While not directly accusing crease is more than seven times the 0.6 in- the Arctic from a number of countries, and it is China, the report notes the techniques were sim- crease on the mainland during that period. The about climate change and development in the ilar. China denied responsibility and SvalSat of- count by Statistics Norway shows there are Arctic affecting the possibilities for greater ac- ficials denied the hacks even occurred. 407 foreigners in Longyearbyen, including cess to the area," he wrote, according to A book released at about the same time, 106 Thais, 89 Swedes, 36 Russians, 18 Ger- Berlingske Media. "And thus to exploit re- "Satellittkrigen" by NRK journalist Bård Worm- mans and 17 Danes. There are still fewer peo- sources in the Arctic, such as rare earths, rare dal, declared SvalSat data was being illegally ple in Svalbard than 20 years ago, when the metals and raw materials." used by multiple nations for military activities. population of 3,500 included 2,400 in the An increasing number of governing bodies Images of airports and other key infrastructure, Russian settlements of Barentsburg and Pyra- seeking a role in the Arctic's future, including for instance, were used by Italy for a military at- miden. About 400 people live in those settle- China and India, are partially responsible for the tack on Libya, the book claims. ments now. heightened risk. A similar finding is in Norway's Norwegian and SvalSat officials rebuffed 2012 threat assessment, published in January. the book's claims – many of them made in pre- City council to replace paper "In the coming years we expect a height- vious news reports – stating the facility collects ened intelligence focus on Norway's political and transmits weather and climate data that is documents w/ digital tablets processes, particularly those related to the North available to the public, and they're not complicit A proposal to spend 250,000 kroner so and Svalbard," the report states. "The increasing if military officials are among those accessing tablet computers can replace paper documents international attention regarding the possibility such information. generated controversy among Longyearbyen of resource extraction in the Arctic archipelago's Also making news last fall was massive es- Municipal Council members at their Sept. 25 location makes it ever more strategically impor- pionage in Norway's oil and defense industries, meeting. "It is absolutely the wrong time to tant. Everyone who works on issues related to which security officials said might represent the discuss this, and it's embarrassing as a politi- this area can be exposed to intelligence opera- largest data theft in the country's history. The cian to go out in the city and defend it," said tions." stolen industrial secrets were "sent out digitally Lene Villumsen, a Non-Partisan member. Op- Such concerns – and accusations of illegal from the country," according a statement by the ponents also said the 5,000 kroner per-tablet activity by Norway as well as countries alleged- Norwegian National Security Authority, al- cost is excessive. Proponents, who defeated an ly committing acts of espionage here – aren't though no specific companies or suspects in the attempt to delay the purchase until after the new. The Svalbard Satellite Station (SvalSat), attacks were named. next election by a 9-6 vote, said using tablets for instance, has been at center of such discus- There's more! Visit www.icepeople.net beginning in 2013 will save up to 50,000 kro- sions due to questions about how its data is be- for the complete story. ner annually in copying and mailing costs. Weather forecast for Longyearbyen

Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Partly cloudy. NW winds to 22 Partly cloudy. S winds to 15 Cloudy. SW winds to 25 km/h. Cloudy. S winds to 25 km/h. km/h. High 1C (-3 wind chill), km/h. High -1C (-4C wind High 1C (-3C wind chill), low High -2C (-7C wind chill), low low -3C (-7C wind chill). chill), low -4C (-8C wind chill). -2C (-6C wind chill). -3C (-8C wind chill).

Sunrise 7:50a; sunset 5:39p Sunrise 7:57a; sunset 5:31p Sunrise 8:05a; sunset 5:23p Sunrise 8:13a; sunset 5:15p Extended forecast: Sunday, p. cloudy, -2C (-6C), -5C (-10C), light 8:46h; Monday, rain/snow, 1C (-5C), -5C (-10C), light 8:30h; Tuesday, rain/snow, 1C (-3C), -1C (-8C), light 8:13h; Wednesday, p. cloudy, -1C (-9C), -7C (-14C), light 7:57h Data provided by storm.no Page 4 October 3, 2012 What's your price for flight? What's up

Norwegian Air Shuttle Oct. 3 • Taxes: 484 kr. 6 p.m.: Movie: "Barbara," German • One-way fees (partial drama, all ages. Kulturhuset. list): Service charge 89 Oct. 4 kr.; Checked bag: 44-274 kr., excess weight 67 kr./ Sale of surplus government furniture, kg.; pet 274-370 kr.; pick time to be announced. Proceeds benefit seat 44-81 kr.; soda: 25 annual NRK telethon. Statsbygg. kr.; food: 20-75 kr. Oct. 5 8 p.m.: Movie: "Hypnotisören," Swedish Scandinavian Airlines crime/thriller, ages 15 and up. • Taxes: Included. Kulturhuset. • One-way fees (partial list): Checked bag; 1st Oct. 6 free (23 kg.), additional 10 a.m.-4 p.m.: Flea market at UNIS. 369 kr. (540 kr. for bikes Fundraiser for annual telethon. and excess weight 1 p.m.: Relay race to center of bags): pet: 795-1,420 kr.; wi-fi: 57 kr.; Longyearbyen. Fundraiser for telethon. Details at svalbardturn.no. Oct. 7 MARK SABBATINI / ICEPEOPLE Norwegian has turbulent history 10 a.m.-4 p.m.: Flea market at UNIS. COMPETITION, from page 1 up to 377 planes. Included its plans for expand- Annual car wash by governor to raise Norwegian Air Shuttle announced in late ed routes is long-haul service to New York City telethon funds. Time to be announced. Tourists on skis haul sleds near Longyearbyen as they train for an expedition during the spring of 2011. Governor's garage building. Non-motorized activities, once seen by tour operators as rising due to more interest in a unobtrusive September it will begin providing three direct and Bangkok. Arctic experience, dropped sharply between 2007 and 2011, according to the governor's office. flights a week between Oslo and Longyearbyen But that high-budget mentality isn't per- 6 p.m.: Movie: "Hotel Transylvania" (3D), beginning March 1, 2013. Tickets are scheduled ceived in the minds of 836 cabin crew employ- U.S. animated/family film, ages 7 and to go on sale beginning Thursday. ees, who say they will go on strike unless de- up. Kulturhuset. The lowest listed round-trip fare for the in- mands for better wages and working conditions augural flight is 2,348 kroner, about 40 percent are met. Pilots for the airline also threatened 8 p.m.: Movie: "Hypnotisören," Swedish lower than Scandinavian Airlines. But taxes of their first-ever strike at the airline in April. crime/thriller, ages 15 and up. 484 kroner negate part of the difference. Norwegian isn't perceived in the same (non) Kulturhuset. Customers will pay a larger range of fees, class as Ryanair or Spirit Airlines, which are in- Oct. 8 including ones for assigned seats and a first famous for taking pride in screwing their cus- checked bag not charged by SAS. But more fees tomers. But passengers were incensed when 8 p.m.: Trivia quiz. Kulturhuset cafe. doesn't always mean they are higher, with Nor- Norwegian abruptly abandoned Svalbard in Oct. 9 wegian's rates for pets among those notably 2008, leaving many stranded with unusable tick- 1 p.m.: Administration Committee lower than those of SAS. ets. meeting. Næringsbygget 3, Also, failing to book one of Norwegian's Complaints from customers at travel review Newtontoppen room. limited number of lowest-fare tickets means fac- websites are plentiful, even when they award a ing prices much more similar to those of SAS. high rating based often on cost, citing faults 6 p.m.: Bydrift Board meeting. In addition, Norwegian is only scheduled to such as unclean planes, non-reclining seats, Næringsbygget 3, Newtontoppen room. fly from March to October, and their two previ- faulty check-in machines and poor wi-fi signals. Oct. 10 ous attempts to offer flights in 2004 and 2008 SAS officials have indicated their Svalbard only lasted one season. fares will reflect an effort to be competitive, al- 6 p.m.: Movie: "Taken 2," French action/ Norwegian, the country's second-largest air- though no specific commitment to reduce prices crime dubbed in English, ages 15 and line, is taking aggressive steps toward growth, has been made. up. Kulturhuset. announcing in January it may make the largest There's more! Visit www.icepeople.net Oct. 13 aircraft purchase in European history by buying for the complete story. 7 p.m.: Free Flow Film Tour, featuring winter sports movies. Kroa. 'EU has no jurisdiction in the Arctic' 7:30: Harvest festival, feast and concert. DRILLING, from page 1 world that we need to phase out fossil fuels Huset. The EU moratorium on Arctic drilling was fast," Walley added. "Instead we are witnessing unanimously approved by its environmental a reckless gold rush in this pristine wilderness as committee in September in an effort to imple- big companies and governments make a grab for What's online ment common standards following the Deepwa- the world's last untapped oil and gas reserves." ter Horizon spill in the Gulf of Mexico in 2010. Deputy Oil and Energy Minister Per Rune Icepeople.net provides daily updates of Henriksen, in media interviews published this "We heard compelling evidence that if a news about Svalbard and the world's blow-out occurred just before the dark Arctic week, declared "the EU has no jurisdiction in polar regions, plus extras for articles from winter returned it may not be possible to cap it the Arctic; no member country has a continental Indie rock album uses sounds until the following summer – potentially leaving shelf in the Arctic.” the print edition. Among the latest news: oil spewing out under the ice for six months or "The EU is free to argue what it wants, but ● Roman Empire had greenhouse gas from Pyramiden as instruments; more with devastating consequences for this would almost be like us commenting on good luck guessing what's what wildlife," said Joan Walley, the committee's camel operations in the Sahara, which we do not ● Norway: No Arctic jurisdiction for EU chairperson, according to Barents Observer. have anything to do with," Henriksen said. ● Oops: 21M, not 100, cod in North Sea "The shocking speed at which the Arctic sea There's more! Visit www.icepeople.net Briefly ice is melting should be a wake-up call to the for the complete story. ● Climate change to slow marathons?