FREE icepeople The world's northernmost alternative newspaper Vol. 2, Issue 12 May 4, 2010 www.icepeople.net Briefly Odd Olsen Ingerø to head office Fewer after four-year absence; other living in new senior officials also coming Svalbard issues, ice sculpture Svalbard get some notice at climate summit Related: Cows Population declines 3.3 percent eating grass during 2009; Russians drop the may cut N2O most, Thais still main foreigners emissions Given everything else that declined in 2009, - Icepeople.net the population of Svalbard might as well be a part of it. A van, top right, barely visible through a blizzard, approaches the Svalbard Global Seed Vault in There were 2,481 residents in the archipela- this scene from the documentary "Climate Of Change," focusing on environmental preservation go as of January 1, 2010, 84 fewer than a year efforts by individuals. The seed vault scenes in the film, which received positive reviews from ago, according to Statistics Norway. The de- critics during screenings at the Tribeca FIlm Festival last month, are called "particularly ethereal." cline includes 33 residents in Nor- wegian settle- Foreign residents Svalbard: Still strange ments, which in Svalbard 2010 now have a pop- All men women Doomsday remains the theme in literary and lowbrow films, books ulation of 2,052, "Comatose seeds are wrapped in stone," a and 50 in the Russian commu- woman's subdued voice recites above sparse Hauntingly familiar: Watch a two-minute nity of Barents- eerie music, pausing between phrases. "It is excerpt of the Svalbard portion of the Garden of Eden…numbered and tagged burg, which now "Climate of Change" and other previews has half the oc- and vacuum packed." from the film free at www.icepeople.net. "A doomsday allotment, just in case…the cupants as it did work and the sign of a civilization stashing seven years ago. provisions and holding its breath." lived up to its "particularly ethereal" billing. "Svalbard has Such is the impression of Svalbard made Those working at and with the Svalbard a high level of on attendees at the Tribeca Film Festival, Global Seed Vault tend to cringe at its in- and out-migration, markedly influencing where "Climate of Change" screened last "doomsday" label in popular media, but it's the size of the population," a summary by the month. The 85-minute documentary, focusing clearly here to stay as a new collection of agency notes. Barentsburg's population, how- Web exclusive: Download the MP3 ever, has been in steady decline due to the loss “ on small-scale environmental preservation ef- movies, books and other entertainment contin- "Sporløst Gikk Tiden" by Liv Mari Schei This is far, far more stressful than of mining and other industries. forts in sometimes unusual locations world- ues focusing on the ominous aspect of the free at www.icepeople.net. minus 55 degrees and making 20 wide, received generally favorable reviews two-year-old facility. Men represent 57 percent of residents in Norwegian settlements, but women make up miles a day. from critics who agreed the Svalbard portion See DOOM, page 4 See POPULATION, page 2 - David Hempleman-Adams, expedition guide Inside Look, but don't touch the bears ” Blues Bonanza, other local news Fewer tourist encounters with by Norwegian and U.S. researchers, found animals, but better precautions tourists going on group snowmobile expedi- Page 2 tions during the spring of 2009 had varying Headlines from Svalbardposten possible, UNIS researcher says levels of interest in seeing polar bears. Those - Tour company seeks tent camp near Mine 3 Confrontations between polar bears and hu- traveling to remote parts of northern Spitsber- - Deadline for food grinders in homes extended mans in Svalbard are declining, and fewer visi- gen or to the eastern coast, people ages 55 to - May Day missed for first time in 85 years tors are heading into the wilds uninformed. But 66, and visitors most interested in photography better education of tourists is still needed as were more likely to seek out the animals. Page 3 Elham Al-Qasimi, in this April 23 photo from her some groups are exposing themselves to danger "Oddly, tourists with a certificate of com- online journal, celebrates becoming the first Weather forecast more than others. pleted apprenticeship as education seemed This polar bear jawbone from Svalbard is the Arab woman to reach the North Pole. Page 3 Those findings are part of a master's thesis more exposed to end up in an encounter," she by Margrete Keyser for The University Centre wrote in a summary of her thesis. "This oldest known specimen. Photo provided by UNIS. Events calendar In Svalbard. Her work, which is continuing as seemed to be caused by an insecurity regarding Page 4 part of a database of encounters being compiled See BEARS, page 3 Page 2 May 4, 2010 Who's to blame and how to express your wrath . Over the last decade, these pioneers have become recruiters of fellow countrywomen in a flow of migra- Editor tion." Mark Sabbatini "While migration from Thailand to other Western countries is dominated by single women, both genders Copy editor migrate to Svalbard and arrive in all family statuses. Kristan Hutchison They come for work." "Until the mid-1990s, only a few Thai women, Psychiatrist married to Norwegian men, had settled in Svalbard. Irene Gallion Over the last decade, these pioneers have become re- cruiters of fellow countrywomen in a flow of migra- Mailing address tion." Icepeople Vei 210 -2- 13 Longyearbyen, Svalbard 9170 Norway Telephone Norway: +47 41 51 46 38 U.S. +1 (970) 673-4472 Thai women, who by far are the most numerous group for foreign residents living in Svalbard, serve E-mail cuisine from their native country during a fundraiser at The University Centre In Svalbard. [email protected] Svalbard residents come and go fast Web site POPULATION, from page 1 foreign men come from Thailand. www.icepeople.net the majority of foreign nationals in those com- "Until the mid-1990s, only a few Thai munities. A total of 18 percent of all women women, married to Norwegian men, had set- Svalbardbutikken is halting Icepeople is published weekly (or thereabouts) are foreign nationals, compared to 13 percent tled in Svalbard," wrote An-Magritt Jensen, a sales of computers, cameras, on Tuesdays (or thereabouts), with printed of men. professor in sociology at the Norwegian Uni- televisions, appliances and other copies available free on a limited basis in Thailand continues to be the dominant for- versity of Science and Technology, in an analy- electronics, with store manage- Longyearbyen. Additional printed copies are eign group with 96 residents, followed by Swe- sis of Svalbard's Thai population last year. ment saying they are losing too availably locally and by mail upon request. den with 53 and Russia with 29. Forty percent There's more! Visit www.icepeople.net many sales to internet shoppers. Charges are on an "at cost" basis. Other factors such as high of the foreign women and 22 per cent of the for the complete story. prices, the recession and moving the electronics section from a Copyright stuff separate location at Lompensen- Briefly teret into the main store in 2008 Original contents of this publication can be reproduced for non-commercial purposes free Blues Bonanza features the researchers, said it is too early to do the of charge if Icepeople is credited as the same in Norwegian portions of the Barents source. The original writers, photographers trio of bands Saturday Sea. and other contributors retain their rights to all Blues are traditionally a dark season fa- Some researchers have raised concerns published works. vorite in Svalbard, but a one-night marathon of crab populations may threaten cod stocks. But concerts is being offered Saturday as the Sundet said there is considerable interest Corrections policy lengthy polar summer settles in. among fishermen since it is a major source of The trio of performances are scheduled at income for Canada and Alaska, "so even if the When we screw up you'll know about it – on 9:30 p.m. Saturday at Svarbar. Admission is price is only about half of what it is for king the front page. One of the big complaints 150 kroner. crabs, snow crabs generate plenty of revenue." about newspapers is they tend to bury The three bands are Blåmyra, a Longyear- corrections and clarifications deep inside byen bluegrass sextet; Akaustisk Soda, a NPI: Vessel feud threat to where few people who read the original article decade-old bluegrass/alternative group from see them. If we need to fix something, an alert Bergen featuring banjo player Rino Silden; and Norway's polar status Moving Day, a new Oslo group that clims to box on the front page will state what story is in Norway may have settled a 40-year-old error and where the full correction is printed. take "inspiration from the old-time music re- vival in New York in the early '60s." battle with Russia over the Arctic, but can't re- solve an internal battle about funding a re- Submitting material search ship for the same area, according to the Barents snow crabs may head of the Norwegian Polar Institute. Jan-Gunnar Winther told Aftenposten last Letters, columns, photos and other material total 100 million by 2016 week Norway will lose its status as a "polar na- are welcome, but we can't offer pay for Snow crabs, first caught in Norway in tion" unless an agreement is reached. Efforts to published items since nobody here is getting 1996, may turn into a feast for some commer- build a new vessel have been ongoing since paid at the moment.