One Year is not Enough
Oslo hosted a large-scale scientific conference which marked the end of the International Polar Year 2007-2008. This forum will be remembered as honoring the last Polar Year in world history. In response to Russian suggestions, a full Polar decade will now be dedicated to the research of the Earth’s poles.
The design of the Opera Theater in Oslo takes after Arctic blocks of ice. In Norway, where in mid June nights are white, the Arctic is associated with the national identity. “Any activity conducted on the Earth’s poles must be knowledge-based,” said Dr. Jan-Gunnar Winther, director of the Norwegian Polar Institute.
The end of the Polar Year of 2007-2008, however, has a motto: “From knowledge to action.” The forum gathered a large number of polar scientists, whose goal is to bridge different disciplines and organizations together under the global international effort within the framework of the Polar Year project.
As Artur Chilingarov remarked at the opening ceremony, there was such a high concentration of polar researchers that it got cold outside. More than 2,400 people from around the world participated in the conference. Nevertheless, according to Jan Egeland from the World Meteorological Organization, “The world is unfair in this respect as well.” He further explained that more than 75% of polar researchers come from four countries: the USA, Russia, China and Japan. The whole world, however, needs information about the Polar Regions, information that can be used in healthcare, transport matters, tourism, energy industry and agriculture. “Climate changes in the Arctic boosts meningitis in Mali,” he said.
Artur Chilingarov’s suggestion to transform the Polar Year project into a Polar Decade project was well accepted by the conference participants. Many research projects require multiple years of observation, at the same time, the concept of the Polar Year allows to bring together the world community around the polar research.
The opening reception for the conference was held in Oslo’s town hall in the same building where the Noble Peace Prize is awarded every year. The Mayor of Oslo Fabian Stang pointed out to the Russian Geographical Society delegation one of the frescos on the wall with an image of Fridtjof Nansen. “To my mind, he also was a member of your Society,” the Mayor said.
The next day, polar researchers gathered in a grand trade and exhibition center in the suburb of Oslo, where the conference sessions were held. In contrast to the building of glass and metal there were tents of Inuits set up at the entrance of the center. Soft deer hides on benches, joyful multicolor clothes of the indigenous people of the north attracted everybody’s attention. Their stories, however, were not so joyful. “Two of my classmates fell through the ice and died because nobody told them the ice was getting thinner,” told one of the men.
It is crucial to make such data available sooner than later, because local and global processes are at stake.
The conference demonstrated a global approach. Apart from scientists’ presentations, the conference was broadcasted live on BBC Science. The BBC science broadcaster and writer Sue Nelson conducted live interviews with distinguished ornithologists and biologists, including Jan Gunnar Winter, the director of the Norwegian Polar Institute, and other scientists.
During the conference there were two exhibit floors open – Polar Expo and PolarExchange, where commercial and nonprofit organizations displayed their polar – related products and projects. They also used this opportunity to network with their colleagues from all over the world. There was plenty to see, starting from a drilling excavator and to new publications of the publishing house Elsevier. One could find brochures and handouts offering comprehensive information about the poles. All participants’ presentations were made available on a flash drive before the conference began. Therefore, only those who were interested in the subject matters attended the respective sections. Some of the sections were overflowing, while others barely had ten participants.
Throughout the day documentaries were shown in Polar Cimena. Directors themselves presented their works. The documentaries shown depicted the aftermath of ecological catastrophes and the hardships northern hunters encounter in their everyday life. But one could experience the real Arctic here to realize that thinning Arctic ice and the Albedo effect are not just research problems.
The conference attracted not only scientists. Norwegians demonstrated a united spirit in regards to the subject matter. Haakon, Crown Price of Norway, Ministers of Transport and International Affairs, government officials and representatives of non-government organizations of Norway voiced concerns and ideas in their presentations. The representatives of the International Council for Science, the World Meteorological Organization, Prithviraj Chavan, Indian Minister of Science and Technology and the Russian President’s representative for international cooperation in the Arctic and Antarctic, Artur Chilingarov, shared their views and expertise with the audience.
The representatives of the Association of Polar Early Career Scientists, the International Arctic Institute and the University of the Arctic signed an agreement to collaborate on education development. The collaboration will be aimed at advancing scientific and professional development of beginning scientists. To celebrate, the scientists cut into a large commemorative cake. Prince of Monaco Albert II, who is an active environmentalist, signed an agreement with the University of the Arctic regarding the exchange of data on the Polar Regions.
Russia and Norway had a successful negotiation about future education related projects. There already exists a solid basis for collaboration, such as the Norwegian Polar Institute in Saint-Petersburg and a grant program for Russian polar researchers.
Vladimir Kotlyakov, Honorary President of the Russian Geographical Society remarked: “The Russian Federation has almost always led the way in the Polar Year. The United States, Canada, Norway and the Russian Federation are the four countries which were the most active in the Polar Year’s projects and activities. Russia’s achievements are rather substantial. We obtained results in ocean research as well as many international expeditions consisting of Russian, American and Swedish researchers who performed successful work on the Arctic continent.”
It is almost impossible to interview Vladimir Kotlyakov because he is always surrounded with his colleagues and pals researchers. They discuss scientific issues and recall expeditions they went on together, some were rather extreme.
“Russia has had research programs since 2005,” continues Vladimir Mikhaylovich. “I managed to organize those programs which attracted the attention of the public. We conducted research in oceanography, glaciology, including ocean ice and land ice research, climatology and permafrost. We also completed numerous social science research projects. Therefore, our country today has very strong representation.”
About 120 scientists from around Russia presented at almost all sessions of the conference. The final results of the conference will be available on June 12.
