If you wanted to find a place that is the exact opposite of Antarctica, you would be hard pressed to find a place more appropriate than New Delhi in India. It is 32 degrees at New Delhi today and raining. At South Pole it is -49 degrees Celsius and snowing. Not only is the weather different, but the color of the sky and the earth, sounds and smells, and even fashion sense represent two distinct worlds. At the 30th Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting in New Delhi this week, delegates have been discussing environmental and legal issues over curry and copious amounts of strong tea. The IPY has also been an important item on the agenda. Yesterday, Professor Chris Rapley made a presentation to update the Treaty parties on the progress of IPY. I also made a presentation, as the...

Dr Susan Solomon is a senior scientist at the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Chemical Sciences Division. Widely recognized as one of the leaders in the field of atmospheric science, Dr Solomon is a member of the U.S. National Academy of Sciences and a foreign associate of the French and European Academy of Sciences. She was awarded the United States' highest scientific honor, the National Medal of Science, in 1999 for linking synthetic chemicals to the seasonal ozone hole over Antarctica. In 2002, she was elected by governments to co-chair of the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Working Group I. SciencePoles interviewed Dr Solo...

One of the tasks of the endorsed project "Enhancing the environmental legacy of the IPY in Antarctica" is to look at the cumulative environmental impacts of the IPY. So far, the IPY Joint Committee has endorsed 99 projects with Antarctic or bipolar focus. These projects encompass at least 350 research activities, of which 82% plan to conduct fieldwork in Antarctica. Of these activities, 105 (37%) are planning to leave behind physical infrastructure. A large amount of activity has been planned around existing centers of research (e.g., the Antarctic Peninsula, Dronning Maud Land); a number of large-scale research activities has also been planned in areas which have, so far, been seldom visited (e.g., the Gamburtsev Mountains, subglacial lakes). Many of them...

The Government of India will be hosting the 30th Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting (ATCM) at New Delhi from 30 April to 11 May. The ATCM is the annual occasion when the signatories of the Antarctic Treaty get together to discuss about the management of Antarctica. Usual topics on the agenda include environmental protection, tourism and legal issues. This year, IPY will also be an important item on the agenda. David Carlson will be representing the International Programme Office in New Delhi and will be providing updates on the IPY. For more information, please visit the sites for the Antarctic Treaty Secretariat site and the ...

One of the tasks of the endorsed project "Enhancing the environmental legacy of the IPY in Antarctica" is to look at the cumulative environmental impacts of the IPY. So far, the IPY Joint Committee has endorsed 99 projects with Antarctic or bipolar focus. These projects encompass at least 350 research activities, of which 82% plan to conduct fieldwork in Antarctica. Of these activities, 105 (37%) are planning to leave behind physical infrastructure. A large amount of activity has been planned around existing centers of research (e.g., the Antarctic Peninsula, Dronning Maud Land); a number of large-scale research activities has also been planned in areas which have, so far, been seldom visited (e.g., the Gamburtsev Mountains, subglacial lakes). Many of them...

The current issue of the Canada Foundation for Innovation's online magazine, appropriately titled InnovationCanada.ca focuses on IPY and features an essay on "Securing An IPY Legacy" by David Hik, Executive Director, Canadian IPY Secretariat and Ian Church, Chair, Canadian IPY National Committee. The essay gives an overview of Canadian involvement with past IPYs and how the $150 million that the Canadian Government has dedicated to this IPY is having a ripple effect throughout the north. There is also a painful story written by Susan Aglukark entitled "...

One of the main projects to present polar science to a wide audience in The Netherlands is the development of a weblog for all IPY-NL science expeditions. A Dutch public broadcasting corporation

I look deep into the water lapping at the bow of the ice breaker and find myself thinking of the books in my wife’s study at home. Shackleton, Amundsen, Scott. Tales of great heroism and courage. I thought: if it weren't for my wife’s keen interest in this continent, I wouldn't be here. The excitement is almost tangible. Photographers swarm over the boat, smiling, shaking hands, examining new kit. Maybe I should have hired a 500mm telephoto? Puzzlingly a dockworker rests on a ladder balanced in mid air. Why? Sailors, nonchalantly eating sandwiches, perch on a container high above the huge boat moored alongside us. ...

The Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR) seeks an Executive Officer to assist in the running of the SCAR Secretariat. SCAR is a body of the International Council for Science (ICSU). It facilitates and coordinates Antarctic research and identifies issues emerging from greater scientific understanding of the region that should be brought to the attention of policy makers. Its objectives and activities are described on the SCAR web site at http://www.scar.org. The primary tasks of the Executive Officer are: - to assist the Executive Director in the day-to-day operation of the Secretariat including supervising staff, coordinating programmes, analysing scientific issues concerning the A...

The Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution has partnered with eight science and natural history museums across the United States to bring the stories of International Polar Year science expeditions to a broad audience. This education and outreach project, titled "Live from the Poles: A Multimedia Educational Experience", is funded by the US National Science Foundation. During four scientific expeditions to the polar regions, a professional photographer and science writer will chronicle the process of conducting scientific fieldwork "on the ice" through stunning still photographs, insightful written essays, podcast audio interviews, and video clips posted to the educational ...