The Last Polar Bear records and celebrates one of nature’s most majestic creatures — the polar bear — and examines how global warming is affecting the fragile, complex Arctic environment. Polar bears use sea ice to move about, find mates and hunt for seals. As temperatures warm, the loss of the pack ice directly impacts their ability to survive. Scientists agree that Arctic ice is disappearing at an alarming rate. Last summer, sea ice levels plummeted to their lowest since satellite measurements began in 1979. And a new scientific study by the U.S. Geological Survey, released last fall, predicts that two-thirds of the world’s polar bears, including Alaska’s entire population, may disapp...

The Last Polar Bear records and celebrates one of nature’s most majestic creatures — the polar bear — and examines how global warming is affecting the fragile, complex Arctic environment. Polar bears use sea ice to move about, find mates and hunt for seals. As temperatures warm, the loss of the pack ice directly impacts their ability to survive. Scientists agree that Arctic ice is disappearing at an alarming rate. Last summer, sea ice levels plummeted to their lowest since satellite measurements began in 1979. And a new scientific study by the U.S. Geological Survey, released last fall, predicts that two-thirds of the world’s polar bears, including Alaska’s entire population, may disapp...

I hesitate to insert a picture-less message written from an office into these wonderful tales of whales, giant bristle worms, and mysterious ski poles. With many readers, I enjoy the daily news and discoveries from the oceanographers and glaciologists and explorers. Recent stories offer hints about working conditions - storms on ice and at sea, extreme cold, elevation, sunburn. Behind the ‘sunny’ reports lie months of planning and preparations and substantial support systems that allow researchers to work and survive in the polar environment. I remind readers that other IPY Projects currently underway do not, indeed perhaps can not, produce daily images and blogs. Yet the careful monitoring of permafrost temperatures many metres down a dark borehole, the meticulous...

The October 2007 issue of the WMO Bulletin focussed on the International Polar Year 2007-2008. The issue contained an IPY overview and six articles covering polar weather, stratospheric ozone, polar atmospheric chemistry, polar oceans, cryosphere connections to hydrological cycles in the Arctic, and future space observations of polar regions. As part of its sponsorship of IPY, WMO makes the IPY articles (in English) available for free download on its website, see: http://www.wmo.ch/pages/publications/bulletin/october_2007.html These articles provide fresh reviews of many aspects of polar science. The I...

Nicola Munro, the volunteer coordinator, communications centre, finance officer, and all-around administrator for the IPY International Programme Office, travels south in the next few days to work as the administrator at the Halley Research Station of the British Antarctic Survey. We in the IPO regard this as a fabulous opportunity for Nicola and as a good connection for IPY - we hope Nicola will post some of her stories on this blog. We thank BAS, Kathy Salisbury, and Cynan Ellis-Evans for helping the IPO support this adventure and survive Nicola’s absence. (If you like Nicola’s anorak in the picture, you can f...

The IPY Youth Steering Committee is pleased to announce the launch of a ipyyouth.org, new youth website for the IPY. The site is an interactive online community where young people can learn more about the Polar Regions, the IPY and how to get involved. By joining this online community you can contribute to discussion forums on Polar Issues, submit artworks and photos to a Polar Gallery, view Podcasts by our members and submit your own, start projects with other members, and get involved in the YSC’s activities! Text: Mel...

Good news for IPY and for our Danish colleagues! The Finance Committee of the Danish Parliament has approved additional funding for IPY. The following is an unofficial translation of the official notes associated with the approval of the IPY funding: 'In 2007-2009 the International Polar Year (IPY) will take place and on this background 30,000,000 DKK will be allocated in 2007 and in 2008 in order to accentuate the IPY opportunity. The funds will supplement the current grants for Arctic research and logistics support and will be issued by the Commission for Scientific Reseach in Greenland and the Danish Agency for Science, Technology and Innovation, respectively.' For more information, visit the ...

In partnership with the Japanese National Institute of Polar Research (NIPR), Elsevier will launch "Polar Science", a new international peer-reviewed journal, in 2007. This new quarterly journal is a consolidation of five existing publications: "Polar Bioscience", "Polar Meteorology and Glaciology", "Antarctic Meteorite Research", "Polar Geoscience", and "Advances in Polar Upper Atmosphere Research". Under the Editorship of professor Kazuo Shibuya (NIPR & Department of Polar Science, SOKENDAI, Tokyo), the journal will publish original articles and reviews focused on a wide spectrum of sciences related to the polar regions of the Earth and other planets. For more information about the journal, please go to the ...

Although perhaps only a few of you can actually attend, I hope you share my enthusiasm for IPY events such as the Arctic Journey dance performance at Grand Valley State University in early February. "Arctic Journey" relates an Inuit story about a walrus hunting tragedy and includes Inuit Drum Dancing, Inuit Throat Singing and performances by dancers from the Grand Rapids (Michigan) area. This event celebrates Western Michigan's kick-off to International Polar Year. Grand Valley State University serves as host for one of IPY's Education projects: IPY a...

For the official launch in Paris at Palais de la découverte on 1st of March, the french postal administration, in connection with the french branch of the International Association for Polar Philately, "A.I.Phi.Pol", will open a special postal station with a special cancellation and postal stationary (pre-stamped envelope) especially designed for this historic day. The special postal station will be open in the morning for the conference attenders and in the afternoon for the public. The "A.I.Phi.Pol" have also arranged to have a small quantity of booklets available containing IPY stamps from the eight arctic countries. The booklets will be available on the opening day at the face value. To reserve a booklet, please email {encode=" This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it " title="aiph...