World Food Supply Shrinking...

ROME — In an “unforeseen and unprecedented” shift, the world food supply is dwindling rapidly and food prices are soaring to historic levels, the United Nations’ top food and agriculture official warned Monday. (NYT - Dec. 18, 2007)

Carbon-Dioxide

Global concentrations of CO2 in 2006 have reached the highest level since record keeping began in 1958... concentrations not seen in 650,000 years...

Australia

Australians emit the most CO2 per person: 10 tons. Americans follow with 8.2 tons. The Chinese emit 1.8 tons

Sagax Arctic 2008

We are planning to be back in the Arctic in the summer of 2008: This time to try to “Save the Arctic” - stay tuned for more information in the weeks to come.

GreenFacts

Through my friend and Antarctic partner Larry, I recently met Jacques de Selliers, founder of GreenFacts. I like what GF does: communicate unbiased scientific information on environmental and health topics.
Visit their website and see for yourself: http://www.greenfacts.org/

BALI Global Warming conference

Dec. 4 (Bloomberg) -- Cobbling a global treaty to slow the planet's warming may require an unprecedented agreement between the U.S. and China, the world's largest greenhouse gas polluters.

Delegates, lawmakers and scientists from 187 countries gathering in Bali, Indonesia, for the next two weeks aim to set a deadline for replacing the global warming treaty signed 10 years ago in Kyoto, Japan, that expires in 2012. The accord, which prescribes emissions cuts for industrialized nations, didn't require mandatory reductions for developing countries such as China, and the U.S. refused to sign it.

Global Green USA Awards

Last night, at New York's Ritz-Carlton, Battery Park, I attended Global Green USA 8th Annual Designing a Sustainable and Secure World Awards dinner which honored leading innovators for their extraordinary contributions.
-- LH

“For the first time, all of our honorees are leaders from the corporate world,” said Matt Petersen, President and CEO of Global Green USA, “In a year when an unprecedented number of companies are deciding on going green, American companies should look to this year’s award winners and the innovative results they have achieved through a balanced approach to sustainability which have also proven to be profitable.”

report from: http://www.ecorazzi.com/2007/12/04/global-green-usa-lights-up-nyc-with-sustainability-awards/

Anchorwoman Katie Couric arrived fashionably late for the red carpet entrance but the host of the Global Green USA’s Designing a Sustainable and Secure World Awards had to first deliver the CBS Evening News to the American public.

The awards event was held at the Ritz Carlton Battery Park City and was packed with eco-friendly celebs, active environmentalists and green innovators. Speakers included actors Josh Lucas, Josie Maran, playwright Eve Ensler, and the beautiful and talented Glenn Close. Other notable celebs in attendance were comedian Chevy Chase, actress Kyra Sedgewick, CNN contributor Jeff Greenfield, and Matt Peterson, President & CEO, Global Green. Josie Maran, who recently launched a green beauty product line, proudly also announced that her baby wears G Diapers. She shared and interesting green fact that I was unaware of: flying on a red eye gives off more carbon gas than other flights so she tries to avoid doing so.

New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg excitedly shared the details and video of plans for the city’s first Green School in the Lower Manhattan. Sloan & Roger Barnett, owners or Shaklee Corp. and winners of the Organizational Design Award, explained how they got started. Their son was diagnosed with severe asthma. After extensive digging they discovered no family history of asthma and realized their son must have gotten asthma from the environment. They urged for every school to use natural cleaning products.

Pratt Industries earned the Industrial Design Award and was accepted by Anthony Pratt, CEO & Chairman. This year’s winner for the Green Building Design Award Media and Entertainment Design Award given to Discovery and accepted by David Zaslav, President & CEO. The Founder Award was given to Scott Seydel, President, EVCO.

The night included a silent Eco-Auction and contributors included BOSCH, Citizen Watch, Farm 2 Market, EDUN. My personal favorite was the ME & Ro bracelet. During the delicious, organic dinner I had a chance to talk to some attendees and a heard repeated sentiment about the great Brad Pitt. Most agreed he has been doing a stellar job getting people aware, but several people expressed mild disappointment that he did not even mention the name Global Green on the Today show interview yesterday in New Orleans.

Climate Change Election

Congratulations to Kevin Rudd for his election as Prime Minister of Australia and for creating a new Ministry of Climate Change!

Cruise ship sinks in Antarctic

More than 150 passengers and crew - including 24 Britons – had to be rescued from freezing Antarctic waters after their cruise liner hit an iceberg.

The operator of the liner, the M/S Explorer, said all passengers and crew were initially evacuated onto lifeboats before being picked up by another vessel diverted to the scene.”

Now what if the same fate happens to an oil tanker going through the Northwest Passage if/when it becomes navigable in the next decade or two?? – LH

Al Gore partner at Kleiner Perkins

Al Gore is joining the venture capital firm of Kleiner Perkins in the Silicon Valley. a good example of the intersection of the worlds of ‘environmental awareness’ and ‘investment in green technologies for profit’. Let’s hope for more of these, one part of the solution to the BIG problems

Gorbachev in Paris

Mikhail Gorbachev was in Paris today, attending and chairing a conference at Sciences Po on the theme: “Can we still save the planet?”... Great participants: Michel Rocard (ex- French prime minister, Ngozi Okonjo Iweala (#2 World Bank), etc. I had the opportunity to present results form our field expedition to Greenland this summer. Together with one our main sponsors (Xavier Lépine, president of UFG group) I give a framed photo of the Sagax-REVO kids team to M. Gorbachev. More news to appear here in the next few days on this major event.

Gorbachev sets up Russia movement

Mikhail Gorbachev addressing the founding congress of his movement Gorbachev's movement is not running in December's polls The leader of the former Soviet Union, Mikhail Gorbachev, has founded a new political movement in Russia. Mr Gorbachev told the founding congress of the Union of Social-Democrats that its mission was to fight against "negative tendencies" and corruption. He said it supported President Vladimir Putin's efforts to reform Russia. The new movement will not take part in general elections in December, which are expected to be won by the United Russia party, backed by Mr Putin. "We are fighting for power, but only for power over people's minds," Mr Gorbachev told the 200 delegates gathered in Moscow. Among the issues the movement would focus on, he said, were lack of real political debate, pressure being put on non-governmental groups and high levels of corruption. A statement said that "the potential for free democratic choice and political competition is being limited... This is why social-democrats are uniting to fight for the values of freedom and fairness." The congress elected the 76-year-old as the movement's leader unopposed. Mr Gorbachev's far-reaching reforms of the Soviet system accelerated the collapse of communism in the 1980s.

Al or Sheila... or both?

Tomorrow is Nobel Peace prize announcement.
Although Al Gore is a favorite, I believe he will at best share it with someone like Sheila Watt-Cloutier of Nunavik, Canada, a representative of the Inuit and Chair of the Inuit Circumpolar Conference. Awarding the prize to both would be a nice way to thank those who work on the field as well as a great spokesman for the Earth. We’ll know tomorrow.

Cooking pasta with Arctic gas!

Living in the New York area, I will soon likely be getting part of my natural gas supply from the Arctic! Ships will bring natural gas across the Atlantic from the natural gas fields 340 miles north of the Arctic Circle.

Green Cross General Assembly

Global Green USA hosted President Gorbachev in New Orleans for the bi annual Green Cross International General Assembly. Every two years, the Green Cross International General Assembly brings together Green Cross affiliates from around the world to discuss the state of the organization and its plans for the coming two years. For the first time, this assembly is being held in the United States, in New Orleans, on October 5-7.

He owns the Arctic?

Lots of talks these days (from the very informed to the silly) on who owns the Arctic. It is in a way sad that the question has to be raised. It is understandable that a reasonable area around arctic countries’ borders would belong to them, but the area around the pole itself? Why would the North Pole belong more to Denmark or Russia than, say, Mali or the Maldives? Why not define a perimeter around the North Pole which would be preserved from exploration and drilling in perpetuity (or at least for the next 50 years), as has been done for Antarctica? Or set up some kind of UN perimeter around the pole: any money made in this area will be shared by all UN nations in proportion to the negative impact climate change has on them?

Mikhail Gorbachev

Interesting video link to better understand Mikhail’s Gorbachev’s background and the role of Green Cross International in the world: to see the video.

Velib

It saves time, it’s good for the environment, it’s fun and it’s (virtually) free. At a press conference in Paris this morning, my partners (GreenCross International and Ecopolaris/GREA) and I presented the main results of the Sagax REVO expedition to a parterre of journalists covering the environment. Coming out of the 2nd District Town Hall where the event was held, I could one more time rent a Velib bicycle, omnipresent in Paris these days. I just discovered the implementation of this great new idea. Bravo Paris!!

Germany’s Merker in Greenland too...

We knew Greenland was becoming a tourist destination... but now politicians seem to show up more often too. last month was Germany’s Merkel turn. Is Bush next?

“German Chancellor Angela Merkel, in Greenland to find out more about the consequences of global warming first hand, has called for the US and China to sign on to the the successor agreement to the Kyoto Protocol. But her trip has been criticized by opposition politicians as a publicity stunt.

As a former physicist and environment minister, it is only natural that German Chancellor Angela Merkel would want to learn about the consequences of global warming first hand.

Merkel and Environment Minister Sigmar Gabriel began a two-day visit to Greenland Thursday to see the Ilulissat Icefjord, a UNESCO world heritage site, and the Sermeq Kujalleq glacier. The glacier, which is located about 200 kilometers (125 miles) north of the Arctic Circle, has thinned in recent years in what scientists say is one of the most obvious signs of global warming. Experts are concerned that Greenland's melting ice sheet could cause global sea levels to rise, with catastrophic effects on low-lying areas.”

Polar bears wiped out?

As widely reported in the press recently, government scientists estimate that two-thirds of polar bears will disappear by 2050, even under moderate shrinking ice scenarios. Polar bears are estimated at approx. 25,000. By then the only place where one could see them might be in Northern Greenland (above photo from our expedition) or in Northern Canada.

Wow!

Pacific Rim Nations Adopt Non binding Emissions Targets...
When politicians pronounce profound sentences such as “long-term aspirational goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions”, we immediately all breathe more easily. Or are we?

Northwest Passage nearly open!

As reported by NASA on August 22, 2007: This image shows sea ice around the Northwest Passage as observed by the Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer for EOS (AMSR-E) aboard NASA’s Aqua satellite on August 22, 2007. In this image, blue indicates open water, white indicates high sea ice concentration, and turquoise indicates loosely packed sea ice. The black circle at the North Pole indicates no data as the satellite does not make observations that far north. McClure Strait, Parry Channel, Victoria Strait, and McClintock Channel (north of Victoria Strait), all appear nearly ice-free. North of McClure Strait, an area of sea ice remains, but it is fragmented. Multi-year ice (ice that survives more than one melt season) tends to be thicker and more resistant to melt than first-year ice (formed over just one winter). According to John Falkingham of the Canadian Ice Service, most of the multi-year ice melted from Victoria Strait and McClintock Channel in the summer of 2006, leaving these traditionally difficult areas more open. In mid-August 2007, only patchy areas of ice filled Victoria Strait and Larsen Sound, immediately to the north. Falkingham described the Northwest Passage as “nearly open.” Changes in the Northwest Passage were part of a larger pattern of melt in 2007 that also affected the East Siberian Sea.

They are back!

Dr. Olivier Gilg and Brigitte Sabard (and son Vladimir) are now back from Greenland too. Their return completes the on-location part of the Sagax REVO expedition. Many more results to come which will be distributed via press, radio and TV in the next few weeks/months. Stay tuned! -- Luc

Raising animals for meat -- global warming?

The last few months have seen a series of reports, articles and remarks on the issue of raising animals for meat and global warming. In November 2006, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (UNFAO) issued a report concluding that the raising of livestock generates more greenhouse gas emissions than all forms of transportation combined. Even Al Gore has been targeted as being “Too Chicken to Go Vegetarian?”. An issue which will certainly resurface in the next few months... What do you think?

A desert?

At first sight, in areas not covered by snow or ice, Greenland looks like a desert -- here near Mestersvig (northeast Greenland) -- but for those who can be patient and adventurous, fauna and flora is rich

Flashback: melting of ice shelf

June 22, 2007: Hunters in Ittoqqortoormiit try to get as much of the hunting season as they can. Sometimes it means taking risks and going on the ice although it is ready to break. This Greenland dog falls in a small lead -- but will quickly get out and go on.

Checking Dogs

Two military personnel from Station Nord, a permanent base from the Danish Navy in north eastern Greenland do a routine check on a sled dog. Teeth and paws are the most important body parts to check!

Yves Paccalet

Yves Paccalet is president of Green Cross France and a wonderful writer. Check his blog and books

Her Inconvenient Truth...

Please check Marguerite’s blog whenever you need truly thoughtful insights into where the (warming) world is going and what you can do about it. I met again Marguerite today in Palo Alto, after 28 years... She is also a graduate of Ecole Centrale in Paris and an environmentalist activist and startup consultant!!

Lucy

Lucy, the long-tailed skua which we fitted with a radio transmitter in Mestersvig (Eastern Greenland) on July 2, has now reached the Azores!! what a trip already, and we are all curious to see where she will go next.

Lucy, le labbe à longue queue que nous avons équipé avec une balise radio à Mestersvig (à l’est du Groenland) le 2 juillet, a maintenant rejoint les Açores !! Quel voyage, nous sommes tous curieux de voir où elle va aller maintenant.

Flashback: toys and snow - Flashback: jouets et neige

June 19, 2007: Vladimir Gilg, starts his 5th season in the Arctic. While parents explore the surroundings for signs of ivory gulls and other (rare) wildlife, Vladimir enjoys a day at the park!

19 juin 2007, Vladimir Gilg commence sa 5éme saison dans l’Arctique. Pendant que les parents explorent les alentours pour trouver des traces de mouettes ivoire et d’autres (rares) éléments de faune et flore, Vladimir passe sa journée dans le parc !

The Northwest Passage - Le passage du Nord-Ouest

The Arctic makes the news almost everyday these days... Not as a sanctuary for wildlife... but for its oil, gas and mineral resources. After the Russian sent two small submarine under the north pole two weeks ago, Canada reacted by announcing the construction of a deep-water military port on the tip of its northern territory, on the northwest passage. Interesting that the melting of ice up there could indeed save a lot of energy to go from Atlantic to Pacific (7000 km shorter than through Panama...). Expect other publicity stunts, frantic research to determine which part of a ridge is connected to which country’s continental shelf extension and lots of negotiations and legal action in the next few months and years...

L'arctique est dans les journaux tous les jours en ce moment... Et pas comme étant une réserve naturelle... Mais pour son pétrole, gaz et ressources minérales. Après les Russes qui ont envoyé deux petits sous-marins sous le pôle nord il y a de cela deux semaines, le Canada à réagit en annonçant la construction d’un port en eau profonde militaire à la pointe nord de son territoire, sur le passage du nord-ouest. Intéressé par le fait que la fonte des glaces pourrai faire économiser beaucoup d’énergie pour passer de l’Atlantique au Pacifique (7000 km plus cours que de passer par le canal de Panama...). Attendez-vous à d’autres coups de publicité, dans la recherche frénétique pour déterminer quelle part de l’arête est connectée à quel plateau continental, et en est ainsi une extension qui appartient à ce pays, et aussi beaucoup de négociations et d’actions en justice pendant les prochains mois et années...

The Northwest Passage - Le passage du Nord-Ouest

The Arctic makes the news almost everyday these days... Not as a sanctuary for wildlife... but for its oil, gas and mineral resources. After the Russian sent two small submarine under the north pole two weeks ago, Canada reacted by announcing the construction of a deep-water military port on the tip of its northern territory, on the northwest passage. Interesting that the melting of ice up there could indeed save a lot of energy to go from Atlantic to Pacific (7000 km shorter than through Panama...). Expect other publicity stunts, frantic research to determine which part of a ridge is connected to which country’s continental shelf extension and lots of negotiations and legal action in the next few months and years...

L'arctique est dans les journaux tous les jours en ce moment... Et pas comme étant une réserve naturelle... Mais pour son pétrole, gaz et ressources minérales. Après les Russes qui ont envoyé deux petits sous-marins sous le pôle nord il y a de cela deux semaines, le Canada à réagit en annonçant la construction d’un port en eau profonde militaire à la pointe nord de son territoire, sur le passage du nord-ouest. Intéressé par le fait que la fonte des glaces pourrai faire économiser beaucoup d’énergie pour passer de l’Atlantique au Pacifique (7000 km plus cours que de passer par le canal de Panama...). Attendez-vous à d’autres coups de publicité, dans la recherche frénétique pour déterminer quelle part de l’arête est connectée à quel plateau continental, et en est ainsi une extension qui appartient à ce pays, et aussi beaucoup de négociations et d’actions en justice pendant les prochains mois et années...

Flashback: Just in case... - Flashback: A tout hasard...

June 26, 2007: We have been dropped on the Gunnbjornfjeld glacier, supposedly for 4 hours, but it would take 24 hours to see the rest of the team and the safety of a larger group. While we wait, we must practice using our only rifle, just in case the occasional hungry or lost polar bear shows up for a meal... Here Flaam gets a crash course in rifle use from me... who has never used one!! -- Luc

26 juin 2007: nous avons été déposé sur le glacier Gunnbjornfjeld, initialement pour 4 heures, mais cela prendra en fait 24 heures pour voir le reste de l’équipe et la sécurité d’un groupe plus important. Pendant notre attente, nous avons dû nous entraîner à utiliser notre seul fusil, juste au cas ou un ours polaire perdu ou affamé viendrai nous rendre visite pour son déjeuner... Ici je donne à Flaam une formation accéléré sur l’utilisation d’un fusil... Moi qui n’en ai jamais utilisé un!! – Luc

Shrinking of Ice... - Le recul de la glace...

As we mentioned in our report and in previous blogs, it is the general consensus in the eastern part of Greenland that we surveyed that the yearly melting of floating ice is happening sooner (approx. one month) and stronger than years ago. The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign is the source of observations reported in the New York Times today: “The cause is probably a mix of natural fluctuations, like unusually sunny conditions in June and July, and long-term warming from heat-trapping greenhouse gases and sooty particles accumulating in the air”. “The melting rate during June and July this year was simply incredible,” “And then you’ve got this exposed black ocean soaking up sunlight and you wonder what, if anything, could cause it to reverse course.”

Comme nous l’avons mentionné dans notre rapport et dans les blogs précédents, c’est un consensus général, dans la partie est du Groenland que nous avons inspecté, que la fonte annuelle de la glace flottante arrive plus tôt (environ un mois) et plus forte qu’il y a quelques années. L’université de l’Illinois Urbana-Champaign en fait part dans le New York Time d’aujourd’hui: “La cause est probablement un mixe de fluctuations naturelles, comme les conditions exceptionnelles d'ensoleillement en juin et juillet, et un réchauffement de long terme dû à la trappe à chaleur constituée par les gaz à effet de serre et les particules de suie noir accumulés dans l’air”. Le taux de fonte cette année pendant les mois de juin et juillet était incroyable, “et ensuite vous avez la noirceur de l’océan qui absorbe la lumière et on se demande, si quelque chose, peut en inverser le cours”.

Gorbachev, new face of Louis Vuitton... - Gorbachev, nouveau visage de Louis Vuitton...

Gorbachev is appearing in an ad campaign for the French luxury label Louis Vuitton. Berlin wall in the background...
Vuitton is making donations to Green Cross International, founded by Gorbachev (as well as The Climate Project, founded by Al Gore).

Gorbachev est apparu dans une publicité pour la marque de luxe Française Louis Vuitton. Le mur de Berlin dans le fond...
Vuitton fait des donations à Green Cross Internationnal, fondé par Gorbachev (tout comme The Climate Project, par Al Gore).

Heat index

The sea ice is melting faster and sooner in the Arctic, and there have been heat waves of various strength and length all around the world. Want to know why it feels so hot? Check the NOAA Heat Index. For example 80% humidity at temperature of 95ºF (=35ºC) would feel like 133ºF, when “heat strokes are highly likely with continued exposure”...

Flashback: Bliss Bugt

Ben, our pilot, mounts the powered paraglider in Bliss Bugt for the first time. Because it was shipped directly to Iceland, we did not have a chance to test it before our trip. We lost a day and a half making it work properly, but eventually were able to fly and go to Kaffeklubben and area without problems.

Ben, notre pilote, monte le para-moteur à Bliss Bugt pour la première fois. Parce qu’il a été livré directement en Islande , nous n’avons pas pu avoir la chance de le tester avant notre voyage. Nous avons perdu un jour et demi à le faire fonctionner correctement, mais finalement nous avons pu le faire voler et aller à Kaffeklubben et autour, sans problème.

Global warming => cold war again? - Réchauffement climatique => Encore la guerre froide?

While in Greenland we did meet with participants in this Russian expedition: It was announced today that the research vessel Akademik Fyodorov has reached the North Pole. Its mission is to send two miniature submarines to plant a titanium capsule with the Russian flag on the seabed of the Arctic Ocean, just beneath the North Pole. All countries around the Arctic have been positioning themselves for a while to benefit from what could be a windfall of oil and mineral profits if (or “once”?) the warming of the planet (and the poles in particular) make it easier to prospect for natural resources in these areas. Russia is looking for “confirmation” that the Lomonosov Ridge (a 2000km underwater mountain ridge that connects Russia and Greenland through the pole) is a geologic extension of Russia.

Pendant que nous étions au Groenland nous avons rencontré des membres de cette expédition Russe: il a été annoncé aujourd’hui que le bateau de recherche Akademik Fyodorov était arrivé au pôle nord. Sa mission est de déposer deux petits sous-marins pour planter une capsule en titanium avec le drapeau Russe sur les fonds marins de l’océan Arctique, juste sous le pôle nord. Tous les pays autour de l’Arctique se sont positionnés eux aussi depuis longtemps pour pouvoir bénéficier de la possible rentrée d’argent du pétrole et de l'exploitation de la zone si ( ou “une fois que”?) le réchauffement de la planète ( et des pôles particulièrement) rendront la prospection des ressources naturelles plus faciles dans ces zones. La Russie cherche à confirmer que le Lomonosov Ridge (une chaîne de montage sous-marine de 2000 km qui relie la Russie au Groenland en passant par le pôle) est une extension géologique de la Russie.

Lucy in the sky... with an Argos transmitter! - Lucy in the sky... avec un transmetteur Argos!

Effective right now, you can follow the progress of the birds (long-tailed skuas and soon ivory gulls) that we did fit with radio transmitters while in Greenland. Just click on: Labbes . Lucy, our first long-tailed skua was fitted on July 2. As you can see on the map, Lucy has left its nesting area a week later, flew down the eastern coast of Greenland and is now migrating towards the South. In 25 hours between July 19 and 20th, Lucy has flown more than 900kms!! Has Lucy left her area of Greenland because of the scarcity of lemmings (her favorite lunch!), or for other reasons? Hopefully time will tell - hence the reason for doing this work.


Vous pouvez maintenant suivre en ligne la progression des oiseaux (labbe à longue queue et bientôt les mouettes ivoires) que nous avons équipé de transmetteurs pendant que nous étions au Groenland. Cliquer sur Labbes. Lucy, notre première labbe à longue queue a été équipée le 2 juillet. Comme vous pouvez le voir sur la carte, Lucy vient de quitter sa zone de nidification il y a une semaine, a volé vers le bas du Groenland par sa côte est, et migre maintenant vers le sud. En 25 heures, entre le 19 et 20 juillet, Lucy a volé sur plus de 900 km!! Lucy a t’elle quitté la zone du Groenland à cause de la pénurie de lemmings (son plat favori!), ou pour une autre raison? On espère que le temps le dira, d’où la raison de faire ce travail.

Ladybugs in Greenland!! - Coccinelles au Groenland!!

Here she is, as seen in Traill, a 15’ flight from Mestersvig in Easter Greenland.
Scientists are worried that global warming is responsible for advancing the onset of spring for several species in the high arctic by more than a month. Indeed it is now documented by the GREA, the National Environmental Research Institute in Denmark and other scientists that some of the arctic plant, animal and insect species start their summer cycle more than a month earlier than a decade ago.


La voila, sur l’île de Traill, à 15 minutes de vol de Mestersvig à l’est du Groenland.
Les scientifiques craignent que le réchauffement climatique ne soit responsable de l’avancement, de plus d’un mois, du début du printemps pour plusieurs espèces dans le haut de l’Arctique. Il est maintenant prouvé par le GREA, le National Environmental Research Institute au Danemark et d’autres scientifiques que certaines plantes, animaux et insectes de l’arctique commencent leurs cycles de l’été un mois plus tôt qu’il y a dix ans.

Antarctica, the Global Warning...

A magnificent book that you may want to consider purchasing. Mikhail Gorbachev, founder and chairman of Green Cross International wrote the foreword, Leonardo di Caprio the introduction. Green Cross International is the NGO partner of the Sagax REVO Greenland expedition. Both Sebastian Copeland and Leonardo di Caprio are on the Board of Trustees of Global Green USA, the US arm of Green Cross International:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/search-handle-url/...


Un très beau livre que vous devriez penser à acheter. Mikhail Gorbachev, fondateur et président de Green Cross International, a écrit l’avant-propos, Leonardo di Caprio l’introduction. Green Cross International est l’ONG partenaire de l'expédition Sagax REVO au Groenland. Tous les deux, Sebastian Copeland et Leonardo di Caprio sont dans le conseil d’administration de Global Green USA, le bras américain de Green Cross International: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/search-handle-url/...

Lucy ready to take-off - Lucy prête à repartir

"Lucy", a long-tailed skua, is about to be released after having been fitted with a radio transmitter, near Mestersvig (northeast Greenland). Lucy is the first bird of the season that our expedition did fit with a radio transmitter (on July 2, 2007) "


"Lucy", un Labbe à longue queue, est sur le point d’être libéré après avoir reçu un transmetteur radio près de Mestersvig (Nord est du Groenland). Lucy est le premier oiseau de la saison que notre expédition a équipé d’un radio transmetteur (le 2 juillet 2007)

Polar bear encounters... - Rencontre avec les ours polaires...

While on the Henrik Krøyer Holme islands, we did see polar bears on 10 occasions, over a period of 5 days. We saw 4 on one single occasion. Two bears came VERY close (12 meters!) to our camp (curious, attracted by the smell of “saucisson”, or hungry from limited seal supply on the sea ice, we will never know). What we know is that they became quite threatening and we had to use our flares and guns to scare them away (we would of course shoot to kill only as a last resort, and not as a macho show of shooting talent. So that’s a total of 13 individual bears (we saw one twice, for sure – we know that from a scar on its right side).
All information and observations on bears (date/location seen, photos, videos, etc.) will be sent to Denmark for determination of sex, size, etc. All information is of interest, for example the fact that we did not see females with cubs.


Pendant que nous étions sur l’île Henrik Krøyer Holme, nous avons vu des ours polaires à 10 reprises, sur une période de 5 jours. Nous en avons vu 4 en une seule fois. Deux ours sont venus très près (12 mètres!) de notre camp (curieux, attirés par l’odeur du saucisson, ou affamés par le manque de phoques sur la banquise, nous ne le saurons jamais). Nous savons qu’ils sont devenus menaçants et nous avons dû utiliser nos fusées de détresse et nos fusils pour les effrayer (Bien sûr nous n’aurions tiré pour les tuer qu’en dernier ressort, et non pas pour montrer nos talents de tireurs). Cela fait un total de 13 ours (nous en avons vu un deux fois, nous en sommes sûr car il a une cicatrice sur le côté droit).
Toutes les informations et les observations sur les ours (date, localisation, photos, vidéos, etc.) vont être envoyées au Danemark pour déterminer le sexe, la taille, etc. Toutes les informations sont intéressantes comme par exemple le fait que nous n’ayons pas vu de femelles avec des petits.

The Northermost landmass on Earth! - Le territoire le plus au nord de la terre!

On July 5, 2007 Ben (our pilot-guide extraordinaire) and I reached Kaffeklubben (Greenland), the northernmost documented island and land mass in the world. We landed with a powered paraglider -- a world's first!. The “summit” (alt. 20m) of the island is located at: N 83º39.696’ and W030º36.592’. Over the last 30+ years there have been several more or less legitimate “discoveries” of new “islands” in this region. We did survey the area extensively ourselves with the paraglider, combining higher altitude and very low alt. flights, and did not find any piece of land which could qualify as an island. However year after year, one can find masses of rocks caught in the sea ice (we did see a few floating rocks here and there). Typically these rocks tend to move around and disappear the year they surface or several years after. So watch for claims of discoveries, especially when they are too easily linked to global warming as the culprit (otherwise a very serious matter). More pictures and discussions on that subject at Northernmost Photos.


Le 5 juillet 2007, Ben (notre extrordinaire pilote et guide) et moi atteignons Kaffeklubben (Groenland), la plus au nord des l’îles et masses terrestres connues du monde. Nous atterrissons avec un parapente motorisé, une première mondiale! Le sommet (alt. 20m) est situé à: N 83º39.696’ et W030º36.592’. Pendant ces 30 dernières années il y a eu plusieurs “découvertes” plus ou moins légitimes de nouvelles “îles” dans cette région. Nous avons survolé nous aussi la zone avec le para-moteur en combinant des altitudes élevées et basses et nous n’avons pas trouvé de territoire qui pouvait être qualifié d’île. Cependant année après année, nous pouvons trouver des rochers pris dans la banquise (nous avons vu flotter des rochers ici et là). Typiquement ces rochers tendent à se déplacer et à disparaître de la surface en quelques années. Soyez attentifs lors des revendications de découvertes, spécialement quand il est trop facile de montrer le réchauffement climatique comme coupable. Plus de photos et de discussions sur ce sujet sur Northernmost Photos.

Green Cross, climate change and Darfur? - Green Cross, Changement climatique et Darfour?

Interesting story in the New York Times July 22, 2007... The role of climate change in world conflicts, poverty... exactly the mission of Green Cross International, our partner in the Sagax REVO Greenland expedition 2007. See for complete article: Sudan New York Times.pdf


Une histoire intéressante dans le New York Times du 22 juillet 2007... Le rôle du changement climatique dans les conflits mondiaux, la pauvreté... Exactement la mission de Green Cross Internationnal, notre partenaire de l'expédition Sagax REVO Groenland 2007. Cliquer pour l’article: Sudan New York Times.pdf

Naturalist Report!! - Observations de naturaliste!!

Here is a more detailed report on some of our work while in Greenland. Dr. Olivier Gilg, Dr. Adrian Aebischer and Brigitte Sabard and the rest of our group (including children!), proceeded to make numerous naturalists observations and specimen collections during this first month of expedition. Some examples:

Polar bear: we did see polar bears on 10 occasions, over a period of 5 days at Henrik Kroyer Holme islands in north east Greenland. We saw 4 on one single occasion. So that’s a total of 13 individual bears (we saw one twice, for sure – we know that from a scar on its right side). All information and observations on bears (date/location seen, photos, videos, etc.) will be sent to Denmark for determination of sex, size, etc. All information is of interest, for example the fact that we did not see females with cubs.

Walrus: we saw 25 walruses in the polynia [Polynia is an area of open water amidst ice. A Russian word Полынья for a hole in the ice was adopted in the 19th century by polar explorers to describe navigable portions of the sea.[1] It was then rumoured that there was open sea around the North Pole, which was referred to as Polynia, or Kane’s Polynia. “The mystic Polynia, the open sea to the North of Siberia.”[2] The search for this Polar Sea is related to, and comparable with that for the North-West Passage. It is now used as geographical term for areas of sea in Arctic or Antarctic regions which remain unfrozen for much of the year. – source: Wikipedia] of Antarctic Bugt near Henrik Kroyer Holme islands, including a group of 9. All info on observations + pictures will be sent to Denmark.

Whale: we were a little bit early to see whales near Henrik Kroyer Holme islands: too much ice, too early in the season. However we did see one (and photographed it) from the plane (Twin Otter) as we were flying from the islands to the coast towards Station Nord. This is very interesting as there have been only 25 observations of these whales in 100 years. Three have been seen in the polynia near Henrik Kroyer Holme islands in 2003 by our group (GREA/Ecopolaris). It seems that these islands are in a privileged zone for this species and is one of the best spots in NE Atlantic for them. So other scientists working with whales should probably come here vs. the Spitzberg region when doing biopsies. In August, the GREA/Ecopolaris team will continue its efforts to locate whales and will attempt to take biopsies using the crossbow that we had with us.

Birds: Brent Geese: According to Dr. Olivier Gilg of GREA/Ecopolaris, the most interesting observation of the trip was to see Brent Geese birds where we were: 1 - At Station Nord (flying) 2 - On our way to Henrik Kroyer Holme islands (20-25 individuals) 3 - But the most important find was to see 14 individuals on Kaffekkluben island (the northernmost island in the world). This species was in this region earlier in the 20th century but had not been observed since. One can speculate that the protection of the Brent Goose in Europe has helped the population to increase and that this is why there are more often spotted in nesting areas.

Pink-footed goose: Thanks to our paraglider we did were able to see a group of approx. 500 individuals in the Bliss Bugt area, in addition to 10 groups of approx. 50 seen on other occasions. So it looks like at least 1000 individuals were in the Bliss Bugt area while we were there. They had been seen before in this region but never in such large groups. East Greenland might be becoming a molting area for these geese. Pink-footed geese come from Iceland just to molt, not to nest.

Great Skua: Our group also spotted a great skua on the main island of the Henrik Kroyer Holme islands group (rare in this area).

Tracking birds:
One of the objectives of the expedition was to continue the work of the GREA/Ecopolaris in tracking certain populations of birds over long periods by fitting them with radio transmitters. Two long-tailed skuas were fitted (one near Mestersvig and one in the Bliss Bugt area, certainly the northernmost bird ever fitted with a tracking transmitter) and over a dozen ivory gulls. These important fittings have already allowed the tracking of these birds over their (sometime far away) travels across the Arctic (using the Argos system).

Expedition Report:

Once this scientific trip is over for the scientific team (end of August 2007), the GREA will collect all the information on observations and will continue its work toward putting together the first monograph of all species of the National Park of Greenland (birds, mammals, etc.)

Double Top observations

Using the backbone of our expedition as a useful and symbolic trajectory , i.e., going from the region of the highest point in the Arctic (Mt Gunnbjørnfjeld = 3693m) to the Northernmost island in the world (Kaffeklubben in northern Greenland), our team made very interesting observations and discoveries: we where able to spot and collect lichen specimens near the summit of Mt Gunnbjørnfjeld, we saw the northernmost ever flock of Brent Geese on land and we collected the Northernmost arctic poppy, purple saxifrage and lichens on earth! Time will tell if these are important discoveries… Lichen specimens will be sent to Copenhagen (Denmark) and moss specimens to Oslo (Norway) Flowers and plants collected in the Bliss Bugt region and on Kaffeklubben island (the northernmost island on earth) will be analyzed (DNA) for history and future (circumpolar project between international scientists).

What’s next for August?

The GREA/Ecopolaris team, the scientific arm of the Sagax REVO Greenland Double Top expedition, will continue on its own, traveling through other areas of eastern Greenland. On their naturalist list: 1] Whale observations and collecting of skin specimens (using crossbows) for DNA testing and population analysis 2] Collecting of flower, plants, lichens, moss samples for cataloguing and analysis 3] Census of bird colonies and individuals and long-term evolution: Arctic stern, Glaucous gull, Skua, etc. 4] Census of lemming population We’ll report as new findings are made and conclusion drawn. Watch for articles in specialized AND general public media.


Voici un premier compte-rendu de notre travail de recherche au Groenland. Olivier Gilg, docteur en écologie, Adrian Aebisher chercheur, Brigitte Sabard et le reste de notre équipe, y compris les enfants, y font quelques observations sur la faune et la flore observées pendant ce mois d’expédition :

Ours polaires
Nous avons eu l’occasion d’apercevoir des ours polaires à 10 reprises, lors de notre séjour dans les îles Henrik Kroyer Holme. Nous avons eu la chance d’en voir 4 en une seule fois. Au total, nous avons vu 13 ours polaires (nous avons vu l’un d’entre eux deux fois. Sa cicatrice sur le visage nous a permis de l’identifier avec certitude). Toutes les informations et les observations sur les ours polaires (date et lieu de repérage, photos, vidéos…) seront envoyées au Danemark afin de déterminer le sexe, la taille… des ours polaires. Chaque détail a son importance, comme le fait que nous n’ayons vu aucune femelle avec un petit.

Morses
Nous avons aperçu 25 morses dans les polynies de l’Antarctique, près des Iles Henrik Kroyer Holme, dont un groupe de 9 morses. Toutes les informations et les photos seront envoyées au Danemark. (Une polynie est une zone d’eau libre au milieu de la banquise. Le terme russe, « Полынья”, a été adopté au XIXème siècle par les explorateurs des régions polaires pour désigner un trou dans la glace. La rumeur s’était répandue alors, que la mer entourant le Pôle Nord était navigable. On appelait cet espace « Polynia », « Kane’s Polynia », ou « la mystérieuse Polynia, la mer ouverte au Nord de la Sibérie. » La quête de cette Mer Polaire est comparable à celle du Passage du Nord-Ouest. Aujourd’hui, une polynie est un terme géographique utilisé pour désigner une zone qui se maintient libre de glace, ou couverte d'une couche de glace très mince, et située au milieu de la banquise en Arctique ou en Antarctique.) (source wikipedia)

Les baleines
Il était un peu tôt pour apercevoir des baleines près des Iles Henrik Kroyer Holme ; trop de glace et trop tôt dans la saison. Nous avons quand même eu la chance d’en voir (et photographier) une depuis notre avion (Twin Otter), lorsque nous revenions des Iles vers la Station Nord. C’est très intéressant car il n’y a eu que 25 observations de ces baleines au cours des cent dernières années. Trois ont été vues dans la polynie près des Iles Henrik Kroyer Holme, en 2003 par le GREA (écopolaris). Il semble que ces îles soient une zone privilégiée pour ces espèces, l’un des meilleurs endroits de l’Atlantique Nord Est pour elles. Ainsi, les autres scientifiques qui pratiquent des biopsies sur les baleines devraient probablement se rendre dans cette région, plutôt que dans la région du Spitzberg. En août, l’équipe du GREA/Écopolaris va poursuivre ses efforts pour localiser des baleines et tenter de réaliser des biopsies, en utilisant l’arbalète que nous avions avec nous.

Les oiseaux
Bernache Cravant : Selon Olivier Gilg, du GREA/Écopolaris, voir des Bernache Cravant depuis notre site était la découverte la plus intéressante de notre voyage. Nous en avons aperçu : 1) À la station Nord (en vol) 2) Sur notre route vers les îles Henrik Kroyer Holme (20/25 oiseaux) 3) Mais la plus importante découverte était de voir 14 oiseaux dans les îles Kaffekkluben (le point le plus au Nord sur notre planète). Ces espèces vivaient dans cette région au début du XXème siècle mais n’avaient plus été repérées depuis. On peut avancer que la protection des Bernaches Cravant en Europe a permis son accroissement et c’est pourquoi ils s’installent de plus en plus dans ces zones de nidification.

Oie à bec court:
Grâce à notre expert en paramoteur, nous avons pu apercevoir un groupe de près de 500 Oies à bec court, dans la région de Bliss Bugt, en plus de dix autres groupes de 50 oiseaux à d’autres occasion. On peut ainsi dire qu’il y avait près de 1000 Oies à bec court dans la région de Bliss Bugt, lorsque nous y étions. Elles avaient déjà été repérées dans la région, mais jamais dans un tel nombre. L’Est du Groenland serait peut-être entrain de devenir une région de mue pour ces Oies à bec court. Elles viennent d’Islande pour muer et non pour nicher.

Labbe à longue queue
Notre équipe a également aperçu un Labbe à longue queue sur l’île principale de l’archipel Henrik Kroyer Hokme (rare dans cette région).

Le pistage des oiseaux
L’un des objectifs de cette expédition était de poursuivre le travail du GREA/Écopolaris dans le pistage de certaines espèces d’oiseaux sur de longues périodes, en les équipant de radio transmetteur. Deux Labbes à longue queue ont été équipées (l’une près de Mestersvig et l’autre dans la région de Bliss Bugt, certainement l’oiseau le plus au Nord qui n’ait jamais été équipé de radio transmetteur) et plus d’une douzaine de mouettes ivoires. Ces importants équipements ont déjà permis le pistage de ces oiseaux sur leur (parfois très long) voyage à travers l’Arctique (grâce au système Arcos).

Compte-rendu de l’expédition

Une fois que le voyage de l’équipe scientifique sera terminé (fin août 2007), le GREA va utiliser toutes les informations et observations recueillies pendant l’expédition pour réaliser son objectif: écrire la première monographie sur toutes les espèces du Parc National du Groenland (oiseaux, mammifère…).

Observation sur les « deux sommets »

Du sommet de l’Arctique (Mt Gunnbjørnfjeld = 3693m) au point le plus au Nord sur terre (Kaffeklubben dans le Nord du Groenland), notre itinéraire, ambitieux et symbolique, a permis à notre équipe de faire de très intéressantes observations et découvertes. Nous avons pu repérer et recueillir des échantillons de lichen près du Sommet du mont Gunnbjørnfjeld. Nous avons vu la volée de Bernache Cravant la plus au Nord et avons même pu recueillir les échantillons de coquelicot, de saxifrage et de lichen les plus au Nord sur Terre! Le temps nous dira si ces découvertes sont importantes… Les échantillons de Lichen seront envoyés à Copenhague (Danemark) et les échantillons de mousse à Oslo (Norvège). Les fleurs et les plantes recueillies dans la région de Bliss Bugt et sur l’île de Kaffeklubben (l’île la plus au Nord sur notre planète) seront analysées (ADN) pour l’Histoire et l’avenir (projet circumpolaire entre des scientifiques internationaux).

Quel projet pour le mois d’août ?

Les membres du GREA/Écopolaris, l’équipe scientifique de l’expédition Sagax Revo « Double Top », vont poursuivre de leur côté leurs recherches dans d’autres régions de l’Est du Groenland. Voici leur programme : 1) Observation des baleines et collecte d’échantillons de peau (grâce aux arbalètes) pour des tests d’ADN et des analyses 2) Collecte de fleurs, plantes, lichens et mousses pour faire des classements et des analyses 3) Recensement des colonies d’oiseaux et de leurs évolutions sur le long terme : Sterne Arctique, goéland bourgmestre, Labbe à longue queue… 4) Recensement de la population de lemming Nous ferons un rapport sur leurs nouvelles recherches et sur les conclusions rendues.

Global or local warming? - Réchauffement mondial ou local?

Photo: Flaam and Ainhoa Hardy on a local “hunting” trip with Essa . Local hunters complain that the ice melts sooner and sooner every year, shortening their hunting season. It also creates risks: accidents and drowning as dogs and sleds fall through the ice... The goal of the expedition was not to prove anything but to observe and listen. During our interactions with locals and foreigners we noted several indications of at least “local” warming over the years:

- In Ittoqqortoormit (pop. 500), the head of the local grocery store is happy that the ship delivering goods (coming twice a year), is coming two weeks sooner because the sea ice around the village has melted sooner than usual over the last few years.
- A Danish teacher and his wife and young boy going back to Denmark for a month of vacation: He says they are less polar bears in the area. A few years ago locals could hunt as many bears as they wanted. Now the quota is 30 bears for the village but they caught only 25 so far for the year.
- Over 20 years of coming in the Arctic and in Eastern Greenland, Dr. Olivier Gilg, the chief scientist of the Sagax REVO expedition notes that at the maximum melting of the sea ice in early September, the remaining sea ice was south of Ittoqqortoormit (Scoresby Sund) and that it is now north, a clear sign of warming
- After having analyzed 20 years of satellite pictures, Adrian, head of mining exploration at the Citron Fjord mine in northern Greenland notes that the ice in the fjord has been melting sooner and sooner every year (i.e., less ice in the fjord at the same date every year)
- A Greenlander (resident of Nuuk) we stayed with for a few days says she feels signs of warming compared to a few years ago: years ago they had lots of snow in Nuuk, now they get much less.
- Talking to another group of naturalists on Traill island (NE Greenland), they tell us that they have not seen any lemmings or skuas yet this year. They guess that because the climate has been warming up, other species show up and there is a change in the ecosystem


Photo: Flaam et Ainhoa Hardy en voyage pour la “chasse” avec Essa. Les chasseurs locaux se plaignent que la glace fonde de plus en plus tôt chaque année, raccourcissant la saison de chasse. Cela créé aussi des risques: d’accidents et noyade quand les chiens et les traîneaux passent à travers la glace... Le but de cette expédition n’était pas de prouver quelque chose mais d’observer et d’écouter. Pendant nos échanges avec les locaux et les étrangers, nous avons noté plusieurs indices au moins “locaux” du réchauffement au cours des années.


- A Ittoqqortoormit (pop. 500), le chef de l’épicerie locale est heureux car les livraisons de produits (qui se font deux fois par an), arrivent deux semaines plus tôt parce que la banquise autour du village plus fond vite ces dernières années.

- Un professeur Danois, sa femme et leur jeune garçon rentrent d’un mois de vacances au Danemark: Il dit qu’il y a moins d’ours polaires dans cette zone. Il y a quelques années les locaux pouvaient chasser autant d’ours qu’ils le voulaient. Maintenant le quota est de 30 ours pour le village mais ils en ont attrapé seulement 25 à ce moment de l’année.

- Les 20 années pendant lesquelles il est venu en Arctique et à l’est du Groenland, le Dr. Olivier Gild, le chef scientifique de l’expédition Sagax REVO, a noté que l’endroit le plus haut où il a rencontré de la banquise en septembre se trouvait au sud de Ittoqqortoormit (Scoresby Sund) alors que maintenant c’est au nord. C’est un signe clair de réchauffement climatique.

- Après avoir analysé 20 années de photos satellites, Adrian, chef d’une exploration minière à la mine de Citron Fjord au nord du Groenland remarqua que la glace dans le fjord fondait de plus en plus tôt chaque année (i.e., moins de glace dans le fjord à la même date chaque année)

- Une Groenlandaise (habitant à Nuuk) où nous sommes restés quelques jours, dit qu’elle sent des signes du réchauffement climatique par rapport aux années précédentes. Avant ils avaient beaucoup de neige à Nuuk, maintenant il y en à moins.

- En parlant avec un autre groupe de naturalistes sur l’île de Trail (NE Groenland), ils nous ont dit qu’ils n’avaient pas encore vu de lemmings ou de labbes cette année.
Ils supposent c’est en raison du réchauffement climatique que d’autres espèces ont été aperçues, il y aurait donc un changement dans l’écosystème.

Carbon Neutral -- Word of the Year!

The New Oxford American Dictionary’s Word of the Year for 2006 is Carbon Neutral... Lots of talk but is it the/a solution? Here it is from, Michael Sandel, Harvard's political philosopher: “Carbon offsets will become, at least for some, a painless mechanism to buy our way out of the more fundamental changes in habits, attitudes and way of life that are actually required to address the climate problem.'' ''If someone drives a Hummer and buys carbon offsets to salve his conscience, that is better than driving the Hummer and doing nothing, but it would be even better to trade in the Hummer for a hybrid. The risk is that carbon offsets will make Hummers seem respectable rather than irresponsible, and distract us, as a nation, from harder, bigger changes in our energy policy.''

From the Arctic to the hectic... - De l’Arctique à l’agitation...

I am now back to New York - left Greenland on July 18th, via Constable Pynt, Akureyri and Reykjavik. The last scenes from gorgeous glaciers (receding or not, time will tell...), seen from the Twin Otter.
We will publish a summary of the expedition and a selection of photos in the next few days, stay tuned! – – Luc


Je suis de retour à New York – j’ai quitté le Groenland le 18 juillet, via Constable Pynt, Akureyri et Reykjavik. Les dernières images splendides de glaciers prises depuis le Twin Otter.
Nous publierons un résumé de l’expédition et une selection de photos dans les jours à venir! – Luc

Carbon neutral?

Here are interesting site you can visit to calculate your household's annual carbon footprint -- many other ideas too:
www.carbonconcierge.com
For your flights, you can use (courtesy of KDS): the Carbon Neutral company


Il y a ici des sites intéressants que vous pouvez visiter pour calculer l’emprunte carbone de votre maison — beaucoup d’autres idées sur : www.carbonconcierge.com
Pour vos vols, vous pouvez utiliser (grâce à KDS): the Carbon Neutral company