Two Canadian Speeches from the Throne (2007, 2010) form the centrepiece of this brief analysis of Stephen Harper and his government's approach towards the Arctic. In essence, it is argued that a form of actionism prevails; a preference for being seen to be taking action in the face of apparent uncertainly regarding the Arctic and the activities of other stakeholders. Unpinned by what Michael Billig termed ‘habit of language’, this note considers how Prime Minister Harper mobilises domestic political support for this proposals. However, it is a risky strategy. As the 2010 meeting of the five Arctic Ocean coastal states revealed, other stakeholders such as the United States in the form of Secretary of State Hillary Clinton publicly rebuked Canada for attempting to limit participation in talks about the future of the Arctic.

Early explorers to Antarctica built wooden huts and brought huge quantities of supplies and equipment to support their geographical and scientific studies for several years. When the expeditions ended and relief ships arrived, a rapid exodus frequently allowed only essential items to be taken north. The huts and thousands of items were left behind. Fuel depots with unused containers of petroleum products, asbestos materials, and diverse chemicals were also left at the huts. This investigation found high concentrations of polyaromatic hydrocarbons in soils under and around the historic fuel depots, including anthracene, benzo[b]fluoranthene, benzo[k]fluoranthene, chrysene, fluorene, and pyrene, as well as benzo[a]anthracene, benzo[a]pyrene, and fluoranthene, which are recognized carcinogens. Asbestos materials within the huts have been identified and extensive amounts of fragmented asbestos were found littering the ground around the Cape Evans hut. These materials are continually abraded and fragmented as tourists walk over them and the coarse scoria breaks and grinds down the materials. A chemical spill, within the Cape Evans hut, apparently from caustic substances from one of the scientific experiments, has caused an unusual deterioration and defibration on affected woods. Although these areas are important historic sites protected by international treaties, the hazardous waste materials left by the early explorers should be removed and remedial action taken to restore the site to as pristine a condition as possible. Recommendations are discussed for international efforts to study and clean up these areas, where the earliest environmental pollution in Antarctica was produced.

Located on the northwest coast of Heard Island, a World Heritage-listed sub-Antarctic territory of Australia, Atlas Cove served as the site of the first permanently occupied Australian National Antarctic Research Expedition (ANARE) station (1947–55). Subsequent to its closure, Atlas Cove Station was abandoned and left largely to the mercy of the natural elements, although it has been visited and occupied on an infrequent basis by ANARE. All activities on the island are now subject to the provisions of the Heard Island Wilderness Reserve Management Plan. During 2000–2001 a major clean-up of the site was undertaken, with most of the remaining structures demolished and material collected for return to Australia and disposal. To assess the extent and intensity of contamination within the station area, soil and water samples were collected and analysed for petroleum hydrocarbons and heavy metals. Assessment of site contamination was made with reference to specific background control limits calculated for Atlas Cove Station, and comparison was also made with Australian and New Zealand guidelines for the protection of aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems. Contamination by heavy metals is evident throughout the station but not at levels of sufficient magnitude to infer a significant potential toxic impact on local ecosystems. Hence remedial action to reduce the concentration and mobility of heavy metals in soil and water is not a high priority, although monitoring of changes at the site through time is recommended. Contamination by petroleum hydrocarbons is at a level that may cause a significant toxic impact on the environment and requires further investigation to assess impacts and possibly to undertake remedial action. Given the large quantity of petroleum-contaminated soil present, remediation processes that can be carried out in situ are likely to be the preferable clean-up options. The benefits of remediation, however, must be balanced against any negative effect this might exert on the plant and animal wildlife that have recolonised this historically important site.

Discussions about the management of non-governmental activities in Antarctica have been handicapped by a lack of clarity in terminology. The term ‘tourism,’ for example, is used in a catch-all manner to describe activities as widely divergent and incommensurable as overflights by commercial jetliners and solo ski traverses of the ice cap. Recent debate about stricter regulation of independent expeditions has been similarly confused. This paper examines these definitional hurdles and offers a broad categorization of activities in Antarctica. An overview of recent independent expeditions is then given and issues are discussed. It is suggested that, to date, the terms of the debate have been set by the most powerful vested interests in Antarctica and that the discussion itself has been polarized. The paper does not prescribe policy but indicates alternative points of view and argues that the strict regulatory approach increasingly favoured by some national programs is out of all proportion to the size of potential problems and could diminish traditions of cooperation, non-proprietorship, and the adventurous spirit, which have uniquely characterized human endeavour in Antarctica.

With the International Polar Year (IPY) having commenced in March 2007, key issues relating to the polar regions are again in focus. This article reviews one central legal issue re-emerging in the Arctic: global regulation of safety standards for international shipping. The ‘Guidelines for ships operating in Arctic ice-covered waters’ are examined, with a view to the probable expansion of shipping in the Arctic in near future. Following an introduction to navigational issues within the Arctic context, the article describes how the guidelines came into being, and then analyses key elements and structure of the regulations and shortfalls of today's arrangements. The possible relevance of the guidelines to the Antarctic is also discussed briefly. Finally, the article inquires into the key repercussions of introducing binding regulations.

Marine plastic pollution is increasing prominence in current discussions on the governance of the world’s oceans. The Southern Ocean is geographically remote but is still significantly impacted by plastic pollution. Plastic pollution in the Southern Ocean can derive from a variety of sources, including waste from research stations and fishing operations within the Treaty Area and, through transport by ocean currents and wind-generated water movements, from outside the Treaty Area. While there is a growing academic literature on marine plastic pollution in Antarctic, there is less attention to date on the response of the Antarctic Treaty System (ATS) to this issue. This paper analyses how the ATS has engaged with the issue of plastic waste in general, and marine plastic pollution more particularly, from the entry into force of the Protocol on Environmental Protection to the Antarctic Treaty in 1998–2019. Our results indicate that from 2017 the ATS has shown increased attention towards addressing locally sourced marine plastic pollution. A significant problem, however, remains with the respect to marine plastic pollution originating from outside Antarctic Treaty Area that requires a governance response from outside the ATS.

Eight species of vascular plants were previously known from subantarctic Heard Island. Three additional species, Montia fontana, Ranunculus biternatus and Poa annua, were discovered during the 1986 austral summer. Details of their habitat and known distribution on the island, and their possible means of arrival, are discussed.

A study was made of methanol-extractable UV-B-absorbing pigments under enhanced UV-B treatment. UV-B-absorbing pigments in two common ectohydric mosses showed seasonal variation during the summer months. Pigment contents were highest in June, decreased in July, and thereafter remained unchanged until September. In Hylocomium splendens, a significant increase of pigments was observed at the end of the experiment. The intracellular localization of caffeine-stabilized flavonoids was manifested as dark electron-dense deposits in the cell walls and intracellular dark deposits in the cell plasma. The dark deposits in the cell walls of Pleurozium schreberi were located either in the outer part of the cell wall or in the middle lamellae of the wall structures. Hylocomium splendens had a stratified cell-wall structure, in which three dark electron-dense cell layers could be identified. Intracellular deposits were located in different parts of the cell, but electron-dense deposits were observed at the cell margins and in the proximity of the nucleus. Although certain cell ultrastructural disturbances (for example, lipid accumulation, chloroplast disintegration) in moss leaf cells were observed, the short-term UV-B treatment did not increase the intensity of the dark deposits.

Low temperatures severely limit the rate of bioremediation in cold climates. The goal of this study was to investigate the effect of temperature on bioremediation rates and to optimize the nutrient supply in order to accelerate bioremediation. Samples of diesel-contaminated soil from two Alaskan sites were incubated in the laboratory at different temperatures (1, 6, or 20°C) with varying nutrient levels (0, 100, 300, or 800 mg nitrogen per kg dry soil). As expected, biodegradation was fastest at higher temperatures. However, after approximately two months of treatment, the cumulative amount of CO2 produced at a temperature of 6°C could reach 75% of the amount produced at 20°C. Based on this data, researchers concluded that a temperature of 6°C was sufficient to achieve efficient treatment if all other potentially limiting factors — such as oxygen, water content, and nutrient supply — were addressed. A cost-effective process based on passive solar soil heating is proposed to raise the soil temperature and thereby improve the bioremediation rate. Furthermore, in field applications, an even distribution of nutrients cannot be taken for granted, especially when granulized fertilizer is applied; this method often results in suboptimal local concentrations (too high or too low). Particularly in cold climates with a short growth season, it is important to utilize this short time-window efficiently. The second part of the study explored improving the method of fertilizer application (granular versus liquid application, with and without irrigation) to achieve a homogeneous nutrient distribution. It was found that irrigation can substantially improve the distribution of nitrogen, thereby increasing bioremediation rates and shortening treatment times by as much as 50%.

On the Belgica expedition (1897–1899), Dr F.A. Cook described a disease that he called ‘polar anaemia’ and on this expedition it affected most of the expedition members and caused one death. The symptoms were shortness of breath, abnormalities of the pulse and oedema (swelling of the legs) and the disease was clearly cardiac failure. During the heroic age of Antarctic exploration a similar disease affected at least eight other expeditions causing five other deaths. This disease was very similar (and probably identical) to a disease affecting (mostly) Scandinavian seamen and called ‘ship beri-beri’. Both diseases were almost certainly what is now called wet beri-beri due to thiamine (vitamin B1) deficiency though most sufferers were probably also vitamin C deficient and some may have had both beri-beri and scurvy. It may have been exacerbated by invalid diets. This paper describes the disease and how it was considered and treated at the time.

The Arctic Data Buoy Program described in this article is designed to provide certain fundamental data from an inaccessible region, using automatic devices rather than costly manned stations. The first effort in that direction was the Soviet Drifting Automatic Radiometeorological Stations (DARMS) programme of the 1950s and 1960s (Olenicoff, 1968). These buoys reflected the then state of technology which involved the use of heavy storage batteries and a method of location by high frequency (HF) radio wave triangulation (Figs 1,2; Table 1). Restrictions of that system—high cost, weight, and limited range and accuracy of HF radio wave triangulation— apparently caused the Soviet Union to terminate the programme. At about the same time satellite navigation and data transmission technology, developed in the United States, created a new generation of data buoys. These buoys can accommodate a wide range of sensors, data compression and pre-processing devices and hull designs, for stationary use on land, as moored or drifting ocean data buoys, or on sea ice; they can be installed on land, in the ocean from ships, or by parachute drops from aircraft.

This study examines how climatic extremes during winter 2010–2011 affected the traditional food system in Iqaluit, Nunavut. This winter was anomalous throughout the Canadian Arctic, and manifested itself locally by warmer temperatures and decreased ice coverage. Drawing upon in-depth interviews with hunters (n = 25), a fixed question survey with public housing residents (n = 100), as well as analysis of remotely sensed sea-ice charts and temperature data from the Iqaluit weather station, this work identifies and characterises the extreme climatic conditions experienced, their subsequent effects on Iqaluit's traditional food system, and coping strategies used for dealing with food-related stresses. The results show increased environmental stress on the traditional food system compared to previous years. Freeze up occurred 59 days later than the average for the 1982–2010 period, while mean annual temperatures were 4.9ºC higher than the climatological mean, which negatively impacted hunters’ harvests and residents’ food supplies. Coping strategies alleviated some stresses, but adaptability was limited for financially insecure households reliant on income support. The study shows that when challenging socioeconomic conditions, such as those associated with public housing, are coupled with significant environmental stress, such as experienced during that winter, the vulnerability of the traditional food system is exacerbated. We suggest that winter 2010–2011 can be used as an analogue for exploring future food system vulnerabilities, with climate models projecting similar conditions in the coming decades.

Barton Peninsula is an ice-free area located in the southwest corner of King George Island (South Shetland Islands, Antarctica). Following the Last Glacial Maximum, several geomorphological features developed in newly exposed ice-free terrain and their distribution provide insights about past environmental evolution of the area. Three moraine systems are indicative of three main glacial phases within the long-term glacial retreat, which also favoured the development of numerous lakes. Five of these lakes were cored to understand in greater detail the pattern of deglaciation through the study of lacustrine records. Radiocarbon dates from basal lacustrine sediments enabled the reconstruction of the chronology of Holocene glacial retreat. Tephra layers present in lake sediments provided additional independent age constraints on environmental changes based on geochemical and geochronological correlation with Deception Island-derived tephra. Shrinking of the Collins Glacier exposed the southern coastal fringe of Barton Peninsula at 8 cal ky BP. After a period of relative stability during the mid-Holocene, the ice cap started retreating northwards after 3.7 cal ky BP, confining some glaciers within valleys as shown by moraine systems. Lake sediments confirm a period of relative glacial stability during the last 2.4 cal ky BP.

This article gives an overview of tourism on Svalbard. Tourism to this archipelago, which is under the jurisdiction of Norway, started more than 100 years ago. As a modern industry, however, the end of 1980s can be seen as the starting period. Since 1990, tourism development has been given priority by the Norwegian government, and there has been a significant increase both in commercial activities and in the number of tourists. Early and recent tourism developments are presented. In 1996 tourism accounted for almost 200 jobs, 48,000 commercial overnights, around 12,000 airborne tourists, and between 15,000 and 20,000 cruise-ship passengers. The article then describes the most frequent types of tourists, and discusses tourism's impact on the environment. So far, tourism has not produced many documented problems on biota and heritage. Tourism regulation on Svalbard is also described, showing a multitude of means and arrangements, including a proactive self-regulation by the tourism industry. The future challenges, particularly the questions connected to the limits of volume, are discussed. There is a broad understanding of the need of an active policy from the authorities to cope with these questions. The article concludes by referring to the increased emphasis on environmental questions in the Norwegian politics concerning Svalbard, which probably also indicates a willingness to intervene with tourism development.

During surveys conducted 2–20 April 1986 in Gerlache Strait, Antarctic Peninsula, 103 humpback whales Megaptera novaeangliae and eight right whales Eubalaena australis were sighted. The right whale sightings extend the southern limit of known distribution for the species. Humpback and right whale densities were respectively 0.22 (sd 0.23) and 0.01 (sd 0.06) whales per survey mile. Highest densities for both species were recorded inside bays, rather than in the relatively open water of Gerlache Strait. Both species were feeding on Antarctic krill Euphausia superba. Twenty-three humpback and four right whales were identified individually using photographs of natural features. Also included are sighting records of 18 southern bottlenose whales Hyperoodon planifrons.

During recent years there has been a steady increase in the total world fish catch (including shellfish) to a plateau, reached in the early 1970's, of around 70 million tonnes. Although much of the increase in the past decade has been due to the Anchoveta fishery, if that component is excluded the underlying trend is still upward (Gulland, 1976). This increasing pressure on the established fishery resources has meant that in recent years there has been a tendency for those nations with a distant water fishing capability to look further afield. Although much of this exploratory fishing has been in areas reasonably close to good harbour facilities, the recent trend by coastal states of establishing 200 nautical mile exclusive economic zones has meant that the Southern Ocean, an area of limited international control, has receiveda great deal of attention.

During April–May 1980 the Scott Polar Research Institute (SPRI) and Norsk Polarinstitutt (NPI) conducted a joint programme of radio echo sounding (RES) in Svalbard. The principal aims were to evaluate the performance of SPRI 60 MHz echo sounding equipment of Svalbard glaciers, to measure ice thickness over a wide range of conditions, and to investigate specific glaciers which are the focus of current glaciological studies.