Ethics. Indeed not an easy issue to approach and when I laid my eyes on the title of this book with the subtitle Ethics in the Arctic I rejoiced. For ethics and morality have, at least to my knowledge, not been frequently covered in an Arctic context although it is a re-occurring yet somewhat implicit theme throughout academic and public Arctic discourse (see for example Sellheim Reference Sellheim2016). This book is thus the first step to touch upon Arctic ethics and is the result of a collaboration between the Svalbard Church, the Norwegian Polar Institute and the University Centre in Svalbard. In other words, this book first and foremost touches upon issues directly applicable in Svalbard while, for instance, ethical issues related to Arctic indigenous populations are only implicitly covered. But, let's not forget the primary title of the book: The ice is melting. As the editors point out in the Preface, the book thus contributes to the wider discourse on climate ethics and ‘the book's authors represent a range of professions within academia, management, the media, natural sciences, the church and museums’ (page 7). The outcome is a non-academic book that in 19 short chapters, the latter two thirds being presented under the heading Resources and economic activities in the Arctic, covers a wide range of issues relevant for an ethics-based discussion on Arctic change.
The scope of this review does not allow to cover all aspects raised in the book's chapters, so let's just focus on a few. For instance, one of the book's merit lies in its unique way of approaching the threats faced by ivory gulls resulting from climate change and pollution. While scientifically introduced by Kim Holmén in the first chapter, the second chapter by pastor Leif Magne Helgesen is written completely from the first-person perspective in which the ivory gull ‘tells its story,’ so to speak. This approach moves the fate of the ivory gull from an abstract environmental problem to a directly understandable sphere of environmental degradation. The effect is the same as in other contexts: the fates of individuals are more efficient in triggering public outcry than the mere presentation of abstract numbers.
The third and title chapter of the book, Ethics in the Arctic, by Lægdene and others outlines the reasons why ethics are or should be such a crucial part of engagement in and with the Arctic in the age of climatic changes. Indirectly the authors touch upon the expressive powers of legal regulations (see McAdams Reference McAdams2015) as a tool to trigger, and a reflection of, change in the ethical setting regarding the Arctic. The issues brought forth in the chapter are not necessarily new for the Arctic scholar, but are certainly an important contribution to the public, non-academic discourse to the ‘ethical Arctic’.
An interesting approach chosen by the editors is the inclusion of, for the lack of a better word, ‘interviews’ with five residents of Svalbard in the fifth chapter. The governor of Svalbard, a student, a PhD candidate, a Union representative and a representative of a logistics company are posed the same few questions, the answers to which reflecting common concerns as well as diverging opinions. Without further evaluation, this chapter provides important insight into the mindset of ordinary Arctic residents. Of course, no larger empirical conclusions can be drawn here in light of the small sample of the population, but this could serve as a starting point for future research. The ‘interviews’ with Arctic residents stand representative for the rather personal chapters that make this book an interesting and moving read before it delves into the slightly more ‘neutral,’ and somewhat more science-based section on Resources and economic activities in the Arctic.
And indeed, the trained Arctic scholar will find much information that has been part of the academic Arctic discourse for quite some time: Arctic shipping, fishing, carbon capture and storage, and hydrocarbon exploitation. Yet, it is especially Sander's chapter on Ethical considerations related to new economic activities in the Arctic which approaches available information from a more normative angle. He thus considers the Arctic's value, leading to a brief discussion on anthropocentric, utilitarian versus biocentric, intrinsic approaches. Needless to say that given these adverse value systems it is difficult to build bridges between adversaries. Unfortunately the author does not engage in a discussion on how to build different kinds of bridges. This would be particularly relevant in the context of marine mammal hunts (see Fitzmaurice Reference Fitzmaurice2015). Sander also considers the ‘whos’ on Arctic economic development: who should the Arctic be exploited for? Who should have a say in its exploitation? Sander concludes that in light of the different interests in the Arctic, ‘[i]t should be a requirement that several alternative development strategies are presented’ (page 137). Once again, it would have been beneficial to include the ‘hows’ as well.
Particularly intriguing was Bothmer's and Westengen's chapter The frozen ark dealing with the Svalbard Seed Vault, that I know surprisingly little about, but which recently gained considerable media attention once again since the first seeds needed to be withdrawn due to the Syrian civil war (Doyle Reference Doyle2015). The authors present an insightful overview of the practices and politics involved in establishing the Vault as well as in plant breeding itself. After having read the chapter, I can with confidence claim to have learnt a great deal on the issue, providing me with arguments for lively discussions. And here lies the book's overall merit: it is designed and presented in a way which make complex issues in the Arctic fairly easily understandable and is geared to be read by a wider public. I would even go so far as to claim that this is not a book for scholars, but rather a book for practitioners and lay persons interested in Arctic matters. Of course, especially the ethical dimension of the book is equally relevant for scholars. Yet, The ice is melting is not a book presenting new information per se, but a book to raise consciousness for the ongoing changes in the north – in the interest for the environment as well as the people of the Arctic and the world.
Generally, therefore, The ice is melting should be part of any class that provides introductory information on the Arctic. It furthermore serves as a great present for the Arctic-interested relative or as preparatory literature for a trip up north. This book is personal on many levels and should result in individual perception changes through knowledge acquisition. The editors have without a doubt succeeded in creating an important outreach tool addressing Arctic change.
