Lessons from the Arctic

As the Team finishes up and prepares to leave Churchill behind, I can’t help but consider the tremendous impact and the life lessons this experience has had upon me. First, I find myself filled with a deep sense of gratitude. I’m grateful to my students and administration back at Larking for boldly following my lead to step into this together, to HSBC for making this experience possible and accessible to the whole Larkin community, to the wonderful and talented individuals of the Team who completed this mission, to Dr. Peter Kershaw for his fine leadership of the project, for the total support of my loving wife and family, and most of all, for the enduring grace of a magnificent God who created and sustains this incredible world in which we live. Call it creation care or call it environmental stewardship, my personal investment of time and toil in this project has given me new ‘skin in the game’ on the frontlines of caring for our planet.

Second, I am convinced that it is not too late to take action in making a difference for global sustainability of fragile or at-risk ecosystems like the arctic tundra in Churchill. They are our first line of indicators in global climate change. Now is the time to develop increasingly more innovative ways to think globally, act locally, and produce scientifically those tests, results, and conclusions that will help us make best use of our natural resources. I believe that we should remain open and determined to pursuing alternative means of renewable and sustainable energy sources like biofuels. My fellow expedition members from the Shell Corporation assure me that is not at all an unreasonable ask, only an expensive one at present.

Third, I leave with a definitive answer to one of my most pressing questions: Do individual choices really matter in global climate conditions? The answer is a resounding yes. Be it progress or predicament, either ecology is a reflection of the totality of our choices. So what can we do in response to a changing climate? Only the practical solutions will be the sustainable solutions. Perhaps an instructive benchmark will be to assess our own carbon footprint.

Your “carbon footprint” is a fancy name for measuring how much carbon dioxide you produce and release into the atmosphere through your activities of daily life. Whether you believe carbon dioxide is the cause of global warming or not, in excess it is harmful to the environment, so reducing your carbon footprint is still a great idea.

To estimate your carbon footprint, use the following tool from the Nature Conservancy:
http://www.nature.org/initiatives/climatechange/calculator/

This will provide a final bar chart comparison of your CO2 emissions with both the US average and the World average. There are also two pie charts breaking down both your emissions and the average US emissions based on home energy use, food & diet choices, driving & flying activities, and recycling.

For starters, I would like to share several ideas for reducing your carbon footprint through simple, everyday changes. Most are small changes which you probably won't even notice, but if everyone in the US were to adopt just a few good habits, the impact would be enormous.

Here are the Top 5 Strategies for Reducing Your Carbon Footprint:
1. Turn Down - reduce carbon emissions simply by turning down your household appliances; decrease the heat of your home by just 2°F in the winter or adjust the A/C up 2°F in the summer and save up to 1800 lbs of CO2 per household and year. Insulate your home well and save over 1375 lbs of CO2 per household per year.
2. Switch Off - When you aren't using an appliance, you switch it off right? Actually no, even when your televisions, DVD players and stereos are on standby they are still consuming phantom energy and producing carbon emissions. Switch off five 60 W lights in hallways and rooms of your house when not in use and save 595 lbs of CO2 per year.
3. Recycle - Everyone knows that recycling is good for the environment, and with growing emphasis, it is becoming easier for everyone to recycle. But minimizing your carbon footprint isn't just thinking about how you recycle, it's also about pre-cycling, thinking about packaging and other non-recyclable products before you buy. When you recycle 2 lbs of aluminum cans you save 20 lbs of CO2, or use a reusable bag each time you go shopping you save 15 lbs of CO2 per year.
4. Replace - Think about the impact your transportation has on the environment. Did you know for instance that a round trip flight from Chicago to Washington D.C. (or a similar distance) requires 595 lbs of CO2 per person? Not that I’m suggesting you walk that trip, but you might want to think about some of the more everyday suggestions. Make sure you have correct tire pressure and save about 315 lbs of CO2 per year. Replace your short car rides with biking across town and avoid about 525 lbs of CO2 per year.
5. Rethink - Consider composting food scraps and yard trimmings to save 50+ lbs of CO2 per year. You will save 100 pounds of CO2 for each incandescent bulb that you replace with a compact fluorescent, over the life of the bulb. A growing number of utilities generate electricity from renewable energy sources with solar panels, windmills and other technologies. If your utility offers renewable energy, buy it. If not, send them a message asking for clean energy. Maybe you could even plant native trees. Trees absorb carbon dioxide from the air and use it as their energy source, producing oxygen for us to breathe. A tree in the temperate zone found between the tropics and the polar circles can remove and store 700 to 7,000 lbs of CO2 over its lifetime. A tree that shades a house can reduce the energy required to run the air conditioner and save an additional 200 to 2,000 lbs of CO2 over its lifetime.

According to an ancient Native American Proverb, “We don’t inherit the earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our children.” Kershaw emphasized repeatedly to our Team throughout the Expedition, it is the “individuals” that will make the greatest difference in this world - each person matters. Our individual choices to conserve matter. Our individual actions have an immediate impact and an extended influence to a watching and wondering world. In order to cause a ripple effect of sustainable global solutions…we must learn to be, the change we expect to see.

To my students and other faithful readers, it has been a pleasure to share my Earthwatch experience with you. Here’s one closing thought: take the first step and calculate your own carbon footprint, then take the next step of becoming an environmental steward. Who knows, your own journey may even take you to Churchill and beyond...

Reflections on Inukshuk

Walking through the town of Churchill, I was inquisitively intrigued and mysteriously drawn to several large stone structures located throughout various parts of town. They’re a unique symbol that represents a traditional stone sculptures built by Canada’s Inuit people of Nunavut. In fact, its meaning and practice are so endemic to Canada that, it has been adopted as the official symbol of the upcoming Winter Olympics to be held in Vancouver, British Columbia. Ilanaaq, the mascot logo of the 2010 Winter Olympics, stands atop Whistler Mountain.

Inukshuk (singular), meaning "likeness of a person" in the Inuktitut language is a stone figure made by the Inuit. The plural word is inuksuit. The Inuit build inuksuit of different forms for different purposes: to give direction to travelers, to provide shelter from the wind, or to offer a place for hunters to ambush caribou. Similar stone figures have been built throughout the world since ancient times, but the Arctic is one of the few places where they still stand today. An inukshuk can be small or large, a single rock or several rocks balanced on each other, round boulders or flat stones.

Anyone gazing upon an inukshuk can tell immediately that it was designed by a designer, not by random natural process. And so it is with the world in which we live. Similarly, perhaps the inukshuks of Churchill remind us all that, as we wander through a life of difficult circumstances, our individual journeys are important enough to be marked. Each person bears as a human birthright all the freedom to succeed or fail as stewards of all we’ve been given in this life.



Here's a challenging thought for reflection: Inukshuk in the form of human beings, called “inunnguaq,” seem to have been a recent development, perhaps only appearing after the arrival of European whalers in the 19th century. Thus change in culture has led to a shift in design. As we face a changing world with respect to global communications, customs, and even concerns, what tradition(s) do you see changing? How can your thoughts be represented symbolically?

Use this Flash link below to create your own virtual Inukshuk!
http://www.canadianencyclopedia.ca/images/inukshuk/game.html

What do you want your inukshuk to tell the world about you?

Celestial Enchantment

Maybe it was the noise, the sudden sound of voices, or perhaps the footsteps running down the hallway, but last night I was abruptly awoken by a commotion of excitement. Next thing I knew, I was swept into a current of bodies with my teammates as we rushed to the back of the Centre and threw the doors open wide (We are ever vigilant of polar bear safety mind you). I was immediately captivated and spellbound to view the luminous northern lights as they flooded the evening sky in a brilliant cascade of color. I stood there in absolute awe. Previously I have only heard, but now I have seen this glorious display in the heavens with my very own eyes. Phenomenal! Here’s a small sample of what we saw, keep in mind that a camera could not possibly capture the magnitude or the beauty of such an event.

The aurora borealis is also called the northern polar lights. It is only visible in the sky from the Northern Hemisphere with the chance of visibility increasing the closer you get to the North Magnetic Pole (currently located in the arctic islands of northern Canada). Auroras seen near the magnetic pole appear directly overhead, but from further away, they illuminate the northern horizon often as a greenish glow or sometimes as a mixture of purple, red, orange, or yellow. The aurora borealis most often occurs from September to October and from March to April. The native Cree people of the arctic call this phenomenon the "Dance of the Spirits." While auroras can be seen throughout the world, they are most visible closer to the poles because of longer periods of darkness and the magnetic field.

Here’s your questions for today: The phenomenon of aurora is an interaction between the Earth's magnetic field and solar wind. What causes the aurora borealis (northern lights)? What makes the colors of an aurora? How are auroras predicted?

To the Core

We have spent the entire week refining our skills at various tundra study sites by digging random soil pits to collect samples at various depths, depending upon the organic layer thickness. Adjacent to each pit, we measured out a 1.5m x 1.5m survey quadrat and inspected the characteristics of all seedlings or saplings present. We have dutifully collected our data sets, both in the field and in the lab. However, today we discovered the Team would take its climate change studies to a much deeper level.

We investigated a pair of study sights called the polygonal peat plateau aggrading (PPA) and the polygonal peat plateau degrading (PPD). Aggrading means the permafrost is either stable or accumulating annually, degrading means that the permafrost layer is diminishing. Polygonal peat plateaus [see photo above] are perennially frozen bogs that rise approximate lm or more above the surrounding fen. The surface of the plateau is relatively flat and is scored by a polygonal pattern of trenches that developed from repetitive ice wedges.

Our task was to comparatively measure the thaw depth on one PPA and one PPD peat plateau using the permafrost coring probe method. As we plunged our coring tool several meters into the plateau, we not only discovered frozen little “cookies” of soil, but just how unbelievably foul they smell.

In addition, soil pits were also dug in the centers of surrounding plateaus. Polygon centers are thought to be the least active area and hence should contain the oldest most chemically developed soil. One of our goals is to determine the chemical relationship between the active layer soil and ice-cemented sediments. The active layer is a surface layer of earth materials above the permafrost layer that thaws and refreezes on an annual basis. Remember that permafrost can be either rock or soil that remains below 0°C for at least two years. Entombed in that freezer is carbon, plant and animal matter accumulated through millennia. Permafrost thickness is related to the air temperature and soil characteristics. Surface conditions including vegetation, organic cover and snow thickness can also influence permafrost temperatures.

Overall we are interested in describing the carbon dynamics of the peatlands in this area. As the soil thaws, ancient deposits decompose, attacked by microbes, producing carbon dioxide and, if in water, methane. Both are greenhouse gases, but methane is many times more powerful in warming the atmosphere. Methane also is present in another form, as hydrates, ice-like formations deep underground and under the seabed in which methane molecules are trapped within crystals of frozen water. If warmed, the methane will also escape.

Recent loss of permafrost has caused peatlands to subside into the much wetter surrounding wetland, with changes in vegetation and greenhouse gas emissions as a result. Keep in mind that once permafrost is lost, it is not likely to come back in the foreseeable future. Climate researchers like Dr. Peter Kershaw calculate that the top 10 feet of permafrost alone contain more carbon than is currently in the atmosphere. "It's safe to say the surface permafrost, 3 to 5 meters, is at risk of thawing in the next 100 years," says Kershaw. Aside from possible effects on the global carbon cycle, this also means that if the frozen peatlands of Churchill disappear, along with them species of plants and birds of this habitat will also be in jeopardy.

How’s this for an application question of what was just discussed: As the permafrost layer continues to thaw, what organic substance might you expect to find in higher quantities in the soil of the active layer? What evidence do you have to support your answer?

Bears, Belugas & Beyond

Imagine yourself having a job where you get up in the morning, buckle into the pilot’s seat of your helicopter and fly over the arctic terrain looking for polar bears? When you find one you shoot them with a sleeping dart, land your chopper, tag them, weigh them, attach a GPS satellite tracking collar on them, and then go and look for another? That is what Dr. Nick Lunn is doing daily at the CNSC while we are here. During breakfast, he told us that yesterday he tagged 10 bears. Meanwhile, back at the University of Alberta, graduate students gather and track the data on the location of the bears about every 4 days. They are studying their migratory paths and the timing of when they venture out onto the ice in Hudson Bay for their winter hunting.

Polar bears roam the ice of Hudson Bay hunting seals. When the ice melts in July, the bears come ashore. They remain on land until the bay freezes over in late November. While on land the bears eat little and are quite inactive. As autumn approaches, they begin to move northward along the coast and congregate where the first winter ice forms. This annual movement brings many bears into the town of Churchill each year. Polar bears are dependent upon the sea ice for hunting, breeding, and in some cases access to denning. Dr. Lunn believes that the main threat to polar bears today is the loss of their icy habitat due to climate change. The summer ice loss in the Arctic is now equal to an area the size of Alaska, Texas, and whole the state of Washington combined.

Today, it was our turn to go searching for polar bears! On our day off, the Team took a tour with a local naturalist and guide, Paul Raston, owner of Nature First guided tours. Our plan was to follow the Hudson Bay coastline westward through Polar Bear Alley, all the way to the mouth of the Churchill River at Cape St. Mary’s. Along the way, we spotted bald eagles, peregrine falcons, and arctic foxes, along with Canadian Eskimo dogs, Canadian geese, snow geese, and sandhill cranes. And…



Yes, we saw polar bears! In fact, we saw four: one just walking casually across the tundra, two lying, and one standing on the rocks near the coastline of Hudson Bay. Paul told us that the one lying closest to us could reach us in a full-out sprint in 5 seconds or less, so we chose to stick very close our armed guide and not venture any closer. He also told us to keep in mind that females weigh 300 to 600 pounds while males are noticeably larger, and weigh between 700 to 1,500 pounds. Polar bears are insulated by a 4 inch thick layer of fat. Two layers of fur shield their dark skin from the wind. This allows the bear to maintain a healthy body temperature when the air temperature drops as low as -30°F. Churchill, Manitoba is considered to be the “Polar Bear Capital of the World” because you can view polar bears close up out on the tundra like nowhere else. It has an active annual population of approximately 900-1000 polar bears.



As we traveled along the coastline, we were constantly noticing numerous white shapes appearing and disappearing as if something large was rolling through the water. Every once in a while you could catch glimpse of a tail, and blowhole, or a head. It wasn’t until we arrived at Cape St. Mary’s that we could have our best look at the many beluga whales swimming along shore. We found the beluga whale to be a small, toothed whale that is white as an adult. Their body is stout and has a small, blunt head with a small beak, tiny eyes, thick layers of blubber, and a rounded melon. They only have one blowhole. Beluga means "white one" in Russian. Its genus, Delphinapterus, means "whale without fins", and the species, leucas, means white. Coincidentally, the beluga can also be called a white whale, a white porpoise, a sea canary (because they sing!), and the squid hound (based on what they eat).

We also had just enough time to make a thorough visit of two local centers of culture: the Eskimo Museum and the Parks Canada Historical Exhibit at the Train Depot in Churchill. Both were well worth the visit, each providing rich insights into the heritage, customs, and events that shaped the lives of the indigenous and immigrant people of Churchill. This nearly perfect day ended with conversation and laughter among new friends over the course of a grilled arctic char dinner.



Rather than pose a question today, I’d rather give you a similar activity like I had on my day off today – to go exploring. Check out the following links for further information on two of the biggest reasons why so many ecotourists visit Churchill every year:

Polar bear conservation through research and education:
http://www.polarbearsinternational.org/

Also don’t miss Bjorn the polar bear and What if it all means something?
http://polarbearsinternational.org/photo-and-video-gallery/music-videos/

SeaWorld Presents Beluga Whales Conservation & Research:
http://www.seaworld.org/animal-info/info-books/beluga/conservation.htm

Northwest Wildlife Preservation Society Passions for Wildlife Report on the Beluga Whale:
http://www.northwestwildlife.com/articles/the_beluga_whale.pdf

Enjoy your exploration! Share your discoveries with your friends and family. Remember, we only protect what we care about, but we cannot love what we don’t understand.

Back at the Lab

There is little doubt among scientists that, of the many wonders of doing science, fieldwork would definitely be its most glamorous side. This is especially true when working in the field in Churchill, Manitoba in mid-September. Check out this short video to share in some of that excitement:

When I first learned that I would be headed to the Arctic on this special assignment, I never suspected I would learn to treasure my bug net more than my thermal underwear!

As important as the fieldwork is to the science process, the field component would be utterly incomplete without the necessary follow-up work in the lab. Labwork is the handmaiden of the field. Our Team is operating under that very same assumption here this week. We have designated tasks divided up between separate field teams and lab teams. In addition, we have extra duties like data collection, photo archiving, equipment management, and kitchen duty just to make sure all the bases are covered.

Our primary objectives this week are to gather soil pit and permafrost core samples to determine their organic carbon content, and to survey tree seedling growth and distribution data to measure the advancement or decline of treeline along the edge of the tundra. While our seedling surveying is exclusively done in the field, our soil and permafrost sampling requires extensive work back at the lab. As a Team, we spend many hours:
-sorting samples by labels
-determining soil color using Munsell Soil Charts
-measuring soil conductivity to determine ion concentration
-measuring soil pH to determine acidity or alkalinity
-massing wet soil samples
-baking wet samples in a drying oven at 105°C for 12 hours
-massing dry soil samples to calculate moisture loss
-burning dry soil samples in a muffle oven at 550°C for 3 hours
-massing burnt soil ashes all to finally calculate organic carbon composition through loss on ignition

These detailed profiles of seedling vigor and soil composition will ultimately be added to the existing bank of data collected in previous years of these long-term investigations. Periodically, the results are published in scientific journals or presented as papers at conferences. Eventually, this data either becomes available in textbook form or available as research data for textbooks.

Since I’ve already asked you some tough questions this week, I have decided to ask you a few easier ones (perhaps I’m either bug delirious or just happy tomorrow is our first day off since Saturday): Why do you think it is important to have a definite purpose when collecting and analyzing data? What might happen if you don’t have one? How do you think communication and teamwork play a role in successful laboratory practices? What should be done when you discover that an error in procedure has occurred?

I want to send out a special thanks to all the students, faculty, administration, and staff who made Larkin history by making our first-time ever Skype video-conference from the edge of the Arctic a great success! Your questions were well prepared and challenging, I can only hope that my answers were equally thought provoking. I also want to thank HSBC, whose sponsorship through their Earthwatch Climate Partnership made this opportunity for Larkin students possible.

Digging for Answers

Our search for the effects of climate change has now shifted our gaze below ground. Today the Team braved the elements of wind and rain, humidity and black flies to begin digging soil samples from various tundra study sites. Our analysis of local soil composition is part of a long-term investigation to determine the overall extent of the region’s soil carbon sink. Scientists believe that the carbon sink acts as a storage bank for an abundance of greenhouse gases. By far, the most significant source of organic carbon is permafrost. Permafrost, or permanently frozen ground, is soil, sediment, or rock that remains at or below 0°C for at least two years. Later this week, we will be coring the local permafrost for measurements of depth and content.



The morning collection site was a place called the Fen, a low-lying wetland area of slightly alkaline peat covered with sedges and other aquatic plants spread across hilly hummocks and muddy shallows. In the afternoon, we gathered samples at the Tree Island site, a small cluster of spruce trees perched atop a beach ridge formation that runs parallel to the Hudson Bay coast. In each case, our three teams gathered approximately 54 soil samples of three different depths. We collected soil from 0-10 cm, 10-20 cm, and 20-30 cm below the surface. After logging photos, pit measurements, and GPS coordinates, we returned each labeled bag to the lab to determine its wet mass before placing them in drying ovens. Once our soil samples are dry, we will test them for moisture levels and carbon composition.

Since we went digging today, I have a couple questions for you to uncover: Where do you think organic carbon is stored in nature? Why is permafrost a such a significant factor in the stability of global climate conditions? Need a hint?
Check out http://nsidc.org/sotc/permafrost.html and
http://nsidc.org/cgi-bin/words/topic.pl?frozen%20ground%20or%20permafrost.
In other words, dig deeper!