News of the North

What steps will have to be taken to protect the polar bear if it is declared endangered? So far the Nunavut government has significantly reduced the size of this year’s hunt on strong reports that the bears are in deep trouble. By the end of the year the United States government must decide whether the bear will be considered endangered - meaning the government must take action to protect their environment, and the Arctic in the process.

Perhaps you have to be there to really appreciate the impact that climate change is having right now on the North. With stories and observations like this, it’s impossible to deny that something is happening - but easy to ignore it if we don’t actually live in the Arctic ourselves. If you can’t make the journey yourself, join the Arctic Voice Expedition and the Royal Geographic Society on a 3,000 mile trip by kayak and dogsled, and learn about their experiences.

The Canadian Conservative government is being sued for its failure to meet the Kyoto Protocol targets for greenhouse gas reduction.

“The government has not got discretion, in our opinion, on whether or not to meet Kyoto. They are required as per the terms of this act, cut, dried to the point,” Olivastri said.

While Harper tries to wriggle out of Canada’s current agreement, the UN is attempting to forge a new agreement that will replace the Kyoto treaty when it expires in 2012. This is proving to be difficult, with key countries like China refusing to participate and others unwilling to commit to major changes. Even now that the the former vice president of the United States has won the Nobel Peace Prize for his work on climate change awareness, the United States is holding steady to its current policies.

Here’s some ways that you can get political and make some real progress on climate change.