Stories from a changing Arctic
Will Rose and Kajsa Sjölander have started a long term project based on the 70th Parallel north, documenting all aspects of a changing Arctic. 70° is an independent multimedia-project created by Will Rose and Kajsa Sjölander. In 2009 they worked extensively on permafrost and methane in Russia's Yamal peninsula and in 2010 covered Cairn energy's exploratory drilling in Baffin Bay for Greenpeace. Collecting geoimage location data Rose+Sjölander noticed an immediate correlation between the two stories; both being on the 70th parallel. 70° is the vehicle, a journey through the stories and contemporary issues of the Arctic, a point where mankind and the Arctic meet. The 70th parallel north cuts through the Arctic Ocean, parts of Canada, Russia, Greenland, United States and North Scandinavia. All home to some of the most stunning wildlife and pristine scenery, but all jostling for control over Arctic resources.
70°
Project overview featuring pictures from 70° in Russia, Greenland and The United States.
70° Wildlife and landscapes. Alaska, U.S. Mixed locations.
Wildlife and landscape best of from northern Alaska. All the images have been taking around 70° latitude.
Drilling in iceberg alley. Baffin Bay, Greenland. 70.26, -59.55
Invited by the Government of Greenland, Cairn and a number of other international oil companies were granted licences to explore for oil and gas offshore Greenland. In 2012 the Greenpeace ship Esperanza followed Cairn's activities in Baffin bay. The Danish government sent two naval warships to the area to monitor the presence of the NGO and protect the interests of the oil company.
Whaling in the shadow of oil. Alaska, U.S. 71.346, -156.614
Shell's plans to drill offshore in the Alaskan Arctic has divided the native communities of the North Slope Borough. The tense run off battle in the Borough elections reflected a community that is torn by the proposed offshore development in the Chukchi and Beaufort seas. Alaska's Arctic people now stand at a crossroads between continued benefits from industry generated revenues and protecting the marine environment they have depended on for thousands of years
A changing landscape. Yamal Peninsula, Russia. 70.02, 68.5
The nomadic Nenets tribes of the Yamal Peninsula have retained their traditional culture and simple way of life for over a thousand years. Surviving Stalinist Russia and the interests of the gas drilling company Gazprom they now face a new threat, climate change. The permafrost landscape they have survived on is now beginning to dramatically thaw. Colour version.
The Nenets. Yamal Peninsula, Russia. 70.02, 68.5
The nomadic Nenets tribes of the Yamal Peninsula have retained their traditional culture and simple way of life for over a thousand years. Surviving Stalinist Russia and the interests of the gas drilling company Gazprom they now face a new threat, climate change. The permafrost landscape they have survived on is now beginning to dramatically thaw. Black and White.
Point Hope. Alaska, U.S. 68.349, -166.767
Point Hope is located on the western coast of Alaska on the edge of the Chukchi sea, just south of lease 193 where oil giant Shell hope to extract oil to the value of $2.4 trillion. Point Hope's tribal government backed by a group of 12 environmental organisations have led the opposition against Shell. The city is becoming increasingly split over the issue, as gifts and promises of jobs from oil companies seep in.
Stranded bears. Alaska, U.S. 70.14319, -143.5900
As the Arctic sea ice retreats over 700 miles from the shore in the autumn, bears must either head north or swim south to land as the ice breaks up. The amount of polar bears coming to land is increasing but scientists are still unsure of the single cause. In recent years, bears have spent a longer period onshore, during which they are cut off from their natural seal prey and scientists anticipate that the number of bears onshore may increase as sea ice loss continues.
Wainwright. Alaska, U.S. 70.6440, -160.019
Wainwright sets to be transformed beyond recognition as the oil industry begin to move in. Around the small native community, oil giant Royal Dutch Shell plan to build an airport, man camp, harbour, dock and a new oil pipeline that will feed into the existing industrial body of oil infrastructure which has pumped money into Alaska since the seventies. Shell's spill response plan has the go ahead, but plans show the spill response equipment could be inaccessible.
