Scientists should come to the Arctic before businesses encroach

Scientific stations should come to the Arctic before businesses begin encroaching; they must have enough time to protect polar areas from human influence, RAS Institute of Geography Deputy Director Arkady Tishkov told RIA Novosti.

He covered a number of topics, including 12 Arctic stations, a crack that threatens to split apart the building of the Institute of Extreme North Agriculture in Norilsk, and trail-blazing in the polar region.

Racing business to the Arctic

Tishkov believes that Russia should carve out a presence within the Polar Circle by sending in aircraft and ships, establishing weather stations, and building a system of seaports.

“There are few real steps being undertaken in order to explore the Arctic. The most important thing is to promote scientific investigations. We must come back to the Arctic to carry out our research,” he said.

This will be done with the help of 12 comprehensive scientific stations that will shelter specialists of different agencies – the Federal Service for Hydrometeorology and Environmental Monitoring (Roshydromet), the Defense Ministry, the Ministry of Civil Defense, Emergencies and Disaster Relief, and the Ministry of Transport – and, of course, scientists.
“The stations should help us build an awareness of what will happen if we drill sea-shelf wells, develop archipelago reserves, or try to mine oil, gas, and other minerals in the sea. Besides, we must know what consequences the construction of rail- and motor-roads in the Arctic is likely to entail,” he said.

These stations can be located on the Novosibirsk Islands, in the Lena delta, on the Wrangel Island, and on Franz Josef Land. The specialists are to conduct scientific work, monitor the environment, guide ships along the Northern Sea Route, and, if necessary, engage in emergency damage control.

“When we indicate a point on the map, we know what its environment is like: whether it is wooded or not, what animals inhabit the area, and the like. In the Arctic, there are many spots that haven’t been visited by humans from anywhere between 50 and 100 years, if ever,” he said.

He outlined the priorities for Arctic studies: the Arctic Ocean itself (its ice, currents, bottom, exploration aftermath, etc.), the climatic mechanisms, flora and fauna, and a continuous polar monitoring.

There are 15-16 federally protected territories in the Russian Arctic, or between 5% and 6% of its entire area. The access to certain reserves, for example, Franz Josef Land, is limited by the severity of its environment. (“An ordinary person will never reach the place,” as Tishkov put it.) On the other hand, the generally accessible territories are left without any protection at all.

“We could easily make between 20-30% of the Russian Arctic protected territory. More than 50% of Spitsbergen is a sanctuary. Greenland has the world’s largest national park, measuring 70 million hectares. In Alaska, 20% of the territory is classified as national parks,” he said.

Permafrost and a cracked institute

According to Tishkov, permafrost thawing is not much of a problem in the Arctic. Many old buildings, however, are really unable to withstand soil transformations and subsequently topple to the ground. Besides, oil and gas pipelines laid on permafrost soil become increasingly accident-prone.

“Take, for example, my favorite Institute of Extreme North Agriculture in Norilsk – an institute with which I have intensely collaborated. It has recently sprung a crack in its walls. The building is practically falling apart, even though the quality of workmanship was perfect at the time when it was built,” he said.

The approach to the Arctic exploration should change: the focus should be both on ecology and concern for the people.

“In the 1920s and the 1930s, the Arctic exploration effort relied heavily on GULAG labor. In our day and age, it would be more appropriate to create a normal Arctic life support system in the settlements and towns that are still in existence,” he said.

Some unique projects like a domed city, to be named Umka, planned to be built on the Novosibirsk Islands will not solve the problems inherent in all polar settlements. People will be “enticed” to come to the Polar Circle if they know that the region as a whole is characterized by comfortable living conditions, he said.

“If we emphasize the rotational team method, we will bring to the Arctic opportunistic freelancers indifferent to both nature and resources. They come, they grab what they can, and then they are gone,” he said.

In his view, settlements should be built that will exist as long as a planned development period. For example, if a mineral deposit is expected to last for 20 years, the settlement should be programmed for as long a life span.

Trail-blazers and a clash of civilizations

As soon as “advanced” civilizations move in to explore the polar areas, they come into contact with the indigenous inhabitants who are the original owners of these lands, he said.

He believes the natives should retain the right to their land. The law should regulate relations between mining companies and the local population in such a way as to enable the latter to sustain their traditional lifestyles.
“Where indigenous groups reside locally, they should retain their right. No foreign intrusion should be allowed because foreigners project excessive pressure on the reserves,” he explained.

In the Arctic, a “civilized” person is locked in a face-to-face duel with nature and comes to realize how much his own survival depends on his own decision-making.

“I became a fan of the Arctic when I first saw the Byrrganga Mountains in northern Taimyr Peninsula. The moonlight was falling on a Mars-like landscape. The scene was lifeless. The moss cover was dark-red in the shady light. I felt enchanted. You always feel you are a trail-blazer in such circumstances. You don’t even see your colleagues that are working side by side with you. You are dissolved into the experience,” he said.