A Friend Acting Strangely
That friend is the Arctic, or so it seem to residents of the Arctic. The third point of focus for this project, this forum on the radiating effects of climate change, is the Arctic. The arctic is the very cold canary that tell us what is happening with our climate before we feel it in more temperate zones. The changes, as we have heard here from Larry Merculieff, are more drastic and hit home not just to the large community of people who live above the imaginary line that describes the arctic Circle, but also the the rest of the world’s land and people. Changes include the much reported: spring thaws are earlier. Fall freeze-ups are later. Sea ice is shrinking. Unfamiliar species of plants and animals are appearing. Intense storms are more frequent.
I’m posting about an exhibition called A Friend Acting Strangely, developed by the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History, which was on display at the Museum through November 2006. The exhibition puts a human face on warming in the arctic by exploring how changes have been observed and documented by scientists and polar residents alike. They have just announced a great online site that delves deeply into the science, human, visual, environmental factors facing the arctic today. In addition to being a great resource for facts, media, educational programs, and first person narratives, I really appreciate how they have brought together so many stories, perspectives, images, and data sets in a rich mapping of the site. Check it out.
-- JaneMarsching
