Despite the fact that The National Post has reported that a subcommittee voted against an incentive package to build the proposed Mackenzie pipeline, others who are involved with the project are claiming that everything is status quo and no final decision has been made. more »

According to an article in the National Post, the Canadian government has decided against investing any money in the $15.2 billion dollar Mackenzie Valley Pipeline. The article doesn’t say who their sources are, just that last week the powers-that-be decided not to provide a “major financial assistance package” to the pipeline project, despite the fact that the government has supported the project in the past. more »

Earlier this month, the United States recommended the reclassification of the polar bear according to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) so that all commercial trade in polar bears will be against the law. 175 countries have signed the international treaty and will be voting on it this upcoming March. more »

According to a recent study, approximately 50 million years ago while the Arctic had a short period of sweltering heat, palms not only existed, but flourished in the region. The discovery may indicate that there are significant gaps in the scientific knowledge and understanding of current climate changes. more »

A piece of the Arctic will be taking up residency in the UK.

Arts Council England has awarded money to Devon artist Alex Hartley, who will be using the money to tow part of an Arctic island all the way to the UK. An excavator will be used to dig rocks from an island in the Svalbard archipelago, situation north of Norway. Place on a barge, the rocks will then make the trip to the UK where they will be placed on a floating platform to create the piece of art, called “Nowhere Island”. more »

New research conducted by scientists at both poles shows that the sea level will most likely rise by at least a meter due to the melting of and “dynamic changes” in the Arctic and Antarctic ice sheets. And because of this rise, there is a potential threat to coastal cities worldwide within the next century. And Clean Air-Cool Planet (CA-CP) is letting people know about the possible threat. more »

Based on the examination of the sediment found at the bottom of a lake in Baffin Island, a scientific paper is claiming that Canada’s Arctic is seeing a heat wave that has rarely been experienced in the past 200,000 years. more »

Shell Offshore Inc. received approval yesterday from the Minerals Management Services to drill exploratory wells next year in the Beaufort Sea. While the company and supporters of offshore drilling are happy with the decision, environmental groups are saying that the decision to allow the two leases ignores the threat to both the Arctic environment and Arctic wildlife. The Minerals Management Service says that Shell has to meet certain conditions, honoring the federal air and water quality rules and the marine mammal protection requirements. more »