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International Polar Year
2007-2008
The International Polar Year (IPY) 2007-2008 is
envisioned as an intense, internationally coordinated campaign of research that
will initiate the dawn of a new era in polar science. IPY 2007-2008 will
include research in both polar regions and involve strong links to the rest of
the globe. It will be multi- and interdisciplinary in scope and truly
international in participation. It will educate and excite the public, and help
train the next generation of engineers, scientists, and leaders. It will
include elements from a wide range of scientific disciplines, including issues
related to human populations.
The polar regions play key roles in our global environment. Many important
broad and interlinked research challenges involving both polar regions exist
today. To name just one example, how and why are the changes in polar regions
occurring and how can we predict and mitigate the outcome? Changes in ice mass
are linked with regional and global environment and atmospheric and oceanic
processes; implementing polar observation systems would help document the
changes. Clues for understanding how and why similar changes occurred in the
past remain stored in polar earth and ice; sediment and ice coring would help
us understand past changes. Polar changes are interlinked with the behavior and
survival of ecosystems, from microbial life to large life forms including
humans; studies in polar biology are needed. Polar regions play key roles in
understanding impacts of ever-changing space weather on technologies for modern
communication and power distribution. Keys to fundamental discoveries for
understanding change may spring from new modes of exploration, from using
autonomous underwater vehicles under the ice to the use of genomics for
investigating adaptation; exploration reveals surprises. Communications
technologies such as television and the internet, combined with changes in the
environment, are challenging traditional human lifestyles in our cold regions
and elsewhere. Yet these same technologies hold potential for sharing ideas and
experiences in both polar regions and promoting global understanding;
internet-based efforts in global data collection, sharing, and education are
needed. Significant compelling scientific challenges exist today that warrant
increased focus on the polar regions.
For more information click here!
Talk to Holbrook about programming in the Artic regions of our World as we work to support critical awareness and on-site education.
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