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North3 is sponsored by Canada's embassies in circumpolar countries in cooperation with the IISD. Please visit us!
Canada's Embassy:
· in Russia
· in Finland
· in Sweden
· in Norway
· in Denmark
· in Iceland
· Canada and the Circumpolar World
2007-08 is the International Polar Year, involving an extensive program of scientific research about the North. The International Polar Year is also an occasion to reflect on the circumpolar world and consider what steps we should take to ensure a brighter future for our common northern home.
Communication across vast northern distances was once very slow and difficult. Today, the internet allows us to share easily our experiences and points of view. By learning about each other, we will help our North develop, and grow stronger.
The countries of the circumpolar world are connected to each other by winds and by the Arctic Ocean's currents. Air and ocean currents, as well as rivers, also connect the circumpolar world with the south. Harmful pollutants may travel in air and water. Unfortunately, remoteness and the North's vast distances offer no protection against environmental pollution.
Improper disposal of chemicals in the North is leading to environmental contamination. This problem is made worse by contaminants from the south which are carried northwards by winds, rivers and the ocean. Dangerous chemicals are absorbed by animals and plants, and become part of the food chain. Pollutants may accumulate in the fatty tissues of northern animals. Humans who eat these animals are themselves affected by these harmful substances.
Some lifestyle changes may be needed for northerners to avoid health risks posed by environmental pollutants. Another step is to take action globally to reduce the problem of environmental pollution itself. International cooperation is needed to negotiate and approve agreements covering long-range pollutants. This will help stop pollutants at their source, before they are carried from the south, by wind and water, into the circumpolar world.