In this episode RADIO ARCTIC spoke with Ksenia Vakhrusheva from Bellona, an international NGO tackling major climate and environmental challenges. Founded in 1986 as a direct-action protest group, Bellona has evolved into a solution-oriented organisation advocating for technological and policy innovations in areas like the Arctic and nuclear safety.

Ksenia shares Bellona’s journey, highlighting its origins and key projects, such as nuclear monitoring and environmental oversight in the Russian Arctic. She reflects on the challenges of being banned from operating in Russia, explaining how political tensions affected the foundation’s work and led to her departure in 2014. The discussion explores environmental issues in the Russian Arctic, including permafrost degradation, nuclear risks, and oil spills. Ksenia emphasizes the importance of reliable data, and highlights Bellona’s influence on Western policymaking and stresses the need for cooperation between Russia and the West to ensure effective environmental monitoring. 

Join us on Friday, January 24th, at 11:00 AM for a live broadcast from Loftskeytastodin, Iceland's historic wireless telegraph station. This broadcast will feature students from the MA Design & New Environments program at the Iceland University of the Arts. Last year during the Arctic Circle Assembly the students received an amateur radio workshop, to explore the medium of sound and vocals. This broadcast is an output from their findings throughout interviews and research.

Program Highlights:

◉ No Experts: A reflective discussion on the students' experiences at the Arctic Circle Conference, where they approached complex issues with curiosity and a design-oriented mindset. Hosts: Katla, Janek, and Max.

◉ True or False: Arctic Quizshow: An engaging quiz segment addressing topics such as sound pollution, Arctic species, mining, and shipping, presented in an informative and interactive manner. Hosts: Jacqueline, Andrea, Tumi, Hamza, and Anna.

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POSTER
→ Janek Beau, Master student at Design and New Enviroments, Icelandic University of the Arts.

TEACHERS
Anna Dilja Sigurdardóttir, Gudrun Havsteen-Mikkelsen and Simon Toolin Remiszewski.

Many thanks to Loftskeytastodin for facilitating the space.

The third episode of Radio Arctic x Polar Journal’s podcast series features an insightful discussion on ‘Tourism Trajectories’ in the Arctic. Listeners are taken on a journey through on-location interviews and in-person conversations. The focus of this episode is one that both hosts have personal experience with, having worked in the tourism sector in Iceland. Now, in their everyday lives, they witness firsthand impacts of tourism on the environment in the Arctic and near-Arctic regions. As new measures are being implemented, public dialogue plays a crucial role in shaping the future of Arctic tourism. These dynamics, among many other pressing issues, are explored in ‘Tourism Trajectories’.

The discussion includes a range of voices from different actors working with and in the tourism sector, all based in Arctic regions.  

The second episode of Radio Arctic x Polar Journal’s podcast series features an insightful discussion on ‘Territorial claims’ in the Arctic, bringing together experts such as Camilla Brekke, Klaus Dodds, and Michael Byers. The conversation delves into the geopolitical tensions and legal frameworks surrounding the polar regions - covering the politics of ice, resources and research stations. The episode explores the historical context of territorial claims, current geopolitical dynamics, and future prospects for international collaboration. Listeners gain a comprehensive understanding of how scientific, geopolitical, and legal dimensions intersect in the complex arena of the territorial claims of the Arctic and Antarctic.

Welcome to Radio Arctic x Polar Journal’s new podcast series. The first episode of the series is on 'Polar Opportunities' which explore the vibrant world of employment and innovation in the polar regions. In collaboration with Polar Journal, Radio Arctic delve into the challenges and prospects of the labor market in the poles, featuring Michael Wenger, the founder of Polar Journal, with insightful content on the new job search platform, Polar Jobs.

Joining us on the episode is Mads Qvist Frederiksen from Arctic Economic Council, who is offering his expertise on the forces shaping Arctic employment; from evolving industries to demographic shifts. The episode covers strategies for sustainable development and discusses the pivotal role of global investments in advancing Arctic economies. With insights from the experts, this series lay out a deeper understanding of the possibilities in the polar regions, in the process of building a resilient workforce.

RADIO ARCTIC welcomes you to ‘Energy security is geopolitics’  - a conversation on energy security in the Arctic region. It is a conversation about geo-politics, natural resources, and measures by local governments, along with the green transition, and how this shape energy security policies across the region influenced by the superpower rivalry. The session was live-broadcasted on the 31st of January at 12:15 (GMT+1) from Tromsø, Norway, in collaboration with Arctic Frontiers 2024.

RADIO ARCTIC welcomes you to ‘Beyond Borders: Navigating the High Seas and Arctic Governance’ - a conversation on the impact of the newly adopted High Seas Treaty (Deep-sea mining and marine conservation beyond national borders, Arctic governance, global cooperation and pending conflicts). The session was live-broadcasted on the 30th of January at 09:30 (GMT+1) from Tromsø, Norway, in collaboration with Arctic Frontiers 2024.

In this session you will explore the international efforts to conserve marine biodiversity beyond borders. We unravel key questions about the high seas as we navigate through the provisions of the treaty, decoding its potential influence on Arctic governance, particularly the Central Arctic Ocean. In conversations with experts and policy makers, we look into the language of policy, the area-based management and environmental impact assessments, revealing how this treaty hopes to shape the future of our oceans.

RADIO ARCTIC welcomes you to ‘Opportunities for the Arctic Youth’  - a conversation on the work and agenda of the Emerging Leaders. The session was live-broadcasted on the 29th of January at 16:00 (GMT+1) from Tromsø, Norway, in collaboration with Arctic Frontiers 2024.

RADIO ARCTIC invited participants during the Arctic Circle Assembly to tune in to the live radio platform which focused on Arctic matters. The first session of Radio Arctic was a conversation with meteorologists, geophysicists, political scientists, and everything in-between. The panel session took place in an auditorium (Hringátta, Harpa K2 level at 09:00) where Radio Arctic hosted discussions on territorial claims, climate data and finally envisioning the future forecasts in the Arctic region.

RADIO ARCTIC invites audiences at the Arctic Circle Assembly for informal interview sessions throughout the conference. The session offers a platform for the audience attending the conference to raise concerns and awareness on pressing Arctic matters, and thus giving an insight to the listeners to have an insight on the content discussed at the conference broadcasted live from Harpa in their living rooms. The session includes, scientits, experts, politicians, entrepreneurs, Arctic youth and more.

In this podcast, we feature a brief interview with Professor Lassi Heininen from the University of Lapland, conducted by Radio Arctic during the Arctic Circle Assembly in Reykjavik in October 2023. The interview focuses on Heininen's insights from the panel discussion on "GREAT POWER AND STRATEGIC RIVALRIES IN ARCTIC COOPERATION," organized by the German Institute for International and Security Affairs. Heininen emphasized the ongoing transnational collaboration in the Arctic, highlighted the commitment of the eight Arctic states to a legally binding agreement for scientific cooperation despite political conflicts. The conversation delves on the impact of the paused collaboration of the Arctic Council and Heininen's own research across disciplines.

In our prerecorded conversation, RADIO ARCTIC had the privilege of engaging with Martin Breum, a distinguished journalist and writer with over a decade of firsthand experience on the Arctic front line. His extensive journey includes travels with ice-breakers, interviews with scientists and politicians, and an in-depth exploration of Greenland's potential independence, North Pole ownership, and the intricate political and scientific dramas in recent Arctic history—from the perspectives of indigenous people to global superpowers. Breum, an author of impactful books on Greenland's geopolitical context such as 'Balladen om Grønland,' 'Når isen Smelter,' 'Det gælder Grønland,' and 'Cold Rush,' currently contributes articles to prominent news media like Weekendavisen and ArcticToday.

Our discussion with Martin delves into the critical importance of scientific and governmental collaboration in the Arctic. We explore the repercussions of the ongoing conflict between Russia and the West on collaboration among Arctic states, the evolving role of Arctic diplomacy in addressing climate challenges, and whether the Arctic can still be considered a 'low-tension zone.' We contemplate the prospects of renewed collaboration between the West and Russia, both within and outside the Arctic Council, and the potential impacts of military build-up in the region. The conversation also touches on the enduring importance of transnational collaboration and envisions the future shape of Arctic diplomacy amidst climate challenges. As a conclusion to our conversation, we hear about Martin Breum's personal experience of standing on the North Pole. His parting question leaves us contemplating the path forward: "Where do we go from here?"