Latest news with #Robertsen
eNCA
2 days ago
- Science
- eNCA
In Norway's Arctic, meteorologists have a first-row seat to climate change
In the cold of the Norwegian Arctic, meteorologist Trond Robertsen manually recorded precipitation levels for over two decades, witnessing firsthand the effects of climate change. At 66, Robertsen retired after enduring spartan conditions during missions that totalled eight years on two islands of the Svalbard archipelago: Bjornoya (Bear Island) and Hogen. To reach the remote Bjornoya, where the only humans are the nine employees of the small weather station, the meteorologists have to fly in by helicopter as they are rotated on a six-month basis. "The idea is to not stay too long, because it's a different rhythm, and you are isolated," Robertsen told AFP. It is demanding work. "It's a 24/7 occupation," he said. "We are doing it all day, all night." The team worked shifts to cover all hours of the day, he explained. AFP | Olivier MORIN Weather observation starts in the early morning at 6:00 am. "It's manually done, then you have to go outside and check the bucket that is collecting precipitation," said Robertsen. "During wintertime you have to melt the snow and ice into water" to determine how much has fallen. The data is then transmitted the Norwegian Meteorological Institute in Tromso and Oslo. "This tiny little observation is actually quite crucial for the weather forecasting systems up north, because observations are so sparse from that area." Bjornoya sits in the middle of fishing grounds, and the weather reports published twice a day are closely followed by the fishing boats in the area. - Less ice, fewer bears - Since his first missions to the Arctic in the 1990s, Robertsen has witnessed the changing climate. "When I started going up north, there was a lot of ice. In the later years, it's less ice and fewer polar bears. You can see the climate change," he said. Polar bears have been classified as a vulnerable population since 1982 on the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) Red List of Threatened Species, with the loss of Arctic sea ice the most pressing threat against the species. However, their precise numbers, are almost impossible to assess. AFP | Olivier MORIN In winter, employees of station always venture out in pairs and have to be armed due to the presence of polar bears, but according to Robertsen it's rarer to encounter them today. In April, during his last mission to the island, Robertsen had an accident while doing carpentry: he slipped and ended up cutting one finger clean off and half of another. Due to tough weather conditions, he had to wait some 26 hours before being evacuated by helicopter and transported to a hospital. "It was a heavy snowstorm coming in, only the day after the helicopter came," he recounted. Looking back, Robertsen does not regret the years spent under the austere living conditions. "The Arctic has given me so many experiences and memories so it is a small fee to pay back with my left little finger and part of my ring finger," he said. By Olivier Morin With Johanna Wastfelt In Stockholm
NDTV
2 days ago
- Science
- NDTV
In Norway's Arctic, Meteorologists Have A First-Row Seat To Climate Change
In the cold of the Norwegian Arctic, meteorologist Trond Robertsen manually recorded precipitation levels for over two decades, witnessing firsthand the effects of climate change. At 66, Robertsen retired after enduring spartan conditions during missions that totalled eight years on two islands of the Svalbard archipelago: Bjornoya (Bear Island) and Hogen. To reach the remote Bjornoya, where the only humans are the nine employees of the small weather station, the meteorologists have to fly in by helicopter as they are rotated on a six-month basis. "The idea is to not stay too long, because it's a different rhythm, and you are isolated," Robertsen told AFP. It is demanding work. "It's a 24/7 occupation," he said. "We are doing it all day, all night." The team worked shifts to cover all hours of the day, he explained. Weather observation starts in the early morning at 6:00 am. "It's manually done, then you have to go outside and check the bucket that is collecting precipitation," said Robertsen. "During wintertime you have to melt the snow and ice into water" to determine how much has fallen. The data is then transmitted the Norwegian Meteorological Institute in Tromso and Oslo. "This tiny little observation is actually quite crucial for the weather forecasting systems up north, because observations are so sparse from that area." Bjornoya sits in the middle of fishing grounds, and the weather reports published twice a day are closely followed by the fishing boats in the area. Less ice, fewer bears Since his first missions to the Arctic in the 1990s, Robertsen has witnessed the changing climate. "When I started going up north, there was a lot of ice. In the later years, it's less ice and fewer polar bears. You can see the climate change," he said. Polar bears have been classified as a vulnerable population since 1982 on the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) Red List of Threatened Species, with the loss of Arctic sea ice the most pressing threat against the species. However, their precise numbers, are almost impossible to assess. In winter, employees of station always venture out in pairs and have to be armed due to the presence of polar bears, but according to Robertsen it's rarer to encounter them today. In April, during his last mission to the island, Robertsen had an accident while doing carpentry: he slipped and ended up cutting one finger clean off and half of another. Due to tough weather conditions, he had to wait some 26 hours before being evacuated by helicopter and transported to a hospital. "It was a heavy snowstorm coming in, only the day after the helicopter came," he recounted. Looking back, Robertsen does not regret the years spent under the austere living conditions. "The Arctic has given me so many experiences and memories so it is a small fee to pay back with my left little finger and part of my ring finger," he said.
Local Norway
2 days ago
- Science
- Local Norway
A front-row seat to climate change in Norway's Arctic
At 66, Robertsen retired after enduring spartan conditions during missions that totalled eight years on two islands of the Svalbard archipelago: Bjørnøya (Bear Island) and Hogen. To reach the remote Bjørnøya, where the only humans are the nine employees of the small weather station, the meteorologists have to fly in by helicopter as they are rotated on a six-month basis. "The idea is to not stay too long, because it's a different rhythm, and you are isolated," Robertsen told AFP. It is demanding work. "It's a 24/7 occupation," he said. "We are doing it all day, all night." The team worked shifts to cover all hours of the day, he explained. Weather observation starts in the early morning at 6.00 am. "It's manually done, then you have to go outside and check the bucket that is collecting precipitation," said Robertsen. "During wintertime you have to melt the snow and ice into water" to determine how much has fallen. The data is then transmitted the Norwegian Meteorological Institute in Tromsø and Oslo. Advertisement Bjørnøja sits between the Norwegian mainland and the Svalbard archipelago. Photo: Olivier Moran/AFP "This tiny little observation is actually quite crucial for the weather forecasting systems up north, because observations are so sparse from that area." Bjørnøya sits in the middle of fishing grounds, and the weather reports published twice a day are closely followed by the fishing boats in the area. Less ice, fewer bears Since his first missions to the Arctic in the 1990s, Robertsen has witnessed the changing climate. "When I started going up north, there was a lot of ice. In the later years, it's less ice and fewer polar bears. You can see the climate change," he said. Polar bears have been classified as a vulnerable population since 1982 on the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) Red List of Threatened Species, with the loss of Arctic sea ice the most pressing threat against the species. However, their precise numbers, are almost impossible to assess. In winter, employees of station always venture out in pairs and have to be armed due to the presence of polar bears, but according to Robertsen it's rarer to encounter them today. In April, during his last mission to the island, Robertsen had an accident while doing carpentry: he slipped and ended up cutting one finger clean off and half of another. Due to tough weather conditions, he had to wait some 26 hours before being evacuated by helicopter and transported to a hospital. "It was a heavy snowstorm coming in, only the day after the helicopter came," he recounted. Looking back, Robertsen does not regret the years spent under the austere living conditions. "The Arctic has given me so many experiences and memories so it is a small fee to pay back with my left little finger and part of my ring finger," he said.
France 24
2 days ago
- Science
- France 24
In Norway's Arctic, meteorologists have a first-row seat to climate change
At 66, Robertsen retired after enduring spartan conditions during missions that totalled eight years on two islands of the Svalbard archipelago: Bjornoya (Bear Island) and Hogen. To reach the remote Bjornoya, where the only humans are the nine employees of the small weather station, the meteorologists have to fly in by helicopter as they are rotated on a six-month basis. "The idea is to not stay too long, because it's a different rhythm, and you are isolated," Robertsen told AFP. It is demanding work. "It's a 24/7 occupation," he said. "We are doing it all day, all night." The team worked shifts to cover all hours of the day, he explained. Weather observation starts in the early morning at 6:00 am. "It's manually done, then you have to go outside and check the bucket that is collecting precipitation," said Robertsen. "During wintertime you have to melt the snow and ice into water" to determine how much has fallen. The data is then transmitted the Norwegian Meteorological Institute in Tromso and Oslo. "This tiny little observation is actually quite crucial for the weather forecasting systems up north, because observations are so sparse from that area." Bjornoya sits in the middle of fishing grounds, and the weather reports published twice a day are closely followed by the fishing boats in the area. Less ice, fewer bears Since his first missions to the Arctic in the 1990s, Robertsen has witnessed the changing climate. "When I started going up north, there was a lot of ice. In the later years, it's less ice and fewer polar bears. You can see the climate change," he said. Polar bears have been classified as a vulnerable population since 1982 on the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) Red List of Threatened Species, with the loss of Arctic sea ice the most pressing threat against the species. However, their precise numbers, are almost impossible to assess. In winter, employees of station always venture out in pairs and have to be armed due to the presence of polar bears, but according to Robertsen it's rarer to encounter them today. In April, during his last mission to the island, Robertsen had an accident while doing carpentry: he slipped and ended up cutting one finger clean off and half of another. Due to tough weather conditions, he had to wait some 26 hours before being evacuated by helicopter and transported to a hospital. "It was a heavy snowstorm coming in, only the day after the helicopter came," he recounted. Looking back, Robertsen does not regret the years spent under the austere living conditions. "The Arctic has given me so many experiences and memories so it is a small fee to pay back with my left little finger and part of my ring finger," he said.
The National
17-02-2025
- Health
- The National
Dubai dad hopes to make history with swim around The World Islands to raise autism awareness
A Dubai dad is preparing for a 30-kilometre coast-to-coast swim around The World Islands in Dubai – to raise awareness of autism. American banker Eric Robertsen, 52, discovered he was autistic at the age of 49, a few years after his then eight-year-old son, JP, was found to be on the spectrum. After being diagnosed in 2023, he began taking on gruelling swims to raise awareness of neurological disorders – despite previously having swam only 500 metres. 'Lots of people run marathons, do bike races and climb mountains, which are all amazing pursuits,' says Robertsen, who is raising funds for the UK's National Autistic Society. 'But I wanted to do something a little different. The fact that I wasn't a serious swimmer added to the challenge.' Now, he is covering 30km a week to prepare for his biggest endeavour yet, which will involve swimming for up to 12 hours around The World Islands archipelago on March 1. As far has he knows, the challenge – which will start and finish on the Dubai coast – has only been completed as a relay to date. 'As far as I know, no one else has swam around The World Islands from coast to coast, so to be the first would be a crazy achievement,' he says. 'I believe you can either choose to be a victim of your circumstances or you can be your own best advocate. Over the past couple of years, I've raised thousands of pounds for the UK's National Autistic Society, and that keeps me going when times get hard.' As well as raising money for charity, Robertsen is driven by a determination to overcome his own personal barriers, using each swim to prove to himself and others that resilience can triumph over adversity. 'There are some real limitations for some people who have autism in terms of external stimulus, including a vulnerability to panic attacks and anxiety,' he says. 'When you're swimming out in the open ocean, and you're exhausted mentally and physically, those episodes are always a risk. I wanted to test where those limits were and see how I would respond to them. 'I've learnt a lot about endurance sports and about myself through some really tough experiences. I took part in a four-day swim in Croatia last year and on day three I had a full autistic breakdown way out in the open ocean for about half an hour. 'The ability to regroup and get back on track and finish strong was an exciting breakthrough for me.' Robertsen has also completed long-distance swims in Dubai, Italy and Norway, though JP, now 15, has a typical teenage response to his father's heroic efforts. 'He does what most teenagers do, which is giving me the very typical teenage eye roll of disdain,' says Robertsen, with a laugh. 'But I also know from hearing his conversations with his friends that he understands why I'm doing this. 'It means a lot to him and his friends that people are advocating for them and trying to make the world a better place for kids with autism.' Robertsen will attempt the swim with his friend and fellow endurance swimmer Maher El-Tabchy, who is raising awareness of juvenile idiopathic arthritis. 'Maher and I have been training like maniacs for the past four months,' says Robertsen. 'We're now swimming four times a week, plus two additional sessions in the gym. In terms of distance, we're swimming about 30 kilometres a week, about 12 to 14 kilometres at a time. 'The interesting thing about open water swimming in the ocean is that you don't know what conditions will be like on the day, and that makes it fun, challenging and unpredictable. The unknown element is definitely part of the appeal.' After 49 years without a diagnosis, Robertsen is passionate about encouraging others to seek autism assessment and support, and his advocacy extends beyond the water. 'I've given lots of talks, both at my place of employment and externally, about why I think people should consider it,' he says. 'For adults who have had challenges in their lives and think autism might be a part of the puzzle, a diagnosis could be a game-changer. For me personally, it was a huge relief.' And for anyone who is diagnosed, Robertsen has an important message. 'Knowing that there are other people you can talk to about experiences, frustrations and challenges makes life easier,' he says. 'And, to the kids, I want to say, you are brave, you are strong and you are not alone. We swim for you.'
