Latest news with #Svalbard
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Former NFL TE Jimmy Graham, rowing crew complete 584-mile Arctic Challenge in 10 days
Jimmy Graham may not have officially retired from the NFL, but the longtime tight end is keeping busy after rowing over 584 nautical miles in 10 days. The 38-year-old's latest pursuit saw him train for the past 18 months to take part in the Arctic Challenge, a journey across the Arctic Ocean with three other team members in hopes of setting a Guinness World Record. Advertisement The crew of Graham, Andrew Tropp, and Hannah and John Huppi — the first mixed-gender team of four to row across the Arctic Ocean and the first all-American team to row across a polar ocean, broke the previous record held by a team of four of 15 days, 5 hours and 32 minutes, which was set in 2023. The conditions, as you could imagine, were rough with the team forced to drop anchor twice during their journey. Not to mention the cold, rain and wind causing issues with recharging their electronics. The team began their trek on July 4 from Tromsø, Norway and arrived in Longyearbyen, Svalbard on July 14. According to the Arctic Challenge, the average travel time south to north is about 16.5 days. Advertisement This journey also wasn't without purpose. The crew set a goal of raising $1 million — one dollar for every meter across the Arctic Ocean — for Covenant House New Orleans and Laureus Sport for Good New Orleans. This kind of adventure isn't unusual for Graham, who served a lead navigator during the trip. He owns 10 different aviation licenses and is an avid cyclist. While football might be in the past, Graham has been planning his future, as he told Saints defensive end Cameron Jordan on his podcast in January 2024. "It just really gives me something to look forward to and something that athletically I can push myself in a new direction," Graham said. "And I don't have to take hits anymore. I can just sit there and just get to work." A five-time Pro Bowler and First-team All-Pro in 2013, Graham recorded two 1,000-plus yard receiving seasons and led the NFL in receiving touchdowns in 2013 with 16. Advertisement After sitting out the 2022 season, Graham returned to New Orleans on a one-year deal in 2023, his last in the NFL. He played in 13 games and scored four times.
The Independent
6 days ago
- The Independent
A holiday in the Arctic that's more than just searching for polar bears
A brilliant-white creature, camouflaged by snow, rests on a solitary slab of ice in the Arctic Ocean, sparkling under the polar summer sun. This majestic bird, the ivory gull, is a poignant symbol of an environment disappearing due to uncomfortably warm temperatures in the far north. Weighing around 500g, it is approximately 600 times smaller than Svalbard's most famous resident, the polar bear. Yet, contrary to widespread belief, the polar bear is not the sole monarch of the Arctic. Far fewer in number and considerably rarer, the brilliant-white ivory gull could easily claim that crown, its existence intrinsically linked to the vanishing ice. The bird, which lives at high latitudes for its entire lifespan – even in 24 hours of darkness, is one of the species I've been searching for on a circumnavigation of Svalbard with leading polar expedition cruise experts Quark. Admittedly, these angelic white birds are rarely far from the hulking fluffy white bears that have historically brought people to these regions – from hunters and trappers, through to tourists and photographers. Scavenging for scraps, they keep a close eye on the apex predators' moves. When I first visited Norwegian-governed Svalbard more than a decade ago, it was a very different place; there were less (and smaller) cruise ships navigating waters, and more ice. New regulations have been introduced to cope with the growing pressures of over-tourism and climate change, taking effect from January this year. The biggest change is the introduction of minimum distances for viewing bears – 500metres (from March 1 to June 30) and 300metres (from July 1 to February 28). Inevitably, there are grumblings and concerns about rules that reduce most bear encounters to viewings of a blob no bigger than a Rice Krispie through a supersized scope. But companies like Quark are determined to work within the new parameters and still deliver an excellent experience, proving there is so much more to Svalbard than painstakingly hunting for bears. During mid-summer, when the sun never sinks, it's possible to move around the entire Arctic archipelago reached by a one-hour and 40-minute flight from Tromso into former coal mining settlement turned tourist hub, Longyearbyen – (or, in my case, a three-hour charter flight from Helsinki). Our first excursion had been a hike across the tundra at Camp Zoe, on the western coast of main island Spitsbergen. Surrounded by the area's trademark spiky peaks, we walked across spongey soils, stopping to look at clusters of purple saxifrage as delicate as millefiori glasswork and sniffing the rose-like scent of moss campion. Tiny waterfalls trickled and snow bunting whistled, signalling the surprising variety of life at these extremes. A second hike in Buchananhalvoya, the following day, introduced us to forests of polar willow – the biggest 'tree' in Svalbard, standing at only 8cm tall. 'They say, if you're lost in the forests of Iceland, just stand up,' quipped expedition guide Kelly. 'If you're lost in a forest in Svalbard, just open your eyes.' Along our trail, pawprints the size of dinner plates reminded us bears can be anywhere, explaining why all hikes are led by guides with rifles, and landings are only ever made if a site has been carefully scouted and deemed clear. As part of the new regulations, landings have been limited to 43 designated sites and only ships with a maximum of 200 passengers can enter protected areas. Carrying less than that number, our ship, the Ultramarine, was perfectly suited to explore the best spots. The ideal way to view bears is – and always has been – from a ship, in ice. Beyond Svalbard's 12-nautical-mile protection zone, there are no set restrictions on viewing distances. During the summer months, this is where the remaining pack ice can be found. Heading to 81 degrees north, the furthest north Ultramarine has ever travelled, we enter the Arctic's frozen kingdom. A mosaic of shattered slabs drifts around us like pieces in an ever-shifting jigsaw puzzle. It isn't long before we sight two male bears playing and rolling in the snow, taking dips in sapphire-blue patches of water to cool off from the blazing sun. Watching wildlife is a game of patience. After several hours, a curious bear approaches our vessel, sniffing the air with his coal-black nose, until he is only metres from the bow. Dwarfed by the expanse of a frosted realm stretching into infinity, it's the iconic image of an animal at the frontline of climate change. In extreme environments, weather dictates everything. Much of expedition leader Sarah Zaubi's time is spent analysing and cross-referencing weather charts, looking at wind speeds and fog. Although a storm is approaching, we have a small window of opportunity to visit Svalbard's premier bird cliffs at Alkefjellet along the Hinlopen Strait – a body of water separating Spitsbergen from neighbouring island Nordaustlandet. At 5.30am the next morning, visibility is gloomy. The sharp ridges of steep cliffs appear like turrets of medieval castles in the low, foreboding light. Motoring closer to the site in Zodiac RIB boats, the bickering of squealing birds grows loader, eventually drowning out the sound of our engines. More than 60,000 breeding pairs of Brünnich's guillemots nest here every summer, crammed onto ledges like residents of inner-city tower blocks. Jostling for a comfortable position, the small bids flutter their monochrome wings as they squabble and fight, creating even bigger black clouds in the skies overhead. Amidst the chaos, crafty foxes sneak between the ridges to steal eggs. While wildlife is Svalbard's biggest attraction, its landscapes shouldn't be underestimated – from glaciers with walls taller than skyscrapers to polar deserts rolling into a seductive unknown beyond. Whether out on the bow or sitting in the elegant dining room, I spend hours watching mountains rise and fall in the mist as chubby fulmars and even several humpbacks flank our vessel. Throughout our 14-day voyage, we clock up bears on ice, rocks and even strolling below a glacier. But it's the tiny creatures that leave the biggest impressions – fox kits tumbling in the tundra, a newborn baby bearded seal clinging to a drifting stack of ice, hundreds of little auks flocking metres from my face as I huddle into a cluster of lichen-stained rocks. New regulations and bigger crowds have undoubtedly made it more challenging to visit Svalbard, but 'the land of cold shores' is still warmly inviting. With the right approach and correct planning, it's possible to enjoy everything the archipelago has to offer. Although it's in those impromptu, unexpected moments that the real beauty lies. How to plan your trip
Top Gear
11-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Top Gear
Four of the coolest digital watches you should check out right now
Advertisement Svalbard Time Travel HX12 The name Svalbard refers to an Arctic archipelago that inspired this newish brand. With jumping hour and a rev counter-inspired retrograde minute hand. No mechanical movement, though – this is quartz-powered. £136; Advertisement - Page continues below French indie brand SpaceOne has its eyes on the cosmos, with a strong leaning towards the excitement of the 1950s space race. Displays the hours and minutes via a small portal in the aero-styled carbon case. £1,995; You might like Bremont Terra Nova Jumping Hour Bremont has released not one but two jumping hour watches this year. The narrow winner is the Terra Nova, with jumping hour, moving minute display and compass-style small seconds indication. Powered by an automatic movement. £4,900; Advertisement - Page continues below The Tank 'Ticket Office' takes its name from the hour display, which must have reminded someone of an old station ticket window. First appearing in the 1920s, the watch was revived in the 1990s, early 2000s, and again this year. It has a hand-wound mechanical movement. From £45,000; See more on Watches
South China Morning Post
08-07-2025
- Climate
- South China Morning Post
After Everest and Great Wall, marathon-loving Hongkonger tackles North Pole
When you picture the North Pole, you may think of Christmas or camping under the Northern Lights. Advertisement Hong Kong resident David Dudek, however, imagines running 26 miles (42km) in sub-zero temperatures. The 57-year-old hopes to finally take on the North Pole Marathon on Monday after six previous attempts were thwarted. 'In 2019, I went in a Ukrainian plane, which the Russian airspace would not allow to land on its runway,' Dudek said. 'The next three years were cancelled because of Covid, the runway broke up in 2023 and last year Russia cancelled it again.' But Dudek, who was born in Detroit and moved to Hong Kong 10 years ago, is hoping for lucky No 7 as he embarks on an epic journey. American-born David Dudek at the Antarctica 100km race. Photo: Handout 'This year I'm taking a boat,' he said. 'I flew to Paris on July 4, then myself and the other runners had a chartered flight to Longyearbyen in Svalbard – an island at the very top of Norway.
CBC
03-07-2025
- Science
- CBC
Bezos-backed methane tracking satellite lost in space
An $88 million satellite backed by billionaire Jeff Bezos that detected oil and gas industry's emissions of the powerful greenhouse gas methane has been lost in space, the group that operates it told Reuters on Tuesday. Methane is a potent greenhouse gas, with 80 times the warming power of carbon dioxide over a 20-year period. But many methane leaks go undetected, making the scale of pollution unclear. MethaneSAT had been collecting emissions data and images from drilling sites, pipelines, and processing facilities around the world since March, but went off course around 10 days ago, the Environmental Defense Fund, which led the initiative, said. Its last known location was over Svalbard in Norway and EDF said it did not expect it to be recovered as it had lost power. "We're seeing this as a setback, not a failure," Amy Middleton, senior vice president at EDF, told Reuters. "We've made so much progress and so much has been learned that if we hadn't taken this risk, we wouldn't have any of these learnings." The launch of MethaneSAT in March 2024 was a milestone in a years-long campaign by EDF to hold accountable the more than 120 countries that in 2021 pledged to curb their methane emissions. WATCH | Pollution-tracking satellite is launched into space (from 2024): Pollution-tracking satellite launched into space 1 year ago Duration 1:59 A groundbreaking satellite named MethaneSAT has been launched into space with the goal of tracking global methane emissions. Scientists hope the technology will help hold oil and gas companies accountable in the fight against climate change. It also sought to help enforce a further promise from 50 oil and gas companies made at the Dubai COP28 climate summit in December 2023 to eliminate methane and routine gas flaring. Capping methane leaks a fast way to tackle climate change, say scientists Given how potent methane is, scientists say capping leaks from oil and gas wells and equipment is one of the fastest ways to start tackling the problem of global warming. WATCH | Wells leaking pollutants: Methane from abandoned oil wells worse than initially recorded 14 days ago Duration 2:02 A new McGill University study suggests that methane leaking from Canada's abandoned oil and gas wells is almost seven times higher than previously thought, and residents living near them are calling on the government to take urgent action. While MethaneSAT was not the only project to publish satellite data on methane emissions, its backers said it provided more detail on emissions sources and it partnered with Google to to create a publicly-available global map of emissions. EDF reported the lost satellite to federal agencies including the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Securities and Exchange Commission and the U.S. Space Force on Tuesday, it said. Building and launching the satellite cost $88 million, according to the EDF. The organization had received a $100 million grant from the Bezos Earth Fund in 2020 and got other major financial support from Arnold Ventures, the Robertson Foundation and the TED Audacious Project and EDF donors. The project was also partnered with the New Zealand Space Agency. EDF said it had insurance to cover the loss and its engineers were investigating what had happened. It said it would continue to use its resources, including aircraft with methane-detecting spectrometers, to look for methane leaks. Despite the efforts to increase transparency on emissions, methane "super-emitters" have rarely taken action when alerted that they are leaking methane, the United Nations said in a report last year.
