The year 2011 marks two significant anniversaries for Norway: 150 years since the birth of Fridtjof Nansen, a Norwegian explorer, scientist, diplomat, humanitarian, and Nobel laureate, and 100 years since Roald Amundsen and four of his men made the first expedition to the South Pole. Amundsen was an aeronautical pioneer and polar researcher and explorer. According to the event’s website, “This year will highlight roles these men played as nation-builders and polar heroes, their contributions to science and literature, as well as Nansen’s humanitarian endeavours and his role as a diplomat and politician.” (1:32)

Four Norwegian explorers will make a 57-day skiing expedition to the South Pole, following the same route that Amundsen and his men did 100 years ago, with their arrival timed to coincide with the same day that Amundsen reached the pole in 1911, October 19. During the expedition, the explorers will communicate with an audience of schoolchildren and others via satellite phone and internet. There are plans to produce a book about the expedition upon its completion. The project is being funded by the Norwegian Polar Institute as part of the Nansen-Amundsen Year events. The website for this expedition is currently only available in Norwegian but you can also read a short article in English about it.

Talks about the effects of a warming sea on the cod stock in northern Norway. There is one incorrect statement in that they say the dried cod are primarily sold to Spain and Portugal, when in fact, they’re primarily sold to Italy and Portugal. European Journal; Produced by Deutsche Welle. (5:49)

Pre-Viking artifacts have been discovered in the Juvfonna ice field in the Jotunheimen mountains of Norway due to melting ice resulting from climate change. This brief video discusses both the find and the impacts that climate change is having in the mountains of Norway and elsewhere in the world. Video produced by Reuters. (1:37)

A collection of nine short videos looking at the impacts of climate change in different parts of the world and on different animal species. Go to news.discovery.com to see the full collection.

This is a video summary of an annual report that tracks environmental changes and is supported by the international Arctic Council. More information and a PDF of the entire report is available at www.arctic.noaa.gov/reportcard.

Two kids report on climate change and alternative energy from the Klima X climate change exhibit at the Norwegian Teknisk Museum in Oslo in August 2008. 9:39

This video focuses on the Swiss Alps. Produced by the European Environment Agency.

As Arctic ice melts, new shipping routes in the Northwest passage open up. In this video, Amy Standen from KQED FM discusses this issue with Cleo Paskal, author of Global Warring: How Environmental, Economic, and Political Crises Will Redraw the World Map.

A short video from the Nansen Conference on Climate Change and Displacement, the first large-scale conference on climate change and displacement, which took place in Oslo, Norway, June 5-7, 2011. The conference is named after Fridtjof Wedel-Jarlsberg Nansen (1861–1930), who was a Norwegian explorer, scientist, diplomat, humanitarian, and Nobel laureate. 2:30

From February 2011. Professor Stefan Rahmstorf, Postdam Institute for Climate Impact Research, Germany, explains that sea ice is melting faster and the sea level is rising faster than expected by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPPC) in 2007. He argues that we’re running out of time and that it’s necessary to limit global temperature warming to less than two degrees to prevent critical changes. 2:11

From March 2010. Clear explanations with graphics, appropriate for K-12 students. Over recent decades, the Arctic has been the fastest-warming region on the planet. This video tells the story of how it has been changing, as seen from satellites above, and submarines below, touring through years of hard research — in three minutes. Some of the key findings: sea ice is thinning even faster than it is shrinking in area, and Greenland has been shedding ice at an accelerating pace — with consequences for sea level. 3:06

A series of five short animated videos (3-4 minutes each) explaining the chemistry behind climate change. Produced by National Public Radio.

Information provided by the State of the Environment Norway, a division of the Ministry of the Environment. The site provides details about mean temperature rise, climate change impacts on both the natural environment as well as industry and socioeconomics in the region, and responses to climate change. There is a section of the site that deals specifically with climate change impacts to the Arctic region.

Interactive graphic that provides a guide to global warming, from science and politics to economics and technology.

Interactive map to explore some of the effects of global warming around the world. This site also includes information about the causes of global warming, the impacts of global warming on different ecosystems and on people worldwide, and suggested solutions, which can be viewed continent by continent.

Explore global warming issues using an interactive map that looks at how climate changes people and how people change climate around the world.

An interactive graphic on climate change through history.

Tracking international efforts to deal with climate change.

Developing an interactive web-based tool to assess climate change impacts and vulnerabilities for European nations.

SustainUS is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization of young people advancing sustainable development and youth empowerment in the United States.

A social networking site of sorts where individuals share recorded observations from the natural world (many captured via mobile devices). Thousands of species have been captured by camera and plotted with google maps on the website, creating a database that visitors can sort through by location, species, or observer. The “Species” and “Projects” links will probably be most of interest to schools.

Has resources for educators along with information about a variety of topics (climate change, energy, water, environment and society, etc.) geared toward students.

The mission of UNEP is “to provide leadership and encourage partnership in caring for the environment by inspiring, informing, and enabling nations and peoples to improve their quality of life without compromising that of future generations.”

This website includes encyclopedia-like entries with text, images, and links on many of the most popular environmental terms. The site also has news articles and blog entries about a variety of topics related to the environment.

A report from the Economist Magazine discussing how for some governments, the damaging effects of climate change on the receding ice-shelf is not all bad news. (4:05)

The official YouTube channel for the Department of Energy, covering a variety of topics related to how we use and produce energy.

(Matt Barringer, CNN) Ever wondered how much carbon the world emits from the power it uses? This interactive graphic illustrates each region’s population and their electricity consumption and carbon emissions. You can view annual emissions generated from 1980 to 2007, and click the name of the regions for a closer view of relevant figures.

(Paddy Allen and Jenny Ridley, The Guardian, July 5, 2011) The vast Arctic wilderness is the new frontier for industrialists and investors seeking to extract natural resources and maximise profits. See what’s happening where with this interactive map. Click on the “Major Fishing Areas” bullet and see how much area there is by Norway that falls into this category!

An online energy game for students.

Footage of first-ever submersible exploration of the world’s largest cold-water coral reef, found off the coast of Røst, the southernmost island in the Lofoten chain.

Continuing footage of first-ever submersible exploration of the world’s largest cold-water coral reef, found off the coast of Røst, the southernmost island in the Lofoten chain.

Sylvia Earle is an explorer-in-residence at the National Geographic Society, founder of the Mission Blue Foundation, chair of the Advisory Council for the Harte Research Institute and the Marine Science and Technology Foundation, and former chief scientist of NOAA. She was named Time magazine’s first Hero for the Planet, a Living Legend by the Library of Congress, and a 2009 winner of the TED Prize. Earle has pioneered research on marine ecosystems and has led more than 100 expeditions totaling more than 7,000 hours underwater.

Shows the process of stockfish production, from catch and the cutting off of the heads of cod, to the drying and sorting process. In Norwegian, but can be followed without language knowledge.

Cape Code in New England once was a prime cod-fishing area, just as northern Norway is today. What went wrong? What can Cape Cod learn from the fisheries in northern Norway that have been able to sustain commercial cod fishing for more than 1,000 years? And what can northern Norway learn from experiences like those in Cape Cod?

A ten-year investigation of the world’s oceans, studying diversity, distribution, and abundance of marine life. The census wrapped up in October 2010, and this website includes reports, videos, maps and visualizations, a global marine life database, resources for educators, and more.

An interactive map that provides information about the European seas and coastal regions and about the people who live and work along Europe’s coasts.

A collection of videos about Sami life and culture, published by Gáldu – Resource Centre for the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.

A comprehensive collection of fact sheets about all aspects of Sami life and culture, published by Gáldu – Resource Centre for the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.

Series of books, portions of which are published in English online, that include personal narratives about Sami experiences with education and schooling during the twentieth century.

Site maintained by the Sami Parliament of Sweden that includes general information, FAQs, and history of the Sami people and culture.

The International Centre for Reindeer Husbandry maintains this blog as a source of information about the work of International Centre for Reindeer Husbandry (ICR). ICR is based in Guovdageaidnu / Kautokeino in the heart of Sami reindeer husbandry in Norway. The blog site includes news, videos, photos, and general information about reindeer herdering and Sami culture.

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