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Chinese visiting Rovaniemi, Finland: profile and perceptions of Arctic tourists
Get PDFThe profile of the Chinese tourist is changing. Outbound tourism destinations for Chinese tourists are no longer limited to the Asia-Pacific region. Chinese tourists visit many different destinations, and the areas around the Arctic Circle are growing in attraction. This paper is based on a 2016 online survey about Chinese tourists visiting Rovaniemi, Finland. The questions were based on a previous study of the Finnish Tourist Board conducted in 2003. The results were analyzed and the two studies were compared. The resultant profile of the Chinese tourist visiting the Rovaniemi area showed natural landscapes to be the most important attraction. All respondents had a “must-do” activity, and more than half participated in sport and leisure activities. The state of the environment, natural landscape, and safety conditions were rated most important among tourists. Increasingly, tourists prefer to organize individual trips, using multiple information channels. Currently, Chinese tourists demand deeper tourism experiences. They want to enjoy winter activities in a pure environment, and unique experiences, such as sleeping in an ice or glass hotel. Chinese tourists appreciate the uniqueness that cannot be found in other places. They wish to benefit from travel information from various media, which will allow Chinese tourists to make a complete plan before their journey
China’s climate policy: does an Arctic dimension exist?
Get PDFThe article discusses whether and to what extent an Arctic dimension in Chinese climate policy exists, and whether there are signs of potential linkages between China’s engagement in the Arctic and its domestic climate policies. Although the Arctic is not directly addressed in domestic climate policy, the article concludes that an Arctic dimension exists, in the following areas: the growing awareness in China of energy-related greenhouse gas emissions, climate risk, resilience and vulnerability, which has contributed to increased attention to climatic change in the Arctic and its impact on China; polar scientific research, which is largely climate related, plays a significant role in determining China’s Arctic climate agenda; China’s climate policymaking and domestic institutional set-up is a contributing factor to climate engagement in the Arctic; China’s status as an observer nation in the Arctic Council might potentially raise the profile of domestic climate policies and lead to the addition of an Arctic pillar to national climate change strategies
Non-governmental organizations’ influence on tackling black carbon in the shipping industry
Get PDFThis paper reviews the achievements of some typical non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in reducing black carbon emissions from shipping which enjoy the consultative status offered by the International Maritime Organization. It discusses the roles of the specific NGOs in dealing with black carbon in the Arctic region from the perspective of global
governance to gain insights to guide our involvements in the Arctic affairs and shipping in the region by taking the advantages of NGOs’ influence on the proceedings of international negotiations, our national policy development, the improvement of industrial practices and public perceptions
Chinese investigation and research in Southern Ocean physical oceanography and meteorology during the Chinese Polar Programs 2011–2015
Get PDFWithin the context of developing a research presence in the Antarctic region, the first phase of the Chinese Polar Programs covered the period 2011–2015, which almost coincided with the 12th Five-Year Plan (2011–2015). For the promotion of full understanding of the progress of Chinese expeditions and research in Antarctica, the observations and achievements of cruises during 2011–2015 are summarized in this paper. Four Antarctic cruises (28th–31st) were performed in the Prydz Bay and Antarctic Peninsula regions during the first phase of the Polar Programs. These cruises performed systemic collections of physical oceanographic and meteorological data to support further research on the ice–ocean–atmosphere interactions in Antarctica. Overall, 248 CTD/LADCP stations, 66 microstructure profiles, 507 XBT/XCTDs, 181 air sounding balloons, 58000 total gaseous mercury (TGM) concentrations, 452 aerosol samples, 294 atmospheric samples, 11 moorings, and 28 surface drifters were acquired or deployed during the four cruises. Using these extensive observations and other data, Chinese scientists have achieved new recognition in the fields of Southern Ocean physical oceanography and meteorology, as well as in other interdisciplinary subjects. These studies, which have been associated with scientific techniques, instrumentation, ocean circulation, water mass formation, energy transformation, and carbon uptake, have elucidated the dynamic mechanisms and potential effects of climate change in Antarctica. Finally, some observations based on experience gained during previous Chinese Antarctic Research and Expedition campaigns are summarized with advice for the improvement of future investigations in the Antarctic region
Estimating sea ice albedo feedback in a regional climate modeling sensitivity experiment
Get PDFSurface albedo feedback (SAF), or sea ice albedo feedback over the Arctic Ocean, has an important effect on the Arctic climate, even though it is not the leading contributor to polar amplification. Previous model-based studies on SAF have primarily used global climate models to exploit their global coverage and favorable configurations. This study verified the capability of using regional climate models (RCMs) to investigate SAF by designing a sensitivity experiment in terms of sea ice coverage. This study modeled two control cases of the years 1980 and 2012, as well as two sensitivity cases performed by switching the sea ice coverages in the control cases. The results proved the Weather Research and Forecast model capable of separating and quantifying the respective contributions of the atmosphere and the surface albedo to the surface radiation budget. Supported by the ALL/CLR model, the balanced surface shortwave radiation absorption was used to calculate SAF. The experiments overestimated SAF, largely because of the canceled cloud effect during model initialization. This study highlights a new possibility of designing experiments for studying climatic sensitivity and feedback using RCMs
PIV experimental study on the interactions between ice ridges and stratified fluids
Get PDFWith the rapid decline of Arctic sea ice, the freshwater produced by melting of summer sea ice makes the depth of the halocline under ice become shallower. This has an impact on the drift of sea ice because internal waves may be generated at the interface of the halocline by disturbance from the draft of an ice floe or ridge keel. A laboratory experimental study was carried out to investigate the interactions between an ice ridge and stratified fluid using the method of Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV). The drift velocity of an ice ridge (U) and the draft of the ridge keel (D) were altered in different experimental cases, and the velocity field in the stratified fluid was then measured by PIV. The results reveal that an obvious vortex exists in the wake field of the ridge keel, and the center of the vortex moves away from the ice ridge with increasing D. Internal waves at the interface of the stratified fluid were observed during the drift of the ice ridge, and the wave height shows a positive correlation with U and D. This study demonstrates that ice ridges could introduce internal waves at the interface of a stratified fluid and thus affect the oceanic drag coefficient and ice drift. It supports improved parameterization of the ice drag coefficients
Triple-helix knowledge-based Sino-Nordic Arctic relationships for trust and sustainable development
Get PDFThis paper goes beyond Sino-Nordic Arctic science diplomacy and looks at Sino-Nordic Arctic triple-helix knowledge based collaborations among academia, business, civil society (the inclusion of which moves beyond the original triple-helix concept), and government. In light of the potential of science diplomacy for building Sino-Arctic trust under systemic international conditions of power transition and globalization, this is the natural next step toward exploring triple-helix collaborations. Knowledge-based collaborations between academia, business, civil society, and government also open up avenues for innovation and entrepreneurship by both Arctic societies and Chinese society in attempts to address major challenges to sustainable development in these societies. This paper discusses possible triple-helix knowledge-based collaborations with China by each of the five Nordic countries, and highlights the innovation and entrepreneurial talents of summer school students at the University of International Relations in Beijing in developing projects as part of a course entitled “The Global Arctic”
Arctic Investment Protocol - Guidelines for Responsible Investment in the Arctic
Get PDFThe Arctic is a diverse, rapidly-changing and environmentally sensitive region that is home for its four million residents and also an emerging global investment opportunity. To balance these dimensions, the Investment Protocol of the World Economic Forum Global Agenda Council on the Arctic aspires to promote sustainable and equitable economic growth in the region that furthers community well-being and builds resilient societies in a fair, inclusive and environmentally sound manner
Detection of integron integrase genes on King George Island, Antarctica
Get PDFThe presence and diversity of class 1 integrase gene (intI) sequences were evaluated by PCR using previously designed primers. Two clone libraries were constructed from DNA in sediment and microbial mat samples collected on Fildes Peninsula, King George Island, Antarctica. The libraries constructed from samples collected at Halfthree Point (HP) and Norma Cove (NC) contained 62 and 36 partial intI sequences, respectively. These sequences clustered into 10 different groups with < 95% amino acid identity. Alignment of the deduced amino acid sequences with those from recognized integron-encoded integrases demonstrated the presence of highly conserved motifs characteristic of intI integrases. The HP library contained 42 nucleotide sequences identical to the class 1 intI gene found in a collection of trimethoprim-resistant (Tmpr) Antarctic Enterobacter sp. isolates, previously collected in the same area. These integrons, located on plasmids, had a genetic organization similar to that of pKOX105 from Klebsiella oxytoca. The 20 remaining HP and NC library sequences were similar to integrase sequences previously determined in a metagenomic analysis of environmental samples. We have demonstrated the presence of integron integrase genes in Antarctic sediment samples. About half these genes were very similar to the class 1 integrons found in humanassociated microbiota, suggesting that they originated from human-dominated ecosystems. The remaining integrase genes were probably associated with endemic bacteria
Construction and screening of a functional metagenomic library to identify novel enzymes produced by Antarctic bacteria
Get PDFA metagenomic fosmid library of approximately 52 000 clones was constructed to identify functional genes encoding cold-adapted enzymes. Metagenomic DNA was extracted from a sample of glacial meltwater, collected on the Antarctic Peninsula during the ANTARKOS XXIX Expedition during the austral summer of 2012–2013. Each clone contained an insert of about
35–40 kb, so the library represented almost 2 Gb of genetic information from metagenomic DNA. Activity-driven screening was used to detect the cold-adapted functions expressed by the library. Fifty lipase/esterase and two cellulase-producing clones were isolated, and two clones able to grow on Avicel® as the sole carbon source. Interestingly, three clones formed a brown precipitate in the presence of manganese (II). Accumulation of manganese oxides was determined with a leucoberbelin blue assay, indicating that these three clones had manganese-oxidizing activity. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of a manganese oxidase activity detected with a functional metagenomic strategy