Introduction

It is May of 2007 and we are well into the International Polar Year. More than a gimmick, these internationally sanctioned “years of…” are a way to focus worldwide attention on an ecosystem or issue.  The International Polar Year (IPY), running from March 1, 2007 to March 9, 2009, is but one example¹. IPY is a joint program of the International Union of Science (ICSU) and the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) involving thousands of scientists from over 60 countries who will conduct more than 150 physical, biological and social sciences research studies in the Arctic and Antarctic.  But the International Polar Year (IPY) has done more than that, even in its first few months.  It has focused the scientific community on cooperative research, synthesis of findings, and communication of information in ways that are unprecedented.

The March first launch of the IPY occurred with resplendent pomp and circumstance at the Palais de la Découverte, a world renowned science museum in Paris.  In the U.S., the IPY kicked off with an opening ceremony for U.S. researchers and politicians held at the National Academies of Science in Washington DC.  The press release from that event claims the IPY is the “largest internationally coordinated scientific research effort in 50 years”.  But the IPY’s impact goes beyond the size of its effort to its inherent timeliness.  Global climate change is all the rage and never has public attention been so riveted to the changing condition of the Arctic and Antarctic. Likewise, never has there been so much speculation on the implications of polar environmental change for the rest of the globe and all of humanity.

Focus on the Poles  

The ecology of the Arctic and Antarctic is relatively poorly understood, not least because conditions are inhospitable and research is orders of magnitude more expensive than in more accessible ecosystems.  Yet interest in the poles is growing exponentially as global climate change has at long last appeared on people’s radar screens worldwide, and as climate change scientists have communicated messages about the relevance of polar conditions for other environments.  It is no coincidence that IPY began shortly before the completion and release of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report that highlights both the potential consequences of climate change on polar systems, and the urgent need for better understanding of the link between climate conditions at the poles and subsequent sea level rise, among other issues. In a sense IPY codifies both newfound public interest and political will to quickly get better understanding of polar dynamics and ecology.  It also marks the launch of exciting new tools to improve understanding, from satellites to ships to sensors².  The focus of IPY covers oceans, atmosphere, ice, land, people and even outer space (the polar areas are the world’s best sites for placing sensors such as telescopes to probe deep space). There are six major themes of research for the International Polar Year:

• Status: to determine the present environmental status of the polar regions

• Change: to quantify and understand past and present environmental and social change in the polar regions, and to improve projections of future change

• Global Linkage: to advance our understanding, on all scales, of the links and interactions between polar regions and the rest of the globe, and of the processes controlling these links

• New Frontiers: to investigate the frontiers of science in the polar regions

• Vantage point: to use the unique vantage point of the polar regions and develop and enhance observatories from the interior of the Earth to the Sun and the cosmos beyond

• Human Dimension: to investigate the cultural, historical, and social processes that shape the sustainability of circumpolar human societies and to identify their unique contributions to global cultural diversity and citizenship³.

This is not the first International Polar Year. Previous IPYS occurred in 1882-83, 1932-33, and 1957-58, which was also known as the International Geophysical Year, and each produced major increases in human understanding of the Earth system. This latest IPY is characterized by a much more multidisciplinary approach, with a full range of natural and social sciences.  IPY 2007-2009 will initiate a new era in polar science with a stronger emphasis on cross-disciplinary learning and strong partnerships with both educators and indigenous communities. The IPY aims not only to educate the public but also to catalyze the training of future leaders in science and engineering.