Arctic workers and their hope for its future

What draws someone back to a brutally cold, white landscape that shifts beneath their feet? For many Arctic workers, the answer lies in a delicate mix of concern, resolve, and hope — a belief that even as the region faces accelerating change, there’s still time to protect it and those that depend on it.

According to Andrew Derocher, the Arctic is an amazing place with one of the “most fascinating ecosystems. And it’s something that people should experience.”

Derocher is an ecologist who has worked in the Arctic for over 40 years. In 1993, he was one of the first scientists to publish a paper speculating what might happen to the polar bear if its sea ice habitat continues to melt. That paper has proven true today – melting sea ice and its impact on polar bears has become a common tale. But perhaps less known is the impact that sea ice loss has on scientists’ ability to conduct Arctic research.

‘So many of the issues dealing with climate are hinging on how the Arctic sea ice trends over the coming decades. Climate systems are global.’

For Derocher, melting sea ice makes it difficult to collect samples. Unlike when he first started working in the Arctic, he now knows to expect a lack of ice, which may affect his work.

“In some of the areas we were working this year, it didn’t matter if we found a bear–we couldn’t land. The ice wasn’t thick enough.”

When Derocher struggles to collect data, his analyses risk losing the long-term story that shapes our understanding of environmental change. In short, without the data, we cannot see the full picture.

His decades of dedication towards understanding these changes have influenced his outlook on politics. He believes that, in many ways, politicians are hindering efforts to mitigate climate change.

“I’m disappointed in the politicians that didn’t look far enough into the future and ignored the science, and continue to ignore it.”

He urges people to pay attention because “so many of the issues dealing with climate are hinging on how the Arctic sea ice trends over the coming decades. Climate systems are global.” In other words, what happens in the Arctic doesn’t stay there.

However, even after 40 years of watching his study area melt away, Derocher still holds a profound sense of hope, partly because of a perceived shift in the public’s attitude towards climate change.

“I think the number of people that think that climate change is not an issue is not increasing. The ones that were very vocal are less vocal, because the science is overwhelmingly clear.”

Polar bears, however, are not the only species at risk of extinction in the Arctic – many others depend on the sea ice as well. Jeff Hidgon is a consulting biologist and science communicator who has worked in the Arctic for 20 years. He gives feedback to northern communities that monitor the numbers of various local species, such as bowhead whales and narwhals, which may also be affected by climate change.

Less sea ice and more unpredictable weather, however, have made it difficult for his colleagues to collect their data as well. Without it, he struggles to accomplish his work.

“I can’t give them a review of their monitoring program if they can’t even run the program.”

It is not just the flora and fauna at risk in the Arctic. Over time, Hidgon has become friends with the community members he works with, and they’re at risk as well.

“You mention the Arctic and people think about icebergs…and polar bears…, but they don’t think about the Inuit families and the school children – the people that live up there and share that landscape with these species.”

Even still, Hidgon finds hope in the next generation: “I think youth today are more engaged with global environmental issues like climate change, and that’s our leaders of tomorrow… I have faith in their knowledge, skills and passion.”

Raymond Friesen works in video production and has spent over a decade working in the Arctic. He explains that research and documentary making go hand in hand – both tell a story that may inspire dialogue.

“If we don’t document it, then how are we ever going to talk about it?”

Friesen fell in love with the Arctic early on in his filmmaking career. He added that the Arctic is an “incredibly dramatic place – diverse, and inspiringly cold. And once you’ve gone there, it calls you back.”

However, over the past Decade, Friesen has witnessed significant changes in the Arctic. Previously, seasons were much more defined, making it easier to know when to transport things across the ice. Now the Arctic’s unpredictability makes it harder for him to do his work.

Like Derocher, Friesen believes the changes he and his colleagues have witnessed in such a short timeframe have caused a positive shift in people’s perception of climate change.

“I think the conversations around climate have become… more normalized. We can see it happening.”

This offers Friesen hope, as does the knowledge that the problem is one that can be solved. He explained that since humans have contributed to climate change, we therefore have the power to mitigate it.

“I think it becomes an easier problem to solve when we look at it from that perspective.”

Duane Collins, who has lived and worked in the Arctic as an adventure guide and polar bear safety specialist for over 25 years, shares a similar sentiment. “I remember the debates when I was in junior high around CFCs, the ozone layer… But we did something about it.” Collins speaks of the Montreal Protocol, one of humanity’s best examples of coming together, trusting in the science, and tackling the problem.

“There was pressure and protests and science, and there were politicians who negotiated with the industry to change. And successfully, I might add.”

Collins’ resolve is fuelled by a fear of what may happen if we do nothing. As a guide, he uses this fear to fuel his work – teaching guests the truth about what’s happening in the Arctic.

“It is discouraging to think that my working career could exceed the timeline for polar bears having a viable habitat in western Hudson Bay… I mean, those are the thoughts that keep you up at night.”

Over time, Collins has also seen a shift in the public’s perception – not just in an increased understanding of what’s happening, but also a level of apathy he didn’t expect. His guests don’t deny climate change anymore. Instead, they travel to see polar bears in the wild, specifically to see them before they’re gone.

He urges his guests not to lose hope because “the clock’s not up.” Bears could still have a future. Significant issues have been tackled before, and they can be again. He also pointed out that progress has already been made in the fight against climate change – technological advances have greatly improved efficiency to the point where some countries have already achieved their net-zero commitments.

Jenny Wong, a photographer and storyteller who has spent the last 6 years capturing and describing the beauty and fragility of the Arctic, also implores us to remember our human potential. She reminds us of our collective power of belief.

“Simply believing in the need and urgency to tackle the issue of climate warming is the most powerful thing we can do — that will guide our resources and policies towards achieving a sustainable and climate resilient future.”

Wong never intended to become a voice for the Arctic, but her first trip there changed her perspective.

“Feeling my own vulnerability resting on the quality of ice beneath my feet, hearing the stories that affect my friends, it affected me.”

Returning home, she dove into the literature and learned the importance of the Arctic not just to her friends there, but to everyone else on the planet.

“For the longest time, the Arctic’s effect on our daily lives has been unconsciously existing in the background,” referring to the Arctic’s albedo effect and the tundra’s capacity as a carbon sink. “As[these systems] deteriorate, our planet loses resilience towards a stable climate.”

Although this knowledge caused her concern, like the others, she remains hopeful.

“So many human achievements are rooted in believing in intangible things that make us cooperate and coexist together.”

Knowing about the impact that climate change has on our natural world can impact our mental health, particularly for those who see it first-hand. But hope can be found everywhere – from the youth whose drive challenges laws, to a shift in the public’s perception, or to knowing we’ve tackled big problems before. Most importantly, hope arises from action. Finding a place in the climate movement can shift perspectives from despair to hope.

As Wong said, “This is the single greatest threat that humanity has ever faced and requires the greatest level of cooperation beyond anything we have ever done.”