Polar explorer sounds alarm

Norwegian polar explorer Ousland is just back from an expedition that's left him convinced that drastic measures are needed to halt the rate at which polar ice is melting.

Ousland, who trekked from the North Pole to Franz Josefs Land in the footsteps of legendary explorer Fridtjof Nansen, said he noticed major changes in the landscape since the first time he went to the North Pole in 1990.

"The ice was around three meters thick 17 years ago," Ousland said "This time, we measured the ice every day and we didn't find any ice that was thicker than two meters."

Ousland said he and his team also witnessed polar bears trapped on Kapp Flora. The polar bears didn't have enough strength to swim the distance needed to reach the nearest firm ice, he said.

Polar bear chased from airport

A large, male polar bear came a bit too close for comfort at the main airport on Svalbard.

The polar bear found lounging next to the fenced-in airport was chased off with smoke bombs, part of an effort to keep the ever-present polar bears on Svalbard away from human settlements.
The polar bear, probably weighing around 400 kilos, didn't appear aggressive and was initially spotted by a local resident. The bear was lying just outside the airport's fence at the end of the runway Monday afternoon.
The polar bear must have been comfortable where he was, "because it was a bit difficult to get him up on his feet."
The polar bear finally got up and strolled away from the airport and the nearby town of Longyearbyen. It headed for the local fjord, jumped into the chilly waters and swam off.