Education Centre

Polar Issues
The Polar Regions have inspired generations of explorers, scientists and artists. The Antarctic stands as a symbol to the world of peace and scientific cooperation through the Antarctic Treaty. The Arctic houses some of the world's most amazing people and cultures. Both are places of extreme beauty, where we can truly experience nature, and provide unique locations for high-end scientific research which cannot be conducted anywhere else on the planet. These areas also stand as warnings. Climate change, heavy metal contamination, resource development, loss of traditional language, whaling and fishing are often mentioned in the same breath as the Polar Regions. The lessons learned from dealing with these issues in the poles will affect how we will address the same issues in other areas of the globe.

Youth have a strong part to play in this work. As the generation that will have to face the impacts of many of these issues in our lifetimes, we deserve a right to begin to address them now. We know that ultimately everything that happens in the Polar Regions affects the rest of the world, and we realise that actions we take in our daily lives affect the poles. The Youth Polar Network provides the opportunity for youth to share ideas resulting in creative solutions to many issues affecting the poles today. Find out more in our discussion forums.

Addressing the Issues:
Polar Gallery
View members' photos and artworks of the Polar Regions and the issues affecting them.

Members' Projects
View members' project groups and find out how to participate.

Podcasts
View podcasts by members of the Polar Network.