When Jessica Cheam travelled to the Arctic Circle in June this year, she encountered the hottest summer there since records began, with temperatures peaking at 21 deg C – well above the average of 5 deg C. Staying in one of the world’s northernmost inhabited areas, Svalbard, Norway, Cheam recalls that she couldn’t sleep because the cabins in the research town were made to trap heat – and it was way too hot.
“It was very uncomfortable, ” says the founder of sustainability platform Eco-Business. One night, a polar bear walked through town at 3 am. You wouldn’t guess it but the two incidents were actually linked.
These days, these Arctic mammals enter human settlements more frequently as their natural habitat, the sea ice of the North Pole, continues to disappear due to global warming.
“Without the extent of ice, they’re wandering larger distances looking for food,” says Cheam.
“They’ve started eating bird’s eggs, which is not a part of their diet. This is causing the bears to have diarrhea while decimating the local bird population.”
So that she, too, did not become food for polar bears, Cheam was accompanied by scientists toting rifles whenever she wandered out of the safe boundary of town.
CHANGING PLANET
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة December 2019 من The PEAK Singapore.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.
بالفعل مشترك ? تسجيل الدخول
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة December 2019 من The PEAK Singapore.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.
بالفعل مشترك? تسجيل الدخول
From Screen to Store
Heini Zachariassen, founder of global wine rating app Vivino on how its first retail store in the world brings data-driven curation to wine lovers.
In the Dining Spotlight
Renowned Dutch chef Sergio Herman, whose name has been associated with the Michelin Guide in the Netherlands and Belgium, is expanding his Asian footprint with his Singapore outpost, Le Pristine in Grand Hyatt Singapore.
All for One
How would you navigate a corner if you were hearing-impaired or enjoy school if you were on the spectrum? These architects posit that inclusive design must be part of mainstream standards to improve overall living environments.
Pods and Swirling Staircases
This quirky and playful home designed by Park Associates is shaped after its owners, a young family with three children.
Stories Behind the Kebava
Sufiyanto A. S., one half of the duo behind the Kebaya.Societe Instagram account, has had enough of seeing Malay identity erased and forgotten.
Good to Go
Driving classic Jaguars on the legendary Goodwood Motor Circuit is all the magic a motorhead needs.
Seasons of the Snake
Japanese architect Tadao Ando once again works his magic for Bvlgari, with the Serpenti Tubogas as an artistic canvas for nature's cyclical transformation.
Phoenix Rising
One gutsy retired pharmaceutical executive rescued two-century-old Swiss watchmaker Bovet, and today, its presence is stronger than ever in Southeast Asia.
Con Amore, Leggiero, Presto!
Chan Weitian injects new insights into Presto Drycleaners, blending operational innovation with time-honoured values.
Preserving Paradise
Gaya Island Resort takes eco-tourism beyond the expected, blending conservation efforts with authentic luxury.