Before we go our separate ways

So before I say good bye, and we go our separate ways, I thought I would just take a few minutes to conclude some key findings and reflect upon my blog and blogging experiences.

 Long range pollution is a topic which is not that widely discussed, and something which i knew nothing about prior to this blog. Many long range pollutants have similar warming properties to greenhouse gases and therefore should be controlled to prevent further warming in the Arctic. Not all pollutants alter the climate, mercury for example, is extremely toxic (in large concentrations) for animals and humans in this region, and the negative impacts of these must not be ignored. Within this blog I have called for more attention to be drawn to these LRP and if I have enlightened just one person, then I see that as a success!

However the realistic truth is all too looming. As temperatures rise pollutants from more southern locations (warmer and wetter) can penetrate the Arctic dome and contribute further to the volume of pollutants concentrating in the Arctic, Also, long range pollution may well become localized pollution in the near future! As sea ice depletes, more shipping paths will open up, resulting in a greater number of vessels in the Arctic. Increased traffic will see greater sulphate and black carbon emissions, as pollutants no longer have to travel hundreds of miles to reach the Arctic. To prevent this, policy makers need to establish long range pollutants as a threat and begin to incorporate them in global mitigation plans. 

I'm sorry LRP but your passports are out of date....

In my first post I stated several aims so i thought i would just reflected upon how I believe I have completed these aims:

1)      To introduce other threats, beside climate change caused by green house gases, to my readers: throughout this blog I have a running argument that climate change as a result of GHGs overwhelms the public eye. I hope, after following my blog, you can understand and appreciate long range pollutants also pose a risk to the Arctic.

2)      I want to present topics which may be very scientific to my readers in a way which everyone, from whatever academic background, can understand and engage with: within my blog I explored topics including the influence of aerosols and bio-accumulation of mercury, both of which are challenging and very scientific topics. I put my hands up (and this particularly applies to the clouds blog post in which I had to read a lot of physics papers) these topics can be very heavily science based which is not everyone’s cup of tea. However, I hope I manged to express these topics in both an accessible and engaging way.

3)      Try and encourage people that these issues do matter and they should act to save the Polar Regions: this l aim is slightly harder but from the response I have had to my blog I do believe I have managed to change some people’s opinions and as to acting to save the Arctic check out my post on deodorant for an inspiration on what you can do to save the Arctic!

4)      To learn and teach other about something I have never personally learnt about throughout my geography studies: Finally I know I have completed this aim! I have learnt so much about the issues within the Arctic and to my surprise have begun to feel quite passionate about some of the topics! I have even changed the deodorant I use to one which does not emit aerosol! Also, based on the comments and other forms of feedback I have had about my blogs I was thrilled to hear people have learnt (and seemed to have enjoyed doing so) about the topics surrounding Long Range Pollution in the Arctic.

This blogging experience has been one of the most rewarding and yet challenging I have undergone throughout my university life. Throughout the last few months I have encountered a few challenges including addressing some very scientific topics. However with hard work and patience I have found I can address any subject no matter how technical it is. Secondly the engagement was something I initially found disconcerting. Positive comments are always a pleasant experience but ones which challenge you argument or your opinion I found harder to address! Yet, it was very interesting to see how others arguments varied from my own and encouraged me to become more critical of my own arguments.

Despite these challenges I have thoroughly enjoyed developing my blog and have learnt skills which will help me throughout my final year at UCL. So I hope you have learnt something and enjoyed reading this blog as much as I have enjoyed writing about it. If you have any questions either about long range pollution (something I now consider myself to be highly knowledgeable about!) or starting up the blog just drop me a message in the comment section and I will get back to you ASAP!

I know Harry Potter has nothing to do with the Arctic but this is a classic!

So all that is now left to say is GOOD BYE!