Norway

We believed that polar bears were doomed to disappear. In Norway they are getting fatter and healthier

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For decades, the polar bear has become in the indisputable symbol of the climate crisis that we are living. The equation seemed quite simple and devastating: if there is less sea ice, they will be able to hunt less and, therefore, the bears will be more malnourished and may disappear. But what we are seeing has broken this logic, at least in one specific region of the Arctic. The paradigm shift. Against all odds, the polar bears of the Savalbard Archipelago, Norwayhave presented a better body condition than 25 years agoeven though their habitat is melting at a fast pace. And this has generated many questions. In order to answer this, the study led by Jon Aars of the Norwegian Polar Institutehas provided conclusive data after decades of monitoring these animals. all this thanks to 770 polar bears that have been in the focus of the study during the years 1995 and 2019 in the Barents region. They are getting fat. After analyzing all the measurement results, it was found that an ecological paradox existed: although the ice-free season in the area has lengthened significantly, these bears are increasing their weight significantly since 2005. The big question here is… How possible? The answer. The key to this unexpected resilience seems to lie in the unique biological productivity of the Barents Sea and in the adaptation capacity of these predators. According to the study, several simultaneous factors have occurred, such as prey density. This means that the loss of ice has concentrated these bears’ prey in smaller, coastal areas, paradoxically making them more accessible at certain times. But it does not stop there, since an increase in the number of seals has also been seen, and especially in bearded seals which is a much larger prey and rich in fat. A change of diet. This is where the flexibility of the predator comes in, since Svalbard’s eyes have begun to supplement their diet with terrestrial resources, including reindeer and bird eggstaking advantage of what the land offers when the sea fails. In short, Svalbard’s bears live in a “bubble” of ecological abundance that has cushioned, for now, the physical impact of ice loss due to global warming. There is no need to celebrate it. It is easy to fall into the temptation of using this study to minimize the impact of climate change because the fact that ice is becoming less and less has not affected the species. But the authors of the study point out that this is an anomaly that occurs in this specific area of ​​the Arctic but is not a global trend. In this way, while the bears of Svalbard enjoy this temporary respite, their relatives in Hudson Bay (Canada) and other regions of the Arctic show severe signs of malnutrition and above all a decrease in the number of animals. And the difference is that not all Arctic ecosystems are as rich as the Barents Sea. A mirage. This is what the study warns that we may have in front of us, since now the bear has been able to adapt to the situation, but the sea ice continues to retreat, we do not know what will happen. What is expected is that a tipping point may be reached where not even the richness of prey or reindeer eggs will be enough to sustain the current population, starting a new ecological crisis here. Images | Hans-Jurgen Mager In Xataka | They’re not kissing, they’re scanning: the complex science behind nose-to-nose contact in the animal kingdom

This is one of the most extreme northern lights hunts in Norway

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There are nights when northern Norway does not promise anything, and that is precisely why it is so attractive. Close darkness, sustained cold and a landscape that, for hours, barely offers references beyond mountains, snow and silence. In this context, the idea of ​​going out to search northern lights It stops looking like a conventional tourist plan and becomes something else, a conscious wait in a unique environment with epicenter in Narvik. What is offered here is not a themed train or a rolling observation deck, but rather a nighttime experience organized around a real railway journey. The call Northern Lights Train It uses an existing line to get away from the city and take travelers to areas with very little light pollution, where waiting is a central part of the plan. The train is the means, not the end, and the proposal is structured around moving, getting off, waiting and returning. Everything is designed to increase the chances of seeing auroras. A trip designed to pursue something unique Traveling on the Ofoten line means crossing one of the most unique railway corridors in northern Norway. In the context of this experience, the journey functions as a process of gradual disconnection, Narvik is left behind and, with it, artificial lighting and the feeling of an inhabited environment. The train enters a mountainous landscape where the sky begins to take over. The itinerary has two proper names that organize the experience. The first is Bjørnfjella station located next to the border with Sweden, where the train makes a brief stop before continuing its ascent. The final destination is Katteratabout 374 meters above sea level, a former railway enclave with no road access. That detail is not minor, getting there is only possible by train, and it turns the place into a particularly secluded point. Once in Katterat, the experience shifts from journey to waiting. Travelers get off the train and move on foot through the immediate surroundings, where a meeting point is organized around a bonfire. There is a hot drink and some simple food, not as a gastronomic attraction, but as support against the cold and the waiting time. The pace consciously slows down and the night takes over as the group remains attentive to the sky. Here the guides fulfill a more strategic than spectacular function. They are the ones who interpret forecasts, explain why it is expected at a specific point and adjust the plan if conditions change. They are also those who lower expectations, remembering that the dawn does not light up on demand and that the night can be resolved without major apparitions. This balance between information, prudence and support is an essential part of the product offered. Auroras are not a local or spontaneous phenomenon, but the visible consequence of processes that begin much further away. The origin is in the solar wind, a flow of charged particles ejected by the Sun constantly and It takes around 40 hours to reach Earth. When this material interacts with the Earth’s magnetic field, it is deflected towards the poles and collides with oxygen and nitrogen at high altitudes. If we talk about the price, the train trip, the organization of the wait, the hot drinks, the snack and the guide’s explanations are part of the same package, whose cost starts at 1495 Norwegian crowns (about 127 euros). The model is clear, to shape an unpredictable night within an organized experience, where the value is not in the result, but in the set of elements that make the attempt possible. The journey ends as it began, on rails, with the train returning to Narvik as the group leaves Katerat behind and the mountain once again closes in darkness. Heaven may or may not have answeredbut the experience has already been completed on another level. What remains is the feeling of having participated in something that cannot be forced, where the journey, the wait and the context weigh as much as the result. It should be noted that an image that does not correspond to reality has been built on these types of experiences lately. On social networks and some media circulate images and videospossibly generated or altered with artificial intelligence, showing supposed luxury Norwegian trains with wrap-around glass roofs and perfect views of the sky. Those trains do not exist. The real experience, as we have seen, is very different from those recreations. Images | Norwegian Travel | Visit Narvik | Arctic Train In Xataka | Marbella is no longer the favorite destination of Russian millionaires: it is now a paradise island in China where they are not held accountable

The European Space Agency has always launched rockets from South America. Norway is very close to changing that

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The Arctic is no longer just that vast ice desert at the end of the world, but it has become a strategic point for many countries that they do not want to waste. And Europe does not want to let him escape, now opting to migrate the launch of part of your rockets from South America to this new location, something that has a great geopolitical strategy behind it. An agreement. The European Space Agency (ESA) and Norway recently signed an agreement to promote the creation of a new research center in the north of our planet: the ESA Arctic Space Center in Tromso. But it is not just another research center, but rather it is Europe’s response to ensure its autonomy in observation, navigation and communications in a region where it is already Russia and China is deploying its own infrastructure. The location. Choosing Tromsø as the city where to locate this new launch zone is not something chosen at random. If we go to a map, we can locate it far above the Arctic Circle, already being a city that has become a vibrant ecosystem of satellite data. Looking back, Tromsø already hosts mission control Arctic Weather Satellite, a satellite launched in 2024 that tried to demonstrate how a polar constellation can save lives through very accurate weather forecasts. But it also has a large number of institutions that make it a true Silicon Valley of the cold, housing the Secretariat of the Arctic Council and the Norwegian Polar Institute. A greater amount of data. The agreement signed between ESA and the Norwegian agency NOSA establishes a working group that will define the details before the end of 2026. This center is defined as an opportunity to monitor the melting of the Arctic, which warming four times faster than the global averagewhich gives us data on what will happen in the rest of the planet. It also entails an important national security reason, since today maritime traffic in the Northeast Passage does not stop increasing, and this means having signs of Galileo It allows you to have better control of everything that happens here. That is why, more than science, we are facing a critical center for civil security, search and rescue. The change of location. Until now, our gateway to space was French Guiana for a reason of basic physics: its proximity to the equator allows us to take advantage of the “impulse” of the Earth’s rotation to launch heavy satellites. However, the center of Tromsø and the new Nordic ports respond to a different need: polar orbit. That is why while from South America it is ideal to launch television satellites that remain “fixed” on the equator, the Arctic is the perfect balcony for satellites that must monitor melting ice or borders. Launching from the Pole, the satellite enters directly onto a North-South path that allows it to scan every corner of the planet as the Earth rotates below. In addition, being on the axis of rotation, rockets do not have to “fight” against the Earth’s lateral spin, which makes observation missions much more efficient and cheaper. Geopolitics. Beyond science, in this case there is a reading of territorial sovereigntysince while China invests in the “Polar Silk Road” and Russia increases its infrastructure in Siberia, Europe needs its own eyes in the north. In this way, while from South America it is ideal to launch television satellites that remain “fixed” on the equator, the Arctic is the perfect balcony for satellites that must monitor melting ice or borders. In this way, the Tromsø–Svalbard axis, added to the new spaceports of Andøya (Norway) and Kiruna (Sweden), consolidates northern Europe as the main gateway to space on the continent. This decision reduces dependence on external infrastructure as occurred in South America and obviously guarantees that all data remains in European territory. What’s next now. Norway, a member of ESA since 1987, brings its network of polar stations and its unique experience in polar orbit operations that are undoubtedly crucial in the current situation. From now on, the working group that has been formed has two years to design the governance and calendar of a center that promises to be “the control tower” of the European future in the Arctic. Images | riya rohewal In Xataka | In January a SpaceX rocket exploded. Today we know the danger that an Iberia plane was in with 450 passengers in the air

Norway promised them happiness with the world’s first megatunnel for ships. Until he saw how much it was going to cost him

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Thousands of kilometers of sinuous coasts, currents, storms and devilish geography. Norway does not make it easy for sailors who ply its coastline every day loaded with goods, fish or passengers. Hence, the country has been talking for some time about undertaking an ambitious work at one of its points more sensitive, the Stad peninsula. The idea is to cross the tongue of land with a tunnel almost two kilometers long, designed specifically for the passage of boats. The problem is that estimates of its cost have not stopped growing in recent years and that has led the Government to take a step back. His idea is to put the project in the drawer. Another thingOf course, Parliament is going to allow it. A boat tunnel? That’s how it is. It sounds strange, and it’s normal. After all the Stad tunnel It is an unusual infrastructure, the first underground road designed for boats. What Norway is proposing to do is open a large navigable canal of 1.7kmalmost 50 m high (the navigable space will be somewhat less) and more than 30 m wide to cross the Stad peninsula, in the province of vestlandwest of the country. Building it would require between four years of works. That they want to open right in Vestland is no coincidence. If the Stad peninsula stands out for something, it is because of its poor conditions for sailors: it is exposed to the inclemencies and gusts of wind of the Stadhavet Sea, with no nearby islands to cushion it, and the currents do not make it easy for sailors either. In the web of the project, it is recalled that the Kråkenes station, south of Stad, is the one that records the most stormy days: some years there are more than a hundred. And does a tunnel solve it? The same website Remember that in Stad there is intense maritime traffic, both Norwegian and foreign ships, dedicated to fishing, commerce, aquaculture, naval and tourism. With the underground canal, Norway wants to offer them several advantages: time savings and more security, with all the advantages that this can bring for anyone who depends on ships. Furthermore, supporters of the project defend that with “a safer and more efficient step” maritime transport will increase, removing trucks from the roads. Whether its promises are more or less convincing, the undeniable thing is that the Stad tunnel is nothing new. TO late 19th century There was already talk of crossing the peninsula with a subway, although the approach has not always been exactly the same. At one time they even opted for a railway pipeline. The idea has remained on the table with twists and turns in recent years until in 2013 It finally managed to sneak into the National Transportation Plan. In 2017 the tunnel seemed a little closer and in 2021 started to talk of the imminent start of the works. In fact, it is estimated that a little more than 30 million dollars in land purchases and feasibility studies to give it shape. Are you on track then? Not at all. If the work sounds ambitious it is because it really is. And that usually entails something more than technical complications: money. Big money. Millions and millions of Swedish crowns. An amount that has also increased with the passage of time, complicating its viability. Maritime Executive remember that at the time there was talk of 325 million dollars and in 2023 the figure had skyrocketed to 690 million. A few days ago NRK, the Norwegian public radio and television channel, I already needed that the estimated bill is around 9.4 billion crowns, about 780 million dollars. There are means, like one’s own Maritime Executivethat they even refer larger figures. Is that a problem? A few days ago NRK echoed some statements by the prime minister, Jonas Gahr Storewhich reveal that the Government wants to put the project in the drawer. At least for now. The reason has little mystery: its exorbitant cost at a time when the country prefers to invest in other areas. “In the budget proposal we will announce that we abandoned the Stad sea tunnel project,” the leader advanced Norwegian. “The cost will be so high that we feel it is not responsible to move forward with the project.” “We must prioritize and take care of every penny to use the money in the most efficient way possible. That is why we reject this project, we consider that it does not justify such a high expense,” insisted Støre, who cited other priorities, such as health, defense or municipal investment. “It will be so expensive that we consider it irresponsible to continue with the project.” With the option of lowering or renegotiating costs ruled out, the news soon spread to the local press and foreignerwith all kinds of reactions. What reactions? Days after the announcement the Norwegian Coastal Administration published a statement confirming that, within the framework of the 2026 national budget, the Government had decided to “suspend” the tunnel works pending Parliament’s ruling. The agency warned that, among other issues, this stoppage will also affect the bidding for works. An important notice considering that you had already received offers from three construction companies and expected to close the contract this year to start the works (five years) in 2026. The defenders of the tunnel have been more emphatic, speaking of “a hard blow” and an “irresponsible decision.” “More than 500 companies from the fishing industry and shipping to industry, tourism and aquaculture have signed the petition for the construction of the tunnel,” remember. “These represent thousands of jobs and billions in revenue.” What will happen now? Good question. Although it is not easy to answer it. Støre’s announcement was framed in the presentation of the 2026 state accounts, which left some questions raised. After all, as NRK herself recalled As the news progresses, the prime minister’s party, the Labor Party, does not have a majority in the Storting (Parliament of Norway), so … Read more

The first European attempt to launch a commercial rocket at orbit has ended up explosion to northern Norway

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First attempt. The inaugural launch of the Spectrum rocket, a test mission without payload called “Going Full Spectrum”took off at 12:30 CET on March 30 from the Andøya Space Puerto, in Norway. Originally scheduled for March 24, the flight was delayed several times due to bad weather conditions. After lighting their nine engines, the Spectrum He cleared the launch platform and rose without problems for 18 seconds. Then he began to lose control or overwhelming his orientation to the point of turning. In the second 30, all the engines went out and the rocket began to fall. The realization changed camera, but an explosion was heard shortly after. “A success!” The impact of the rocket near the platform and the fireball of the explosion They were captured by the Norwegian press. Despite the ruling, Isar Aerospace declared the launch A success. The CEO of the company, Daniel MetzlerHe added that the flight “has fulfilled all our expectations” with “an impeccable takeoff, 30 seconds of flight and we could even validate our flight termination system.” Although the rocket did not define, he turned off his engines not to deviate before falling. The launch platform is apparently intact. Flight launchers 2 and 3 are already in production. ISAR has compiled numerous data in this first test. Spectrum. What Isar Aerospace’s rocket has not been able to validate is the first orbital launching title of a European private company, since it has not reached orbit. Now the achievement is still open to other rockets such as RFA One of the German Rocket Factory Augsburg or Miura 5 of the Spanish Pld Space. Spectrum is a two -stage rocket and 28 meters high designed to transport up to 1000 kg to the low terrestrial orbit. The first stage has nine Aquila engines and the second one has one, optimized for space vacuum. All of their own design, with carbon fiber tanks without coating and 3D printed engines, fed with oxygen and liquid propane. Isar Aerospace. It was founded in 2018 in Germany with a Spacex -inspired approach: integrated production vertically and very automated, with the idea of ​​producing many prototypes, testing them and improving their design through multiple iterations. It is very well financed with a total investment of 400 million euros, which has taken the opportunity to build a new headquarters 40,000 square meters near Munich. According to Isar, it will have the capacity to produce 40 Spectrum rockets per year. Norway. Isar Aerospace has an exclusive platform in the Andøya Space Puerto in Norway, chosen for its ideal location to reach polar orbits and heliosíncronas and because the rocket takes off on the open ocean. It also has the meteorological problem that has been seen the days before the launch. Images | Isar Aerospace In Xataka | Europe’s access depends on the United States. ESA has presented a strategic plan to become independent

Spain’s attack gets stuck against Norway and the Hispanics are left with no margin for error to qualify for the quarterfinals

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Spain Qualification for the quarterfinals of the World Cup has been complicated after losing to a Norwegian team that, despite not reaching its best moment, punished the irregularity of the national team. Those of Jordi Ribera They had a good first half, but ran out of steam in the second half. In the second phase, the ‘Hispanics’ They no longer have any margin for error. The defeat against Norway has been like a shot in the foot and each game for Spain will be a match ball. Portugal will be the first obstacle, while if they win, the pass will be decided against Brazil. The defeat took place in the second half when the Spanish players failed to be successful in front of goal. Spain, which led by four, conceded a 4-9 partial in the final minutes that caused the first defeat in the World Cup. A result that few could have predicted with twenty minutes remaining with the five goals advantage (14-19) that the Spanish team had, whose attack was choked with seven field players that the Nordic team proposed in the final stretch. Quite a setback for Spain, which, aware of the delicate situation in which the hosts arrived at the event, who had zero points in their locker, seemed willing to exploit the nervousness of the Norwegian team with a forceful start to the game. Spain, from more to less To do this, Jordi Ribera did not hesitate to bet on the presence of the brothers. Dujshebaev who responded to the coach’s confidence with three consecutive goals from Dani, the youngest of the saga. An offensive efficiency that allowed the Hispanics to take a two-goal lead (1-3) that seemed like it could make Norway falter, very touched after its bad first phase. But it was the Spanish team itself that was in charge of rescuing the Nordic from his doubts with several untimely losses of the ball that allowed Norway to run. A circumstance that condemned Spain to see how those of Jonas Wille Not only did they erase their disadvantage, but they turned the score around 4-3 in just two minutes. It was enough, however, for those from Ribera to minimize their offensive mistakes led by a spectacular Alex Dujshebaev, who took over the scoring from his little brother, so that the ghosts would appear again to the Norwegian team. Forced to attack statically, the local players began to get more and more entangled in the defensive framework of the Spanish team, which with legs and more legs took the Nordics to the brink of passiveness in each of their offensives. The ideal breeding ground for Norway’s mistakes to emerge, which Spain did not forgive and punished with several consecutive counterattacks to lead by two goals (9-11) with just over ten minutes to go before half-time. Sagosen, the key to the match But the goalkeeper’s emergence Andre Kristensenwhich made three consecutive stops, prevented the escape of the Spanish team, which increasingly firm in defense managed, despite everything, to go into the break with a lead of three goals (10-13) on the scoreboard. The Hispanics managed to extend that difference to five (13-18) thanks to a sensational defensive work, in which the young man shone again, as happened against Sweden. Ian Barrufetand the goals of Imanol Garciandia which, with its cannon shots, unblocked the Spanish attack. However, there was still a lot for those from Ribera to suffer, as he was responsible for remembering. Norwegian star Sander Sagosenwhich seemed to be resurrected with the move to attack with seven field players proposed by the Nordic coach. A change that stuck for Spain, which saw its advantage reduced to just one point (21-22) with just over ten minutes remaining, forcing Ribera to urgently request a time-out. Petar Cikusa tries to escape the pressure of the Norwegian players. EFE

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