Topic: Arctic Circle

China cozies up to Iceland in race for Arctic resources

China has been paying a lot of attention to Iceland, a country with a population 1/5000th the size of its own, as an effort to stretch its influence into the Arctic Sea.

Change Agent Rural electric co-ops go green

Electric cooperatives have served rural Americans for generations. Some are taking advantage of their member-owned status to begin weaning their regions off of fossil fuels.

Mars sand dunes may hint at water beneath

The discovery, based on research in Alaska, opens a window on processes at play early in Mars' history, when it hosted an environment that could have harbored microbial life.

Warming Arctic: Receding ice leaves Hudson Bay polar bears less time to eat

Polar bears' territorial tendencies and the diminishing ice season on Hudson Bay are conspiring to leave the animals less time to eat, researchers say. This bodes ill for their ability to reproduce, and survive.

Global News Blog China pushes for Arctic foothold, from a thousand miles away

As global warming pushes back the Arctic Sea ice, uncovering new natural-resource deposits, China is looking to establish its presence in the north.

On thin ice: As Arctic Ocean warms, a scramble to understand its weather

Increasing summer ice melt in the Arctic Ocean could shift global weather patterns and make polar waters more navigable. But scientists say forecasting Arctic ice and weather remains a massive challenge.

New York's heat may be warming Siberia

Heat from northern cities from New York to Tokyo could warm winters in Canada and Siberia, according to a new study, but cool the fall in the western US and Eastern Europe.

In Gear The electric car winter weather survival guide

Winter can bring an added dose of anxiety for electric car owners, Ingram writes. Here are some tips for getting through winter with an electric car.

Keep Calm Good Reads: Volcanoes, guillotines, and the key to happiness

A look at modern France, and a profile of revolutionary villain Maximilien Robespierre; the American recovery and the very happy people of Iceland. Here are this week's good reads. 

Earth's northern half plunged into darkness by axial tilt! Will sunlight ever return?

It sure will! The Winter Solstice occurs at 12:30 a.m. EST. After that, the days will start getting longer again. 

Cruise ship tilting dangerously in Norway after Thursday fire

Cruise ship tilting: Police Chief Jon Steven Hasseldal said the ship had been tilting at an angle of 21.7 degrees, which is over what is considered a critical line of 20 degrees.

'Man vs. Wild' Season 6: Jake Gyllenhaal joins Bear Grylls

Actor Jake Gyllenhaal will join survivalist and connoisseur of on-the-go delicacies, Bear Grylls, to kick off a fresh batch of new episodes for the Discovery Channel series ‘Man vs. Wild.'

Summer solstice: Everything you want to know

Summer solstice: Summer arrives to the Northern Hemisphere at 1:16pm Eastern time on Tuesday.

Polar bear 'doomed'? Only if greenhouse-gas emissions aren't cut.

Greenhouse-gas emissions worldwide must be cut to avoid a disappearance of summer sea ice in the Arctic, which is crucial to the polar bear.

Leslie Nielsen: 'Shirley, he will be missed'

Leslie Nielsen, once a Hollywood leading man, he found stardom as comedic actor. Leslie Nielsen starred in 'Airplane,' 'Naked Gun,' and 'Mr. Magoo.'

Watch Northern Lights live from near the Arctic Circle tonight

A new web site shows the Northern lights, also called the aurora borealis, live starting at 10 p.m. each night courtesy of the Canadian Space Agency. The prime northern lights viewing season is August through May.

Extreme sports in high India: an ultramarathon tests human endurance

A two-day Himalayan ultramarathon run over a 17,700-foot Indian mountain pass – and an unexpected small avalanche – has one finisher, a Briton.

Ramadan 2010 USA: From Miami to Mecca, how 1.6 billion Muslims celebrate

Ramadan 2010, USA-style, includes streaming footage of Friday prayer sermons as Muslims seek to counter rising anti-Islamic sentiment. Saudi Arabia unveils a new clock, while Morocco makes do with makeshift tents after 1,256 mosques were closed.

Global warming, devotion, the lunar calendar: Why this will be one hot Ramadan 2010

Devout Muslims are waiting for the first sighting of the new moon, probably Tuesday night, marking the start of the fasting month of Ramadan 2010. This year's fast will be the first in almost 30 years that corresponds with the hottest days of summer.

Spy swap reportedly underway between US and Russia

Spy swap would have ten people arrested in the US exchanged for a number of people in Russian jails, convicted of spying for the West.

Comparing Earth's current warming to the Pliocene

The early Pliocene period might be the best analog for the warmer world scientists expect in the not-too-distant future.

Difference Maker Bringing circus – and new hope – to a remote Arctic village

Guillaume Saladin left his career as a professional acrobat to help young Inuits in northern Canada form Artcirq, their own performing troupe.

Norway spiral: Space aliens welcoming Obama?