BBC: Arctic Circle oil spill prompts Putin to declare state of emergency

“Russia’s President Vladimir Putin has declared a state of emergency after 20,000 tonnes of diesel oil leaked into a river within the Arctic Circle.

The spill happened when a fuel tank at a power plant near the Siberian city of Norilsk collapsed last Friday.

The power plant’s director Vyacheslav Starostin has been taken into custody until 31 July, but not yet charged.

The plant is owned by a subsidiary of Norilsk Nickel, which is the world’s leading nickel and palladium producer.

The Russian Investigative Committee (SK) has launched a criminal case over the pollution and alleged negligence, as there was reportedly a two-day delay in informing the Moscow authorities about the spill.

Ground subsidence beneath the fuel storage tanks is believed to have caused the spill. Arctic permafrost has been melting in exceptionally warm weather for this time of year.

President Putin expressed anger after discovering officials only learnt about the incident on Sunday.” – BBC, Read the full article here.

Fly Fishing in the Anthropocene | Documentary 2017

This was so incredibly beautiful, and it definitely brought tears to my eyes.

“The Ozernaya River winds serpentine-like through a remote corner of Kamchatka in Far East Russia. In one of the most intact eco-systems left in the Northern Pacific, rainbow trout eat mice for breakfast, and the salmon run in the hundred of thousands. This bounty attracts two kinds of people; those who want to protect, and those who want to exploit. Rampant salmon poaching is big business on Kamchatka, and once the salmon are gone, entire eco-systems collapse. “Fly Fishing in the Anthropocene” explores how fly fishing can help protect the wilderness, and celebrates the beauty and wonder of one of the most vibrant places on earth.”

A film by Peter Christensen and Rolf Nylinder http://RolfNylinder.com

Thoughts on moving forward

Officially beginning my journey of writing and photographing the Baltic, Balkan and circumpolar regions of the world where I will focus on their native cultures, environmental issues, folk history, art, etc. No more jobs that make me want to die. If anything I’d rather continue thriving in survival mode among beautiful places where I meet the people of the world. Welcome to my blog, where I will try to document my journey.

Where women rule: the last matriarchy in Europe – in pictures

All text and photos are from The Guardian

“Big Heart, Strong Hands is the story of women on the isolated Estonian islands of Kihnu and Manija in the Baltic Sea. Often viewed as the last matriarchal society in Europe, the older women there take care of almost everything on land as their husbands travel the seas – Anne Helene Gjelstad’s Big Heart, Strong Hands is published by Dewi Lewis”

Vahtra Helju, 2008 by Anne Helene Gjelstad.

“Vahtra Helju had a modest wish. She wanted to be photographed with her beloved cow. And so I learned how sweet, personal and curious cows really are.”

Järsumäe Virve 2013 by Anne Helene Gjelstad.

“Järsumäe Virve has always loved animals and all living creatures. She doesn’t know how many cats she now has, and even the neighbours’ cats come to her to eat. She has two dogs and a horse that runs free on her property in the warm season. When we first became friends she also had two goats and loved drinking straight from the mug just after she had milked them. She explained how healthy this was and graciously shared the warm milk with me.”

Saundi Mann, 2010 by Anne Helene Gjelstad.

“I noticed her almost meditating by the family grave. ‘Soon I too will be here,’ she told me. Through an interpreter I asked if I could follow her home, and like a young girl she ran through the fields and the forest. Alone in her small farmhouse, we communicated mostly by gestures. Deep sorrow from a very hard life had marked her. Later I learned about her life’s struggle. As a young woman in the Russian times, she was ordered to work in the forest. She had to take her small son with her, and a tree fell on him. Her last portrait became the project’s signature picture.”

Järsumäe Virve 2008, Anne Helene Gjelstad.

“Järsumäe Virve regularly appears on TV and in the papers. At the age of 81 she fulfilled her life’s dream of going tandem skydiving. And because she is such a sweet and warm woman, everybody wants a piece of her. Often foreigners drive around Kihnu Island looking for Virve’s house and quite often, to protect her privacy, the other islanders send visitors in the wrong direction.”

View the full article here.