International Polar Year 2007–2008 - WMO

division head at the U.S. Office of Naval Research (Figs.
1.2-4, 1.2-5). In his address, Johnson proposed that a
‘new International Polar Year’ be launched in 2007, the
125th anniversary of IPY-1 (Johnson, 2001a, 2002a).
The symposium adopted a ‘Neumayer Declaration’
arguing for a new major science initiative in the
polar regions in 2006–2007, with its focus on climate
variability and the dynamics of the Earth crust and
sedimentary cover (Box 1; Kremb and Kremb, 2002).
Johnson volunteered to promote a concept for a ‘new
IGY/IPY’ among the U.S. scientists, whereas Thiede and
Heinz Miller, also from AWI, agreed to move it through
SCAR and EPB.
The Neumayer symposium, with its more than 300
scientists from Germany, Denmark, Norway, Russia,
U.K. and U.S., started the process and by the end of
2001, Johnson published the first short article in
a major science journal, Eos on the issue of the new
‘polar year’ (Johnson 2001a – Fig. 1.2-6).
Russian Bid for ‘IPY-3’: October 2001
In October 2001, Russian polar oceanographer
and high-level politician Arthur Chilingarov made
a public call for a ‘Third International Polar Year’ in
2007 at the Joint EU-Russia-Canada-U.S. Workshop
on collaborative technological research for Arctic
development in Brussels (25–27 October 2001 5 ).
The workshop was attended by more than 120
participants from several countries. Chilingarov’s push
for ‘the third IPY’ was not very specific as it was listed
in passing among several other Russian proposals for
collaborative projects in the Arctic, including energy,
transportation, human and environmental safety, and
new technologies. 6 On 20 December, 2001 Chilingarov
reiterated his appeal for a package of such collaborative
initiatives in the polar regions as a vehicle to the
Russian-European partnership, including his reference
to the ‘Third International Polar Year’ in a letter to
the Director General Research office of the European
Commission in Brussels. 7 Again, a new IPY was merely
one idea of many; even the choice of a particular year
was left ‘open to international discussion’.
Chilingarov’s proposal for a new IPY was evidently
a part of a general push by Russian scientists to get
back to the international arena with major new ideas
in Arctic research and collaboration, after a decade of
economic and financial stagnation. It quickly gained
high-level governmental support (see below), but was
not implemented until early 2003.
2002: IPY Proposals Gain Spotlight and
Substance
During 2002, these independent and often
competing nexuses in promoting IPY crystallized and
aspired to develop more specific outlines for their
programs. The emerging visions quickly diverged
from the original concept of ‘IGY+50’ celebration and
Fig. 1.2-4. (left)
The Neumayer
Symposium at Bad-
Dürkheim, Germany,
June 2001: Leonard
Johnson, author of
the first outline for
IPY 2007–2008.
(Photo: Oliver Röller)
Fig. 1.2-5. (right)
The Neumayer
Symposium at Bad-
Dürkheim, Germany,
June 2001: Leonard
Johnson (left) and
Jörn Thiede.
(Photo: Oliver Röller)
P l a n n I n g a n d I m P l e m e n t I n g I P Y 2 0 0 7–2 0 0 8 33