University of Helsinki
Professor Veli-Pekka Tynkkynen took part in a virtual event on Friday 26th February, hosted by the Alaska World Affairs Council, to discuss hydrocarbon culture and ecological consequences of hydrocarbon production in the Arctic.
Professor Tynkkynen identified two major problems facing the Arctic: The first is the large percentage of oil spills that occur in Russia every year. A large share of the oil that is released into the environment ends up in Arctic rivers and the Arctic ocean while energy companies are not held accountable. The second issue is the large amount of flaring Russia is responsible for (approximately 25% of the world’s flaring). According to research, the black carbon (soot) produced from flaring accounts for up to 25% of Arctic warming.
You can watch the full seminar here