Meet EarthOne: The New Green Beat on AsiaOne
AsiaOne’s fresh off‑the‑shelf section, EarthOne, is all about keeping our planet in tip‑top shape. Think of it as the planet’s new go‑to news hub—science‑based, heart‑warmingly hopeful, and packed with stories that make you want to grab a glove and help out.
Rex Holwell: The Ice‑Wandering Warrior of Newfoundland
- Age: 47
- Profession: Sea‑ice guardian & cultural steward
- Community: NAIN, Newfoundland & Labrador
Rex grew up riding the icy highways that blanket the coast of eastern Canada each winter. He learned the ancient art of seal hunting and fishing from his dad and mates—skills passed down through generations of Inuit. From chasing scent on dog sleds to driving hulking skid‑oos (yes, those snow‑mobiles are the modern Swiss Army knives of hunting), Rex hasn’t lost his passion for freedom on the frozen sea.
Why the Ice is Not Flush With the Future
Climate change is playing a cruel prank on the Inuit, threatening to erase the very place where their culture thrives. “It’s going to be a loss of culture,” Reno says with a tinge of sadness. “They’ll identify as Inuit and so will their kids, but the first‑hand experiences will disappear.”
As droughts stretch longer, heat waves flare up, and storms lash harder, the Inuit aren’t just lying low—they’re readjusting the game plan, balancing tradition with innovation.
SmartICE: The Data‑Driven Ice Roadwarden
Holwell’s latest brainchild is the SmartICE program—a fully community‑centric effort to keep the ice’s health in the spotlight:
- Combines I want to see the real‑time thickness of my ice highway with satellite sensors, like a high‑tech compass for hunters.
- Gives 30+ Inuit communities instant updates via a website, mobile app, or Facebook.
- Shows thick versus thin ice spots in clear, user‑friendly graphics.
- Fills gaps where old knowledge has become less reliable due to shifting climates.
According to a Nature Communications Earth & Environment analysis (published in August), the Arctic warmed almost four times faster than the global average between 1979 and 2021. Modeling from the UK, Canada, and the US projects that by 2035 the summer sea ice could dip below 1 million square kilometres. Check the 2021 minimum—it ranks as the tenth lowest on record.
SmartICE + Skidoo + Rifle = Survival Toolkit
In everyday life, the Inuit are the ultimate “tech‑savvy whippersnappers.” They’ll throw a GPS for precise routing but still teach the kids how wind direction nudges snows’ dunes to guide them when batteries die. Skidoos used to be just a snow‑mobile; now, they’re the Expressway for hunting, collapsing a week-long expedition into a single day.
Just like the trusty rifle outgrows the harpoon, SmartICE will be a new layer of protection, keeping the ice on the map before it’s gone.
“We have to adapt to climate change,” Holwell says. “We’ll need tools like SmartICE to keep surviving.”
Bottom Line: EarthOne is Here to Keep the Story Alive
So next time you’re scrolling through EarthOne, remember that leaders like Rex Holwell are blending old-school wisdom with cutting‑edge tech to protect their heritage and planet. In a world racing towards winterless summers, the Inuit’s steady, adaptable spirit is a compass that points towards hope.
Food and freedom
Flying High (and Low) Over Nain
When the skies clear, a cozy 19‑passenger Twin Otter swoops into Nain—Holwell’s hometown—on a short‑haul hop. But buckle up: No carry‑ons are permitted, and bags weighing over 50 lbs (23 kg) might be temporarily forgotten for a later flight if the fleet is on the “fat” side.
Meetings with aircraft at Nain have a no‑de‑icer rule—it’s the same for every coastal Inuit community in Labrador. As a result, planes sometimes sit on the ground, waiting for warmer weather.
Hurricane‑Spring Airport Life
An elderly couple stranded in Goose Bay back in mid‑April remembers waiting a solid three weeks for a flight back. They say the spring is the worst time: fog rolls in thick like a mystery fog cake, and arrival times vanish in an e‑weather haze.
City Life in Sub‑Zero
In the town’s front yards, cars and trucks are buried under snow mounds, while skidoos rumble across slushy streets, bringing kids to school and adults to work. The Atsanik Hotel is the town’s sole hotel &restaurant joint. As a user guide note: Toilet paper is sold in bundles of 30 rolls for C$40 (S$42) – so print a “TB” sheet and leave at your front door.
Living Off the Land, Not the Store
“More than Nain itself, it’s the surrounding landscape that’s home,” says 70‑year‑old Jim Anderson. “It’s a culture shock, because we’re never used to seeing houses line up end‑to‑end without any open spaces.”
For just C$60 in gas, hunters can kill a seal, feed a family for three–four days, and craft mittens, boots, and other clothes from the skin. Shipping the same quantity of store‑bought goods costs C$300; you’ll probably still have to buy your own clothing.
With the sea ice comes freedom. Most folks can’t afford a boat, so in summer their world shrinks into a “bug haven.” But over winter, the packed ice lets them fish, hunt, gather wood, and visit winter cabins without paying family‑friendly travel fees.
Ice‑Side Stories
“I feel tingly on the ice” says Maria Merkuratsuk, who grew up in a cabin north of Nain. “I’m at peace. My body takes over, and I can just keep driving and thinking.”
And Isaac Kohlmeister, one of the last two people in Nain running a dog sled team, says the ice grounded him. “When the dogs run, you feel everything—fish even under the ice.”
SmartICE & Inuktitut Words
The Inuit communities partnered with Holwell’s SmartICE program are compiling Inuktitut words for sea ice varieties. In Nain, they’ve cataloged 37 types, which will be put in a booklet next year for all the in‑ice enthusiasts to brag about.
Buoys and sleds
SmartIce: Bridging Inuit Wisdom with Modern Tech
SmartICE is split into two clever parts that keep hunters and residents of Nain safe on the icy highways of the Arctic.
1⃣ SmartBUOYs – Tiny Sensors in a Big Ice World
- Each buoy stands 9‑feet tall and sits snugly in a hole drilled through the sea ice at the start of the season.
- Inside are thermistors that record temperature at given spots.
- By comparing temperatures between the air, snow, ice, and saltwater, scientists calculate ice thickness with surprising accuracy.
- They’re popped out at season’s end, giving the team a clean slate for the next cycle.
2⃣ SmartKAMUTIK – The Skidoo‑Roaming Snow‑Thickness Radar
- These are sleds pulled by skidoos, each carrying a wooden box with an electromagnetic sensor.
- The sensor emits pulses that generate a current, letting the team instantly gauge how thick the snow and ice are.
- Holwell drives a run once a week, mapping every “highway” where people travel.
- Because the Inuit need fine‑grained, point‑specific data, the runs target spots the local folks feel are most risky.
Community‑Driven Data Collection
Holwell works hand‑in‑hand with a community management committee to decide where SmartBUOYs go. As spring temperatures rise, he uses the SmartKAMUTIK to double‑check potentially dangerous areas. During the off‑season, he teaches teens how to build SmartBUOYs, empowering the next generation.
The team pushes every run onto the SIKU website and app, plus a lively Facebook page. Though it’s unclear how many people rely on the data, the community likes and comments enthusiastically. For those without internet, Holwell prints maps that mark ice thickness and sprinkle them with hunting spots.
Heartfelt Data‑Driven Stories
- Katie Winters, 54, praised that the sea ice is thicker this year but also highlighted “one of the worst years” for people falling through ice.
- She nailed five people and two skidoos who slipped this year – a chilling reminder that thickness doesn’t always equal safety.
- Thankfully, no lives were lost – a relief the whole community feels.
Support & Pride
SmartICE secured 400,000 Canadian dollars in seed funding from the Arctic Inspiration Prize, Canada’s top annual prize. It’s garnered other awards and slowly gaining a reputation worldwide.
Holwell takes pride in the project: “We’re a production facility in Inuit lands, with Inuit people building the technology for other Inuit.” His words echo a deep sense of ownership and hope that this tech will safeguard futures for generations to come.
Flatline warm
How Arctic Life Is Skating Toward Change
“Ask anyone in Nain about the sea ice and you’ll hear firsthand accounts of climate change,” Ron Webb says. At 65, he’s seen the freezer’s temperature rise and the ice’s thickness shrink. Once, the ice was a solid 5‑7 feet thick—think of it as a sturdy winter block covered in a sweet, sparkling snow. Now it’s only 3‑4 feet and feels more like a soggy popsicle.
What’s Happening to the Ice?
- The heavy, cold snow that used to cling to the ice is now just a “crappy snow” with a glittery glaze.
- Long‑standing blue chunks of multi‑year ice that drifted in from the north have disappeared.
- Summer tides are pumping harder, making the water more treacherous.
Last year, Webb was cruising his skidoo over 3 feet of ice. It felt solid enough to ride, but out of curiosity, he poked a stick into it. The little twig bounced straight through to open water.
“Back in the day you wouldn’t have experienced that. Even though the ice still has some thickness, it’s nowhere near as hard,” Webb explains—“and that’s kinda scary.”
Adapting to a Thinner Future
Webb chuckles when the Inuit of Nain, known as Sikumiut (“people of the sea ice”), joke about turning to hovercraft. “It’s probably the safest way to get past ice that’s too slippery for a skidoo,” he says.
Why Spring Is the Sweet Spot
Spring rolls in with longer daylight, but the nights are still cold enough to keep an ice crust forming. In April, temperatures often dip to striking ‑10° to ‑15°C (slightly above the lower end of the freezing range). This year, the weather was unusually mild, hovering around zero.
Joey Angnatok, a former SmartICE program coordinator, compares the weather to a heart‑monitoring machine: “[it’s] usually a seesaw—up and down— but this April it was a flatline warm.”
Team Canada
SmartICE: The New Hope for Northern Communities
In the frosty heart of Canada’s lakes and rivers, a quiet revolution is stirring. Communities in Viking‑style weather—think Tugtuyaktuk and its neighbors—are buzzing about a tech called SmartICE. Not just here—Sami caribou herders in Sweden, and folks in Finland, Iceland, and even some parts of England have started asking their own questions too.
“We’re Needed, Team Canada!”
Holwell, the unofficial spokesperson of this icy movement, is a man who can rally a crowd like nobody else. Picture a small town auctioneer or a political hunk of a stump talk, but with a nature twist. He’s got one simple mission: Make Joe in Tuktoyaktuk the SmartICE champ. It’s simple, it’s bold, and — figures like you and me who understand how the world changes — it’s vital.
A Skidoo Sprite on the Ice
- Picture Holwell, booting up his skidoo like a giant tundra bumblebee, darting across the sea ice.
- It’s the brief sub‑Arctic spring—a time for joy, for freedom, where he’s completely at home.
- Freedom to speed toward the horizon where geese and seals glide, all while feeling an invincible connection to his tiny Inuit town.
The big idea? To bring local knowledge to the global stage. If that town matters—if it has a voice—it builds a ripple that can be felt all over the planet.
Why SmartICE Matters
SmartICE is basically a tech-powered way to keep the ice safe, tracked, and useful for everyone. Think of it as a smart map that knows where the ice is good, where it’s thin, how the sea is moving, and how the local wildlife is playing it out. It’s vital because:
- It helps fishermen stay safe and resourceful.
- It preserves the traditional dog‑sled routes that folks depend on.
- It acts as a climate witness—giving scientists and policy makers a real‑time snapshot.
And that’s why Holwell’s energy is so contagious. He wants people to see that this isn’t about fancy tech only— it’s about keeping communities honest with the land, and telling the world that their story matters.
Takeaway
If you’ve never felt the weight of an ice‑bound horizon, we can’t make it as vivid as the whisper of the Southern Inuit community telling us they’re alive and thriving. Holwell’s placement of SmartICE is a reminder: no matter how remote your corner, your voice can echo. And so, wherever you are—whether you’re on a cold shore or a warm beach—you get the story: smart, sincere, and supportively electric.
