Ben and Jerry’s researchers bring global warming questions to Barrow, but no ‘Baked Alaska’ ice cream

EARL FINKLER

May 22, 2008 at 2:22PM AKST

More than a dozen European students and journalists visited Barrow in early May as part of a research effort on global warming in connection with Ben and Jerry’s Climate Change College.

Their guide, noted polar explorer Marc Cornelissen of the Netherlands, said they wanted to go to the top of the world to check out climate change and meet local researchers and residents.

The college provides one year of climate change studies and research trips for students, who then propose specific “green” ideas to help combat the warming of the planet, such as one student who was working on a way to recycle cooking oil, he said.
“Ben and Jerry’s Climate Change College expedition to unbake Alaska has begun,” Cornelissen said on the college Website.

He added that Ben and Jerry’s was unveiling a new flavor, “Baked Alaska,” in honor of Alaska and the concerns about climate change in the far north.

Local folks cheered the innovative title and smiled broadly when the students brought out an ice cream container of the flavor. But there were some painful gasps when the locals discovered the container was empty and that, alas, there were no samples of the famous ice cream in any flavor.

The bad news continued when the delegation announced that the “Baked Alaska” flavor was not going to be available in the United States, only overseas. When asked the reason for that exclusion, Cornelissen was apologetic and understanding, and said he was not an actual employee of Ben and Jerry’s.

It may have been because there are too many flavors already in the United States, he added.

Meanwhile, the students were flooding the blog universe with glowing reports of the warm reception in Barrow and lots of learning experiences.

According to Irish student Cara Augustenberg, some of the highlights included the launch of a weather balloon at the U.S. Weather Service in Barrow.

“Bye, bye balloon — off to 30,000 meters,” she said.

Augustenberg mentioned a presentation by local scientist Anne Jensen about the 2000-year-old burial site near Point Barrow, which is endangered by increased erosion.
The group also heard from bird scientist George Divoky about more than 30 summers of research on black guillemots on Cooper Island, just off Point Barrow.

“George started studying the guillemots on Cooper Island over 35 years ago when he was in his early 20s. Little did he know then that his interest in Arctic sea birds would become a topic of international attention and a dramatic indicator of climate change,” Augustenberg said.

As the group left Barrow on Saturday evening, May 3, it carried lots of information and a warm reaction to the community and its people.

Maybe someday the actual “Baked Alaska” ice cream will make it to the Top of the World, and the celebration will begin.

To read more about the Ben and Jerry’s Climate Change College, visit online at www.climatechangecollege.org.  

Earl Finkler does the morning show on KBRW, Barrow’s radio station.