International Polar Year Stamps – Norway 2009 (Continued)

Carimbo 1º Dia / First Day Cancellation

Cristal de neve, símbolo dos países Árticos, que participam da emissão conjunta “Preservação das Regiões Polares e dos Glaciares”.

A snow crystal, the join emblem of the Artic countries which took part in the join issue “Preserve the Polar Regions and Glaciers”.

International Polar Year Stamps – Norway 2009 (Continued)

Envelope de Primeiro Dia / The First Day Cover

International Polar Year Stamps – Norway 3009 (Continued)

Bloco Filatélico / The Souvenir Sheet

International Polar Year Stamps – Norway 2009 (Continued)

Carteira Especial (Frente / traseira) / Presentation Pack (Front / Back)

Carteira Especial (Interior) / Presentation Pack (Inside)

International Polar Year Stamps – Norway 2009

(Specially dedicated to my dear friend A. Pereira who sent me the collectors pack from Norway)

A temperatura média da atmosfera terrestre tem aumentado consideravelmente desde 1975 e, a opinião prevalecente entre os cientistas é que esse clima pode ser atribuído à actividade humana. A cada vez maior emissão de gases com efeito de estufa, tais como o CO ², conduz ao impedir da fuga de calor da atmosfera.

O aquecimento global está bem documentado hoje, principalmente através de investigação coordenado pelo Painel Intergovernamental sobre as Alterações Climáticas (IPCC). O Painel da advertência é claro. Se o aquecimento global continua, vai afectar o clima e o ambiente em muitos aspectos:

• Fusão das calotes polares e dos glaciares

• Aumento da desertificação

• Retractibilidade da área permanentemente gelada (permafrost area)

• Diminuição da área disponível para a agricultura

• Expansão das áreas de floresta tropical

• Aumento do nível da água do mar

• Maior variábilidade das condições climáticas extremas

O maior desafio para o painel é para provar que as emissões de CO ² feitas pelo Homem, são a causa mais importante de acumulação de CO ² na atmosfera. Existem também outros - naturais - fatores que podem causar o aumento de temperatura da Terra. Em algumas (pequenas) comunidades científicas, a relação entre o aquecimento global e a atividade humana é refutada ou diminuída, mas existe um amplo consenso, entre os membros do IPCC, que as contribuições humanas para o aquecimento global são graves e devem ser limitadas.

NK 1711 - Este selo mostra um Globo em aquecimento. Usando uma lâmpada UV, é possível ver a terra e uma ilustração da camada superior deozono. A camada superior de ozono é a camada na estratosfera (cerca de 18-50 km acima do solo), onde a concentração de gases, com efeito de estufa, é maior do que no resto da atmosfera.

NK 1712 - Este selo mostra o degelo dos meridianos, referindo-se ao tema geral do IPY (Ano Polar Internacional) e ao tema "Preservar as regiões polares e os glaciares". Uma técnica de estampagem foi empregue na impressão deste selo.

(English)

The average temperature of the earth’s atmosphere has risen considerably since 1975, and the prevailing opinion among climate scientists is that this is attributable to human activity. Ever increasing emissions of greenhouse gases, such as CO², prevent radiated heat from escaping from the atmosphere

Global warming is well documented today, mainly through research coordinated by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). The Panel’s warning is clear. If global warming continues, it will affect the climate and the environment in many ways:

• Melting of the polar icecaps

• Increasing desertification

• Shrinkage of the permafrost area

• Decrease in the area available for agriculture

• Expansion of tropical rainforest climate areas

• Rising sea levels• More variable and extreme weather conditions

The greatest challenge facing the Panel is to prove that man-made CO² emissions are the most important cause of the build-up of CO² in the atmosphere. There are also other – natural – factors that can cause the earth’s temperature to rise.
In some (smaller) scientific communities the relationship between global warming and human activity is refuted or played down, but there is broad consensus among IPCC members that human contributions to global warming are serious and must be limited.

NK 1711 – This stamp shows a warmed-up globe.
Using a UV lamp it is possible to see the earth and an illustration of the ozone layerlight up. The ozone layer is the layer in the stratosphere (about 18-50 kilometers above the ground) where the concentration of the greenhouse gas ozone is higher than in the rest of the atmosphere.

NK 1712 – This stamp shows the melting ice meridians, referring to the general theme of the IPY (International Polar Year) join issue “Preserve the Polar Regions and Glaciers”. It is printed using the foil stamping and embossing technique.

Dados técnicos / Données Techniques / Technical Data

Tema / sujets / subjects: Warmed-up globe, Melting ice meridians
Emissão / émission / issue: 2008/02/20
Design: Enzo Finger
Bloco / bloc / souvenir sheet:
NOK 8.00 – 8.00 - 225,000 miniature sheets

impressão / impression / printing: offset
impressor / imprimeur / printer: Royal Joh. Enschedé, Netherlands

First day cover: NOK 20.00

Presentation pack: NOK 21.00

Collector’s set: NOK 46.00

Collector’s sheet: NOK 36.00

International Polar Year Stamps - Portugal (Continued)

“Aves polares que visitam a costa portuguesa”


O Carimbo de 1º Dia (Lisboa) / The First Day Cancellation (Lisbon):

International Polar Year Stamps - Portugal (Continued)

“Aves polares que visitam a costa portuguesa”


A Pagela / The Brochure:

(Front / Back)

(Inside)

International Polar Year Stamps - Portugal (Continued)

“Aves polares que visitam a costa portuguesa”

Os Postais Máximos / The postcards:

Pilrito das Praias / Sanderling (Calidris alba)

Torda Mergulheira / Razorbill (Alca torda)

Painho Casquilho / Wilson’s Strom-petrel (Oceanites oceanicus)

Gaivina do Ártico / Artic Tern (Sterna paradisaea)

International Polar Year Stamps - Portugal (Continued)

“Aves polares que visitam a costa portuguesa”


O Envelope de 1º dia com Bloco Filatélico / First Day Cover with Souvenir Sheet:

International Polar Year Stamps - Portugal

“Aves polares que visitam a costa portuguesa”


O envelope de 1º dia com selos / The First Day Cover:

International Polar Year Stamps - Portugal (Continued)

Bloco Filatélico apresentando uma típica cena do Ártico, com uma foca e um urso polar.

(English)

The souvenir sheet representing a typical Arctic scene with a Seal and a polar bear.

Foca Ocelada e Urso Polar (Pulsa Hispida) / Ringed Seal and Polar Bear (Ursus maritimus)

International Polar Year Stamps - Portugal

“Aves polares que visitam a costa portuguesa”

Portugal foi um país pioneiro na exploração dos oceanos das altas latitudes. Navegadores como João Vaz Corte-Real e João Fernandes Labrador que descobriram a Terra Nova e a Península do Labrador, ou ainda Fernão de Magalhães que navegou nas águas austrais, descobrindo a Terra do Fogo, no sul da Argentina e do Chile.

Depois de cerca de 500 anos afastado das regiões polares, Portugal renovou o seu interesse nas altas latitudes através de uma forte participação no Ano Polar Internacional 2007-08. Foi fundado o Programa Polar Português e criado um ambicioso projecto educativo que visa aproximar a ciência polar da sociedade portuguesa.
Mas por que razão Portugal se deve preocupar com as regiões polares? Esta é uma pergunta recorrente, e com respostas simples: os fenómenos que ocorrem nessas regiões tão distantes, têm repercussões à escala do globo e também em Portugal. Exemplos clássicos são a fusão dos gelos polares e os seus efeitos nas alterações climáticas, bem como na subida do nível médio do mar.

Contudo, poucos são aqueles que sabem que algumas das aves que frequentam a costa portuguesa nos chegam das regiões polares. Incansáveis viajantes, deslocam-se, sazonalmente, milhares de quilómetros, desde o Árctico e o Antárctico, de modo a beneficiarem das condições temperadas do litoral português.

A presente edição de selos pretende dar a conhecer algumas destas aves, com as quais frequentemente nos cruzamos, sem que nos apercebamos de onde vieram. A gaivina-do-Árctico (Sterna paradisaea) cujas longas migrações ligam o Árctico à Antárctida, passando pelas águas portuguesas, é, sem dúvida, a espécie mais emblemática. Uma ave muito comum no litoral português, o pilrito-das-praias (Calidris alba), nidifica no Alto Árctico, em terras tão distantes como a Gronelândia, a Sibéria ou a ilha de Ellesmere. Já o paínho-casquilho (Oceanites oceanicus) é, por excelência, o representante da Antárctida, nidificando nas ilhas daquele continente gelado. Finalmente, aparece a torda-mergulheira (Alca torda), que nidifica nas arribas do Árctico e inverna nas nossas costas. Esta espécie, que mergulha para obter alimento, acaba, muitas vezes, por se enredar nas artes dos pescadores, aparecendo sem vida em quantidades apreciáveis nas praias portuguesas.

Adicionalmente ao conjunto dos selos, esta pagela representa alguns dos seres vivos mais representativos do sensível ecossistema árctico. A região boreal é uma das mais afectadas pelas alterações climáticas, em particular devido à acentuada fusão estival do gelo marinho, que está a pôr em risco a sobrevivência de espécies como o urso-polar (Ursus maritimus).

Comité Português para o Ano Polar Internacional
(Baseado no texto do sítio oficial dos Correios de Portugal)

(English)

“Polar birds that visit the Portuguese coast "

Portugal was the pioneer in exploring the oceans of the high latitudes. Navigators such as João Vaz Corte-Real and João Fernandes Labrador who discovered the Newfoundland and the peninsula of Labrador, or Fernão Magalhães who sailed from southern waters, discovering the Tierra del Fuego in southern Argentina and Chile.

After about 500 years away from Polar Regions, Portugal renewed its interest in the high latitudes by a strong participation in the International Polar Year 2007-08. Founded Polar Portuguese and the Program established an ambitious educational project that aims to bring polar science of society. But why Canada should worry about the Polar Regions? This is a recurrent question, and answer simple: the phenomena that occur in these regions so far, have repercussions across the globe and also in Portugal. Classic examples are the fusion of polar ice and its effects on climate change and the rise in average sea level.

However, few are those who know that some of the birds that frequent the Portuguese coast in the polar regions arrive. Tireless traveler, traveling is, seasonally, thousands of kilometers from the Arctic and Antarctic in order to enjoy the temperate conditions of the Portuguese coast.

This edition of stamps want to make known some of these birds, with which often cross in, without it we realized where they came from. In-the-Arctic tern (Sterna paradisaea) whose long migrations connecting the Arctic to the Antarctic, through the Portuguese waters, it is undoubtedly the most emblematic. A very common bird in the Portuguese coast, the Sanderling (Calidris alba), nidify in the High Arctic, on lands as far away as Greenland, Siberia and the island of Ellesmere. But the Strom-petrel (Oceanites oceanicus) is par excellence the representative in Antarctica, nesting on the islands that icy continent. Finally, see the Razorbill (Alca torda), which nidifica cliffs in the Arctic and winter on our coasts. This species that dive for food, it often is by the tangle of fishing gear, life without appearing in appreciable quantities in Portuguese beaches.

In addition to all the stamps, this represents some of living more representative of sensitive Arctic ecosystem. The boreal region is one of the most affected by climate change, particularly due to the sharp melting of summer sea ice, which is put at risk the survival of species like the polar-bear (Ursus maritimus).

Portuguese Committee for the International Polar Year
(Based on the text of the Official Portuguese Post website)

Dados técnicos / Données Techniques / Technical Data

Obliterações do 1º dia em:
Oblitérations du 1er jour à:
First day obliterations in:
LISBOA / PORTO / FUNCHAL / PONTA DELGADA

Emissão / émission / issue:
2008/06/23

Selos / timbres-poste / stamps:
€ 0,30 - 280 000
€ 0,52 - 230 000
€ 0,61 - 230 000
€ 1,00 - 230 000

Bloco / bloc / souvenir sheet: com 1 selo / avec 1 timbre / with 1 stamp
€ 2,95 – 60 000

design: Nuno Farinha
papel / papier / paper: 110g/m2
picotagem / dentelure / perforation: 13 x cruz de Cristo /croix du Crist / Cross of Christ
formato / format / size: 40 x 30,6 mm
impressão / impression / printing: offset
impressor / imprimeur / printer: Cartor France

Folhas / feuilles / sheets:
Com 50 ex. / avec 50 ex. / with 50 copies

Bilhetes Postais / Cartes Postales / Poscards
4 x € 0,45

Sobrescritos de 1º dia / enveloppes du 1er jour / FDC:
C6 - € 0,55
C5 - € 0,74

Pagela / brochure
€ 0,69

International Polar Year 2007-2009

At the beginning of the 21st century, one of the major problems that mankind has to face and will have to face also in the future is represented by the global warming phenomenon. The consequence had on globe´s flora and fauna - already a well-known subject of the written press and audio-visual media from all over the world - reached a critical stage. The main cause of this phenomenon has its origin in the human community´s activities. Therefore science people launched an alarm signal letting everyone know that the ice cap melting speed reached a record level. In 2007, the ice cap reached the lowest sizes registered in the last 30 years of satellite record. A NASA study proved that 23% of losses were registered during last winters. "The ice dissolution during wintertime becomes the main cause of the melting alarming level. Over the next 25 years the Arctic ice cap will disappear during summertime. Without the emissions of the greenhouse gases, this situation would had never been possible"... said the research scientist Walt Meier from National Snow and Ice Data Center- NSIDC (USA). During the last years the glaciers melted exceedingly which led to the formation, in the North Pole area, of a new navigable route between Pacific Ocean and Atlantic Ocean. Otherwise said, from now on there is a "shortcut" between Europe and Asia. The polar regions are very sensitive to the climatic changes and some science people predict that the glaciers will disappear from the Arctic area until 2040. The analysts plead that the global warming takes place in the Arctic area twice faster than in the other regions of the Planet. "We have noticed that the glaciers lowered at just 3 million square kilometers", declared Leif Toudal Pedersen from Danish National Space Center. The Arctic does not benefit now of an international statute such the Antarctic and it can be asserted and exploited. In order to preserve the Antarctic, a Treaty was concluded, which determines the international statute of the continent; in 1959 the Treaty was signed by 12 states (Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Chile, France, Japan, New Zealand, Norway, South Africa, Soviet Union, England, United States of America) and it came into force in 1961. Romania signed this Treaty in 1971, being the 17th joining country. Almost 50 countries have now signed the Treaty. The special thematic philatelic issue follows the initiative launched in 2007 by the presidents of Chile and Finland states. In full agreement the Postal Administrations from these two countries proposed also to other states to join the program of creating a postage stamps issue having as theme preserve the polar regions and glaciers. A series of Northern European countries, but also Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Brazil, South Africa and many other countries joined this project. Portugal is one of them. The stamps issued by the participating countries will have the same specific sign: the graphic symbol of an ice crystal and next to it, the member states of the Antarctic Treaty will also add the outline of the white continent.

Hello World!

Welcome to my new Blog about Stamps.

This is a support blog to my topic collection about the commemoration of the International Polar Year 2007-2009 and the Preservation of the Polar Regions and Glaciers