Last reviewed September 2, 2026
Krigsvold and the title
Krigsvold is a dignity within the Grand Duchy of Westarctica, held by James P. Howard, II. It takes its name from the Krigsvold Nunataks in Marie Byrd Land. The title supplies a durable identity for climate education, research support, and public advocacy.
No. The title conveys no sovereignty, ownership, jurisdiction, or governmental authority over the Krigsvold Nunataks or any other place. The three dignities held by James correspond to real features on the Antarctic map; they are not property claims.
No. Westarctica is a micronational project and nonprofit organization, not a state recognized by any national government or international body. Its peerage is a vehicle for identity, participation, and advocacy rather than a governmental system.
James P. Howard, II is a data scientist and applied mathematician at the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory. His work spans quantitative analysis, environmental systems, public policy, and teaching. He directs this site, sponsors the Fellowship, and is responsible for the claims published here.
It publishes sourced briefings on Antarctic climate systems, funds an annual $1,000 graduate research Fellowship, advocates for informed climate and conservation action, and maintains a public record of its awards and corrections. It does not conduct the scientific studies it interprets or exercise governmental power.
The Fellowship
It is an annual $1,000 grant supporting graduate research in climate change and global conservation, sponsored by the Count in partnership with Westarctica. The Fellowship was established in 2025.
No. Its remit is global climate and conservation research. The first two Fellows study forest governance and forest recovery in Indonesia and Malaysian Borneo. Antarctica anchors the office’s educational work; it does not impose a geographic boundary on the grant.
Master’s and doctoral students worldwide may apply, subject to the terms of the current award cycle. Dates and required materials are maintained on Westarctica’s official Fellowship application page.
No. Fellows are independent researchers. An award recognizes and supports a particular project; it does not create employment, agency, or endorsement of every position a Fellow may hold.
Antarctica and climate
Independent observing systems reach the same conclusion. NASA’s GRACE and GRACE-FO satellites measure changes in mass through Earth’s gravity field, while radar and laser altimetry measure elevation and satellite radar tracks ice velocity. NASA reports an average Antarctic loss of approximately 135 billion metric tons per year from 2002 through 2025.
Much of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet rests on bedrock below sea level, with sections that deepen inland. Warm ocean water can thin floating ice shelves that restrain land ice. A retreating grounding line can then move into deeper water, creating conditions that amplify further retreat.
Not materially, because floating sea ice already displaces water. Land ice flowing into the ocean does raise sea level. Sea ice still matters greatly because it affects heat exchange, ocean circulation, habitat, and Antarctic food webs.
Antarctic land-ice loss raises global sea level. The Southern Ocean connects the major ocean basins and absorbs a disproportionate share of human-added heat and carbon. Changes in those systems affect ocean chemistry, circulation, ecosystems, coastlines, and the global carbon budget.
Sources, advocacy, and heraldry
No. It is public interpretation and advocacy. The briefings prefer primary scientific sources, distinguish measurements from projections, and carry review dates. Readers should follow the links to the underlying institutions and research.
No claim of political neutrality is made. Krigsvold advocates for climate mitigation, adaptation, conservation, and sustained support for research. The standard is traceability: evidence, uncertainty, and judgment should be distinguishable even when they support the same conclusion.
James P. Howard, II bears personal arms granted by the Chief Herald of Arms of Malta under Letters Patent G0102. Krigsvold, Rubin de la Borbolla, and Matikonis also use distinct territorial armorial designs. Their provenance and blazons are set out on the Heraldry page.
Write to count@krigsvold.org with the page, the disputed claim, and the best available source. Material corrections are recorded on the Corrections page.