It's the world's northernmost town, but also the place where global warming is at its fastest pace, 7 times faster than elsewhere according to some studies. In Longyearbyen, on the island of Svalbard in the Norwegian arctic, climate change has meant shorter winters; temperatures that yo-yo; more frequent precipitation, increasingly in the form of rain; and thawing permafrost -- all conditions that increase the risk of avalanches and landslides. It is an ironic turnaround for the mining town, which owes its existence to fossil fuels. IMAGES AND SOUNDBITES ARRANGED IN SEQUENCES N°32CV6EC