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** New this week**
NWS Alaska Region Climate Forecast Briefing, June 24, 2016 (Fairbanks, Alaska, USA and webinar).
This webinar will review recent conditions and current state of the climate system in and near Alaska and the status of important global climate drivers, review guidance available for the monthly and seasonal scale outlooks and finish up with the official outlooks by NOAA's Climate Prediction Center. The webinar is sponsored by the Alaska Center for Climate Assessment Policy.
14th IATS Seminar, June 19-25, 2016 (Bergen, Norway). The University of Bergen (UiB) is honored to host the 14th IATS Seminar in Bergen, Norway, from Sunday 19 to Saturday 25 June 2016 in co-operation with the Network for University Co-operation Tibet-Norway, an academic network with the universities of Oslo, Bergen and Tromsø as partners. The convenor is Professor Hanna Havnevik, Department of Culture Studies and Oriental Languages, University of Oslo, and Chair of the Network.
Today's C
ongressional Action:
The House and Senate are not in session.
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Media
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| Rep. Duncan Hunter _R-CA_ |
"Why is it a national security, strategic priority to break ice?" Chairman Hunter asked.
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I don't care about some ship who is getting stuck, doing science stuff."
The lag had subcommittee chair Rep. Duncan Hunter, R-Calif., questioning whether a single large ship was a justifiable priority, especially when the Coast Guard could also appropriate funds for multiple medium icebreakers, like the USCGC Healy, which has been in service since the 1990s.
"You will have the ability to buy two or three icebreakers at one time," he said. "We're going to need more than one. This all considering the fact that it's going to take 10 years to get this done probably."
Federaltimes.com
Walker Appoints New DNR Commissioner; Second Cabinet Change
Today.
Gov. Bill Walker announced today that Andy Mack, an Arctic policy and development adviser and manager of Pt Capital, a private equity fund based in Alaska, will take over the agency. Former commissioner Mark Myers retired in February. The announcement came after acting DNR commissioner Marty Rutherford told Walker she plans to retire this month, according to a media release. Alaska Public Radio
Royal Dutch Shell's September 2015 decision to cease oil exploration activity offshore Alaska has lessened global awareness of Arctic issues, said the U.S. special representative for the polar region in a talk last week in
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Papp |
Washington, D. C. "I am discouraged that Shell is not going to be drilling up
there in the near future," Admiral Robert Papp Jr. (retired) told a 25 April forum at the Brookings
Institution, a policy think tank. The oil company's activity "was visible, something that really drew a lot of attention [and] which provided that sense of urgency to act," Papp said. Shell's activities had put Arctic issues, including climate change, preventing oil spills, and balancing
environmental protection and resource development, in the s
potlight. June 15th EOS.
EOS.org
After 60 Years of Fighting, We Finally Found the Tallest Peak in the US Arctic.
A debate over the tallest peak in the Alaskan arctic has finally been settled after almost six decades of fighting. Both Mount Chamberlin and Mount Isto claimed the title as their own. Now, one has emerged triumphant-and a third, entirely separate mountain peak has also entered the race. The roots of the debate date back to the USGS's efforts at mapping the Alaskan arctic in the 1950s. Over the course of the initial mapping effort, two separate maps were made, at slightly different scales. On one map, Mount Chamberlin was slightly taller, on the other, it was Mount Isto. In fact, Mount Chamberlin and Mount Isto are quite close in size. Gizmodo
 Canadian Consulate General Visit Unalaska.
In his fifth trip to Alaska as Canadian Consulate General of Seattle, James K. Hill chose to visit Unalaska. He's halfway through a three-year assignment where he covers Washington, Idaho, Oregon and Alaska. As next-door neighbors, Hill thinks Alaska and Canada should have greater economic synergy. "We're not Alaska's first trading partner and not even their second or third," Hill said. "We're their fourth, so there's a lot of room to grow." KUCB
Methane Levels Stable Despite the Arctic Warming, Study Says.
The study was printed in Geophysical Research Letters, a journal of the American Geophysical Union. It was led by Colm Sweeney, a CIRES scientist working at NOAA's Earth System Research Laboratory in Boulder and lead author of the study and other colleagues. Sweeney stated that there has been a huge increase in Arctic warming, and while they do see spikes in methane due to short-term temperature changes, they're not seeing a long-term change in methane levels. On the other hand, he said that it doesn't mean thawing permafrost isn't releasing carbon. He added that it's happening; it just isn't showing up as methane. Science World Report
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Legislative Action
No Arctic legislation was formally considered yesterday.
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Future Events
Arctic 2020: Building a Sustained Observing System June 28, 2016 (Fairbanks, Alaska, USA and webinar).
With critical past, and potential future environmental changes affecting Alaska and the Arctic Region, the United States needs to rapidly expand long-term observing of the ice and marine environment across the greater Arctic Ocean Basin, as well as conditions across the state of Alaska. This will allow us to better monitor changes across the region, and support stakeholders with improving prediction capabilities for weather, marine ecosystems, sea-ice, and climate. This event is hosted by the Alaska Center for Climate Assessment and Policy.
TOW Arctic Broadband Summit, July 13, 2016 (Barrow, Alaska, USA).
 The Arctic Economic Council, the Iñuit Arctic Business Alliance and the Arctic Slope Regional Corporation will host this event. Summit topics include the challenges of connectivity; the government's role in, and commitment to, broadband development; and, private investment opportunities. Policy leaders, regulators, other government officials, along with industry experts and executives have been invited to present and attend.
Conference on Water Innovations for Healthy Arctic Homes: September 18-21, 2016, Anchorage, Alaska. This circumpolar conference will bring together engineers, health experts, researchers, community members, policymakers, and innovators to discuss health benefits, challenges and innovations associated with making running water and sewer in remote northern communities safe, affordable and sustainable. Information and an expression of interest in attending can be found
here. (The full link is:
http://wihah2016.com/)
13th International Conference on Gas in Marine Sediments: September 19-22, 2016 (Tromso, Norway).
GIMS 13
promotes the study of natural gas and release systems on a global scale and
facilitates interdisciplinary and international cooperation. The conference
intends to bring together geologists, biologists, microbiologist, geophysicists, oceanographers, geochemists and scientists from modeling disciplines. The forum will provide a platform for current knowledge and future programs in gas inventories, fluxes and their role within the carbon cycle and biodiversity. Conference is organized by CAGE - Centre for Arctic Gas Hydrate, Environment and Climate at UiT The
Arctic University of Norway. Abstract submission deadline is May 30th and registration deadline is June 20th. For more information:
http://gims13.uit.no
Bridging the Future of Arctic Social Science Research, September 23-24, 2016 (Monticello, Virginia, USA).
The event is sponsored by Arctic Horizons. The event will reassemble the members of the National Steering Committee and a small but diverse selection of representatives from the five regional workshops, to total about 15 people. The aim will be to identify and synthesize the core threads of the previous workshops and public contributions proffered between workshops. The target output for the workshop will be a final report draft and outline of steps leading to the final report release in June 2016. The Jefferson Institute will manage production of the publication.
Second International Conference on Natural Resources and Integrated Development of Coastal Areas in the Arctic Zone, September 27-29, 2016 (Arkhangelsk, Russia).
The Conference is organized by FASO of Russia, Russian Academy of Sciences, Government of Arkhangelsk region, Arkhangelsk Scientific Center and International Arctic Science Committee (IASC). Conference is aimed at elaboration of research-based practical measures and instruments for realization of human, natural and transport-logistical potential of the Arctic zone, including development of the Northern Sea Route and implementation of models of integrated coastal areas management. For additional information, please email.
Arctic Ambitions V: International Business Conference & Trade Show, October 4-5, 2016 (Anchorage, Alaska, USA). This once-a-year event uniquely focuses on business and investment opportunities flowing from developments in the Arctic. With interest in commercial development in the Arctic growing rapidly, WTC Anchorage initiated the Arctic Ambitions conference five years ago to address issues such as innovation, investment, infrastructure development, transportation, natural resources, and trade. At the event, corporate executives and senior government officials from across the Arctic, and around the world, make presentations and participate in panel discussions. This year's conference also includes a Trade Show and B2B Matchmaking Session. For more information, please contact Greg Wolf (
greg@wtcak.org) or call
907-278-7233.
Inuit traditions are a repository of Inuit culture and a primary expression of Inuit identity. The theme for the 2016 Inuit Studies Conference invites Elders, knowledge-bearers, researchers, artists, policy-makers, students and others to engage in conversations about the many ways in which traditions shape understanding, while registering social and cultural change. The institutional hosts of "Inuit Traditions," Memorial University of Newfoundland and the Nunatsiavut Government, invite you to contribute to an exchange of knowledge to be held in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, October 7-10, 2016. Presentations on all aspects of Inuit studies will be welcome.
Arctic Technology Conference, October 24-26, 2016 (St. John's, Canada). Founded in 1969, the Offshore Technology Conference (OTC) is the world's foremost event for the development of offshore resources in the fields of drilling, exploration, production and environmental protection. The Arctic Technology Conference (ATC) is built upon OTC's successful multidisciplinary approach, with 14 technical societies and organizations working together to deliver the world's most comprehensive Arctic event.
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