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Bridging the Future of Arctic Social Science Research, April 14-16, 2016 (Cedar Falls, Iowa, USA). The event is sponsored by Arctic Horizons. This workshop will gather a diverse group of scholars to discuss the state-of-the art in Arctic social sciences and develop visioning scenarios for the future of social science research in the Arctic. The core topics will parallel discussions held at other regional workshops (Portland, OR and Providence, RI), which include: social sciences research and climate change; interdisciplinary research in the Arctic; social sciences and humanities in the Arctic, and applied social sciences research.
Today's C
ongressional Action:
The House and Senate are in session. The Senate is expected to consider the Federal Aviation Administration reauthorization.
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 Greenland's Ice Sheet Just Set an Ominous New Record. Emerging from a winter that has had staggeringly warm Arctic temperatures, scientists monitoring the vast Greenland ice sheet announced Tuesday that it is experiencing a record-breaking level of melt for so early in the season. The Danish Meteorological Institute reported that although it's only April, nearly 12 percent of the ice sheet's surface is covered with a layer of meltwater of a depth of at least a millimeter. "The former top 3 earliest dates for a melt area larger than 10% were previously all in May (5th May 2010, 8th May 1990, 8th May 2006)," the institute noted on the website Polar Portal.
Alaska Dispatch News
Canada Earmarks $133 Million for Beefed-Up Arctic Surveillance. Ottawa plans to spend $133 million over five years to research and develop a new surveillance system to improve Canada's Arctic surveillance in the air, on the land and underwater. This system should be "effective, persistent, resilient, sensitive and cost efficient."
Nunatsiaq Online
[Opinion] Northern Canada's Mental Health Care is Mentally Ill. After I was sexually assaulted in Nunavut, a mental health worker grabbed a textbook off her shelf, opened it, and began reading me questions. Before I walked out, I told her I could read a list myself on the internet - before remembering I didn't have internet because of the outrageous price. All I can think is: am I still in Canada?I watched adults sincerely congratulate a fourteen-year-old girl on her pregnancy. Am I still in Canada?
The Arctic Institute
 [Opinion] US Must Invest in a New Generation of Polar Icebreakers. When an ice flow obliterates an oil rig in the Arctic Ocean, emergency-response crews' only chance of reaching it will be on a polar-class icebreaker. Russia has 40 such ships, plus 11 in production, including nuclear icebreakers. The U.S. has two - one a decade past its useful life, the other outfitted as a scientific-research vessel.
Exposed by the melting ice sheet, the newly navigable Arctic Ocean lures shipping and industrial activity northward. This "ice-free sea" is, however, choked with icebergs that can sink ships and cripple oil rigs. The shrinking ice sheet creates an urgent need for the U.S. to invest in a new fleet of icebreakers. The Seattle Times
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Legislative Action
No Arctic legislation was formally considered yesterday.
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Future Events
Alaska Rural Energy Conference, April 26-28, 2016 (Fairbanks, Alaska, USA). The Alaska Rural Energy Conference is a three day event offering a large variety of technical sessions covering new and ongoing energy projects in Alaska, as well as new technologies and needs for Alaska's remote communities. Building on the growing success, the Alaska Energy Authority and the Alaska Center for Energy and Power have joined forces again to organize and sponsor the 10th annual Alaska Rural Energy Conference.
Regional and Global Implications of Changing Permafrost, April 28, 2016 (Washington, DC USA).
There is growing realization of the strong interactions between degradation of near-surface permafrost on the dynamics of ecosystems, and that these interactions together influence local and global environmental, economic, and social systems. This presentation will discuss the use of synthesis science by both the SEARCH Permafrost Action Team and Permafrost Carbon Network to identify and understand the widespread implications of changing permafrost at both regional and local scales. This presentation is part of the Arctic Research Consortium of the United States Arctic Research Seminar Series.
High North Dialogue 2016: The Blue Future of the Arctic, May 25-26, 2016.
HND is an annual conference hosted by the High North Center at Nord University, engaging a wide audience of researchers and future leaders of the region. It will address the necessary questions to effectively promote dialogue between interested stakeholders on how to sustainably develop the different realities of the many Arctics. PhD and Masters students can also participate in a week long credit awarding graduate course.
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.
Bridging the Future of Arctic Social Science Research, September 23-24, 2016 (Monticello, Rhode Island, 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.
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.
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