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Ground Truth Briefing: Policy and Action on Plastic Pollution in the Arctic Ocean, April 23, 2020 (Teleconference).
The Wilson Center's Polar Institute and the Harvard Kennedy School's Arctic Initiative recently released a report entitled "Policy and Action on Plastic Pollution in the Arctic Ocean." This report describes the nature of challenges posed by Arctic marine plastic pollution and provides targeted recommendations to policymakers and researchers; it is based on a workshop the two organizations co-hosted with the Icelandic Chairmanship of the Arctic Council. Ambassador David Balton, Brittany Janis, Halla Hrund Logadóttir, and Marisol Maddox will discuss the report, the challenges of Arctic marine plastic pollution, and recommendations to combat plastic pollution in the Arctic Ocean.
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Arctic Reading for the Quarantine:
Newly shared reports this week.
(The Polar Institute and the Belfer Center's Arctic Initiative) Policy and Action on Plastic in the Arctic Ocean, 2020. The Polar Institute and the Belfer Center's Arctic Initiative co-hosted a workshop in October 2019 with the Icelandic Chairmanship of the Arctic Council at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government entitled, Policy and Action on Plastic in the Arctic Ocean. The event convened global thought leaders, diverse stakeholders, and subject matter experts to begin developing a framework for tackling Arctic marine plastic pollution as one of the focus areas for the Icelandic Chairmanship.
 (Alaska Arctic Observatory & Knowledge Hub) AAOKH Presentation at the Alaska Forum on the Environment, 2020. It was a pleasure and privilege to share observations and information about AAOKH. Taikuu and quyanaqpak!! Graduate student Roberta Glenn made the room stop with her Iñupiaq introduction and then told us about her upcoming coastal erosion monitoring research, Kotzebue Observer Bobby Schaeffer made clear the "unheard of" ice and ocean conditions in his region during 2019, UAF climatologist Rick Thoman gave us the broader context, and Elena Sparrow explained youth and education opportunities. Donna Hauser moderated and introduced AAOKH to the audience.
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 Wake Up to the Arctic's Importance. The majestic landscape of the Arctic - from the snow-capped peaks of the Brooks Range in Alaska to the vast Greenland Ice Sheet - creates the impression of permanence and timelessness. But with new sea lanes opening and milder inland climates, the Arctic's landscape is rapidly changing. Many nations and Arctic communities see investment opportunities - including in Greenland - while the strategic importance of the High North is attracting the attention of major powers. Some countries seek to impose new norms that would reshape the region in their own image.
US Embassy in Denmark
US Aid for Greenland Prompts Praise and Suspicion in Denmark. Denmark said no, emphatically, when President Trump expressed interest last year in purchasing Greenland. But that doesn't mean the Danish government would rebuff a little American help for its semi-autonomous territory. The United States has agreed to provide Greenland with $12.1 million in economic support, the Greenlandic government announced on Thursday, a move that some in Copenhagen met with wariness and anger, in light of Mr. Trump's covetous gaze at the vast mineral-rich island, which contains 10 percent of the world's fresh water.
The New York Times
 Norway Proposes Extending 'Ice Edge' to Limit Arctic Drilling. The government has proposed drawing the line at the point where there is sea ice for an average of 15 percent of the days in April. "With a limit of 15 percent ice frequency, we will take better care of the environment and reduce the risk of damaging vulnerable nature," Sveinung Rotevatn, Norway's Minister of Climate and Environment, said in a press release, outlining its new plan for managing its Arctic waters.
The Local Norway
Contract for World's Largest Icebreaker Signed in Murmansk-Vladivostok Video Meeting. With the coronavirus outbreak still not under control, big ceremonies, and long-distance travel have to be avoided. So also when the contract for building the largest and most powerful nuclear icebreaker is to be signed. On April 23rd, a video-link for the remote signing of the contract by the buyer and the builder was established between Murmansk and Vladivostok.
The Barents Observer
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Future Events
** New this week **
Thawing Arctic Permafrost: Regional and Global Impacts, April 26, 2020 (Webcast). Part of the National Academy of Sciences' 157th annual meeting, this session will consider ongoing heating and thawing of the permafrost that underlies most of the land area of the Arctic and sub-Arctic regions across the globe. Permafrost thaw is a direct threat to buildings, roads, and pipelines, and it can greatly accelerate erosion along rivers and coastlines with severe consequences for communities located there. But an impact with much wider consequences is the release of carbon dioxide and methane by the decomposition of previously frozen organic matter, affecting the rate of growth of global warming and all of its impacts everywhere. The panel is organized by John P. Holdren, Teresa & John Heinz Professor of Environmental Policy, John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University. Speakers include: Susan M. Natali, Associate Scientist and Arctic Program Director, Woods Hole Research Center; Katey Walter Anthony, Aquatic Ecosystem Ecologist and Professor, Water and Environmental Research Center, University of Alaska Fairbanks; and Michael Sfraga, Director, Global Risk and Resilience Program and Director, Polar Institute, Wilson Center.
ICESAT-2 Cryospheric Science Hackweek, June 15-19, 2020 (Seattle, Washington USA). ICESat-2 Cryospheric Science Hackweek is a 5-day hackweek to be held at the University of Washington. Participants will learn about technologies used to access and process ICESat-2 data with a focus on the cryosphere. Mornings will consist of interactive lectures, and afternoon sessions will involve facilitated exploration of datasets and hands-on software development.
Arctic Circle Assembly, October 8-11, 2020 (Reykjavik, Iceland). The annual Arctic Circle Assembly is the largest annual international gathering on the Arctic, attended by more than 2000 participants from 60 countries. It is attended by heads of states and governments, ministers, members of parliaments, officials, experts, scientists, entrepreneurs, business leaders, indigenous representatives, environmentalists, students, activists and others from the growing international community of partners and participants interested in the future of the Arctic.
3rd Arctic Science Ministerial, November 21-22, 2020 (Toyko, Japan). Since the last Arctic Science Ministerial in 2018, changes in the Arctic ecosystem and the resulting impacts locally and globally have been severely felt. While the reasons for these changes in climate largely stem from activities outside of the Arctic, the Arctic is warming at a rate of nearly double the global average. Considering the need for climate change mitigation, adaptation, and repair measures, the relevance of an international Arctic Science Ministerial has never been greater. It is necessary to strengthen scientific cooperation and collaboration among both Arctic and non-Arctic States in order to develop our understanding of the rapid changes impacting the Arctic. The First Arctic Science Ministerial (ASM1) was hosted by the United States in 2016, and two years later, the Second Arctic Science Ministerial (ASM2) was co-hosted by Germany, Finland, and the European Commission. The Third Arctic Science Ministerial will be co-hosted by Iceland and Japan.
Arctic Science Summit Week, March 20-26, 2021 (Lisbon, Portugal). The Portuguese Minister of Science, Technology and Higher Education, the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) and the Local Organizing Committee will host the Arctic Science Summit Week 2021. The Conference is organized by FCT, Ciência Viva, AIR Center, the Portuguese Arctic Community and by IASC and partners. Framed by the overarching theme for the Science Conference "The Arctic: Regional Changes, Global Impacts," Lisbon invites International experts on the Arctic and Indigenous Peoples to discuss the "New Arctic" and also its impacts and interactions to and with the lower latitudes.
** New this week **
Save the Date: 2nd Symposium on Polar Microbes and Viruses, May 3-6, 2021 (Hanko, Finland). Organizers announce, that due to the coronavirus outbreak, the 2nd Symposium on Polar Microbes and Viruses has been postponed to 2021. This symposium will bring together molecular microbial ecologists specializing in different organism groups to share our latest results and discuss methodological problems, as well as future prospects in the field, including practical international collaborations. The environmental focus will be on cryospheric environments including sea ice, glaciers, ice sheets, and permafrost, but excellent research in other polar environments is also invited. The methods to be discussed will focus on 'omics' techniques, ranging from single cells to metagenomes, but research using additional methods is encouraged as well.
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