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** New this week** Sikuliaq Tours and Reception, August 16, 2016 (Seattle, WA USA). Tours of the R/V Sikuliaq will take place in Seattle, WA, at Pier 91, Smith Cove Cruise Terminal. A reception will be held at Palisade Restaurant, 2601 W. Marina Place, Seattle, WA. The specific purpose of the tours and reception is three-fold: to recognize and thank donors in the Seattle WA area who have given to the Sikuliaq, the School and the University; provide an education and outreach opportunity to learn about the new NSF-owned, UAF-operated state- of-the-art oceanographic research vessel, and to encourage donor participation in support of the ship. For further information contact Teresa Thompson, [email protected], (907) 474-1867.
Today's C
ongressional Action:
The House and Senate are not in session.
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Media
North Slope Scenarios Project Reports Now Available. The North Slope Science Initiative (NSSI) and University of Alaska Fairbanks have released the results of an effort to prioritize research and monitoring needs on the North Slope through the use of scenarios. Scenarios are useful in developing priorities, given the uncertainties posed by resource development, climate change and other activities that may have an impact on the management of the North Slope and adjacent Beaufort and Chukchi Seas.
Learn more about this project and the scenarios development process in a Technical Report and Summary Report available on the NSSI website, http://northslope.org/scenarios/ For additional information contact: John Payne at [email protected] or (907) 271-3431 or Olivia Lee at [email protected] or (907) 474-6832
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Nunavut Community Back on Boil Water Alert.
The community of Whale Cove is back on a boil water alert. Following the discovery of "unacceptable levels" of coliform bacteria in the local water system, all residents of the Kivalliq community are being advised to boil their water before consumption, the Government of Nunavut said in an Aug. 15 release. Although the bacteria occurs naturally in plants, soil and in the digestive tracts of humans and animals, humans are at risk of contracting illness from water-borne coliform. Nunatsiaq Online
 Rival Claims to a Changing Arctic.
The Northwest Passage was once a mythic trade route that claimed dozens of Europe's foremost explorers. Today, travelers can traverse the passage once sought by the likes of Cabot, Drake, and Franklin
on the world's first cruise line
from New York to Anchorage; the trip lasts only about a month. This shift in accessibility to the Arctic is a direct result of the planet's warming climate. While increased access to the Arctic offers advantages in terms of commerce and tourism, it has also ushered in a new era of maritime security issues for Arctic nations. Specifically, as the Arctic Ocean warms and northern ice sheets recede, the United States, Russia, Canada, Norway, and Denmark will confront new aspects of maritime security, potentially causing rifts in long-established relationships. As such, it will prove increasingly important to examine the history of these states' interactions with an eye to the Arctic Ocean's commercial future.
Maritime Executive
 The Return of Small Pox Experts Fear Deadly Disease Could Once Again Devastate the Planet Thanks to Ancient Graves Bursting Open as a Result of Melting Arctic Ice.
The new alert comes after an outbreak of deadly anthrax in the Yamal peninsula last month which killed one child and led to 24 more with confirmed infections. More than 2,300 reindeer were perished in the outbreak. The anthrax infection is believed to have spread after the thawing of reindeer or even human graves but now scientists warn the same process could release smallpox, a disease that has been eradicated in the world. The Sun
Performance Versus Prescription in New US Arctic Rules: Fuel for Thought.
In its new rules for oil and gas drilling in the Arctic, the US has taken the biggest step yet toward a performance-based system that sets clear standards, but allows industry flexibility in how to meet them.
That's a big difference from most US offshore regulation, which is prescriptive in nature, specifying in almost minute detail how operators must comply and leaving little room for deviation... "The commission saw and was attracted to and impressed by how the performance-based approach requires industry to think more creatively and allows industry to be more innovative," Commission member Fran Ulmer said in an interview. "Undoubtedly, the Interior Department got educated by the Deepwater Horizon spill." The Barrel
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Legislative Action
No Arctic legislation was formally considered Friday.
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Future Events
Hosted by Saint Petersburg State University, the UArctic Congress 2016 will feature Science and Meeting sections, including:
- Acclaimed keynote speakers and scientific experts presenting research.
- Parallel sessions on Arctic science, policy, and education topics.
- Meetings for reps of the Council of UArctic and UArctic Rectors' Forum.
- Pre-Meetings to foster contacts and enhance networking.
- Opportunities to promote and market your organization and activities.
- A UArctic Student Forum with workshops.
- A Cultural and Social program.
The 2016 UArctic Rectors' Forum and the 19th annual meeting of the Council of UArctic form an integral part of the congress.
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 (
[email protected]) 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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External links in this publication, and on the USARC's World Wide Web site (
www.arctic.gov) do not constitute endorsement by the US Arctic Research Commission of external Web sites or the information, products or services contained therein. For other than authorized activities, the USARC does not exercise any editorial control over the information you may find at these locations. These links are provided consistent with the stated purpose of this newsletter and the USARC Web site.
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