|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
The Shaggy Savior of Northern Norway, 12:00 pm EDT on September 1, 2020. Professor Dolly Jørgensen will speak on a project about muskox hunting and farming and the larger issue of northern environments and "productivity." Her current research agenda focuses on cultural histories of animal extinction, and she recently published Recovering Lost Species in the Modern Age: Histories of Longing and Belonging (MIT Press, 2019). She has also edited several books, including Northscapes: History, Technology & the Making of Northern Environments (2014) and Visions of North in Premodern Europe (2018). The Pardee Center and the Scott Polar Research Institute at the University of Cambridge are pleased to co-host the Arctic Environmental Humanities Workshop Series, bringing together the diverse expertise of humanistic scholars, artists, and researchers for a series of virtual presentations and conversations about Arctic issues.
|
Media
As Arctic Warming Accelerates, Permafrost Thaw Hits Alaska Mine. The problems at Red Dog, one of the world's largest zinc mines, show how climate change poses a challenge to the economy of the region, which is warming at triple the rate of the global average. Vancouver-based Teck Resources Ltd. says to Alaska Public Media that permafrost thaw in the watershed surrounding Red Dog is releasing higher natural levels of dissolved minerals and other particles into streams. That, in turn, has limited the mine's ability to discharge its own treated wastewater into a nearby creek, causing water to back up in its tailings reservoir. High North News
 Foreign Plastic Continues to Wash up on Region's Beaches. The surge of plastic trash that has been washing up on beaches across the Bering Strait/Norton Sound region has attracted the attention of national maritime agencies. The so-called "marine debris pulse" appears to have come from a one-time dumping event, but when and how the debris got dumped is still a mystery and what exactly can be done about it remains to be seen. One of the hardest hit areas in the region is St. Lawrence Island, which sits just miles from Russian waters and has had problems with Russian debris in the past. This time around, though, the amount of waste is unprecedented. Ben Pungowiyi, acting president for the Native Village of Savoonga, was heading down the coast to his camp when he came across heaps of miscellaneous trash scattered on the beach. He described it as "cafeteria waste," including plastic drink bottles and cardboard milk cartons. Nome Nugget
Indigenous Communities are Educating Tourists in High Arctic, one Cruise Voyage at a Time. The Arctic Archipelago is among the most pristine ecosystems left on planet Earth. Encompassing more than 36,000 islands, this dynamic landscape spans from serrated, glacial-carved ranges to plateaus of wind-swept tundra. In the high season of late summer, it serves as a stunning backdrop to adventure cruisers traversing the famed Northwest Passage. But this unspoiled wilderness is much more than Instagram fodder. For some 60,000 Indigenous people, it is home. The largest Native population are the Inuits, who migrated here from Siberia more than 4,000 years ago. Washington Post
Over 50 Warships Were Involved in Russian Navy Exercises that Surprised Alaska Trawlers. The Russian navy conducted major war games near Alaska involving dozens of ships and aircraft, the military said Friday, the biggest such drills in the area since Soviet times. Russia's navy chief, Adm. Nikolai Yevmenov, said that more than 50 warships and about 40 aircraft were taking part in the exercise in the Bering Sea, which involved multiple practice missile launches. Alaska Public Radio
 Sami Language Week to Take Place October 19-25. "We will share our rich languages throughout society and in Sapmi [the Sami homeland], as well as create greater commitment across borders," said Aili Keskitalo, president of the Norwegian Sami Parliament, in a news release. "It's gratifying that we set aside a whole week for extra focus on the Sami languages we have." The Sami are an Arctic Indigenous people. There is no census just for Sami but their numbers are estimated to be between 100,000 to 150,000. Their traditional homeland stretches across Arctic Finland, Sweden, Norway and Russia's Kola Peninsula - a region they collectively refer to as Sapmi. Radio Canada International
US Ambassador Has Meeting at Russian Foreign Ministry. On August 28, First Deputy Foreign Minister Vladimir Titov met with US Ambassador John Sullivan to discuss Russian-US cooperation in the Arctic, the press service of the Russian Foreign Ministry reported. During the discussion regarding Russian-US cooperation in the Arctic, including within the framework of the Arctic Council, the officials noted the Council's central role in developing a constructive agenda for the Arctic. The Arctic
Arctic Policy: EU Opens Consultation on Future Approach. On 20 July 2020 the European Commission and the European External Action Service jointly launched a public consultation on the way forward for the European Union's Arctic policy. The consultation will enable a broad reflection of the EU's Arctic policy in the face of new challenges and opportunities, including the EU's ambitions under the European Green Deal. The consultation seeks input on the strengths and shortfalls of the existing policy, with a view to possibly preparing an updated approach.
High Representative/Vice-President Josep Borrell said, "The Arctic is a rapidly evolving frontier in international relations. Climate change is dramatically transforming the region and increasing its geopolitical importance, with a number of players seeing new strategic and economic opportunities in the High North. We must ensure that the Arctic remains a zone of low tension and peaceful cooperation, where issues are solved through constructive dialogue. The European Union must be fully equipped to manage the new dynamics effectively, in line with our interests and values." Hellenic Shipping News
Call for Information on Recent Arctic Research Activities. The Interagency Arctic Research Policy Committee (IARPC) is beginning its yearly effort to gather information on relevant research activities that have occurred over the last fiscal year. We hope this provides you an opportunity to share the work you have been doing during FY2020 with the wider research community. We welcome all to contribute information on recent work that is relevant to the Arctic Research Plan by September 4. Learn how to submit your work on IARPC's website.
|
|
Future Events
** New this week ** Building Arctic Educator-Researcher Collaborations, 1:00 PM EDT on September 9, 2020 (virtual). In this webinar led by Jennifer Chavez-Miller, you will learn how to reach out and partner with educators on public programming, how to foster effective educator-researcher collaborations, and how you can improve your communication skills for younger audiences. Jennifer will share her expertise of collaborations from over 18 years as a public school educator, including research trips to Svalbard and Finland, and a recent National Geographic funded education project. You will leave this webinar with next steps you can take to begin meaningful outreach to interest students in your field and create a path to participation. This webinar is supported by the Migration in Harmony Research Coordination Network.
** New this week ** 2021 Alaska Marine Science Symposium, January 26-28, 2021 (virtual). The Alaska Marine Science Symposium (AMSS) has been bringing together scientists, educators, resource managers, students, and interested public for over twenty years to discuss the latest marine research being conducted in Alaskan waters. Over 700 people attend this 4-day long conference held annually during the month of January. Each day of the conference highlights important Alaskan marine ecosystems: Gulf of Alaska (Tuesday), Bering Sea & Aleutian Islands (Wednesday), and the Arctic (Thursday). Research topics discussed range from ocean physics, fishes and invertebrates, seabirds, marine mammals, to local traditional knowledge. Since its inception, NPRB has been a proud sponsor and one of the leading organizers of AMSS.
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.
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.
3rd Arctic Science Ministerial, May 8-9, 2021 (Toyko, Japan). The Japanese and Icelandic organizers of this ministerial continue to plan for an in-person ministerial, in Tokyo, but have moved the dates from November 21-22, 2020 to May 8-9, 2021 because of Covid-19. Since the last Arctic Science Ministerial in 2018, changes in the Arctic ecosystem and the resulting impacts locally and globally have been severely felt. 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. ASM3 will be co-hosted by Iceland and Japan.
|
|
  
4350 N. Fairfax Drive, Suite 510
Arlington, VA 22203, USA
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.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
