Arctic Update Header
August 24, 2016
 
Today's C ongressional Action:   
The House and Senate are not in session.

Media   

[Opinion] Northern Nurses Empower Communities on Their Own Terms. MANY NORTHERN PEOPLES seek the right to self-determination and its actualization by controlling their fate or course of action or achieving political independence. Policymakers and leaders often focus on the legal implications of this, but there is a big difference between de jure self-determination - the legal right to exercise political independence - and de facto self-determination - the capacity to do so. What does this have to do with nursing, you might rightly wonder. The history of nursing in northern communities has been one of regularly importing southern professionals to the community to conduct primary and preventive care. News Deeply

Cruise Ship Evacuation Exercise Begins as Luxury Liner Prepares for Arctic Ocean Transit. The U.S. Northern Command and Coast Guard have launched a major field-training exercise off Alaska's northwest coast. Arctic Chinook is intended to demonstrate how local, state and federal agencies would respond to a simulated cruise ship accident. Coincidentally, a big luxury cruise ship will sail through the area while the exercise is under way. And to further complicate things, bad weather has just set in. Coast Guard Commander Mark Wilcox says Arctic Chinook planners have had to incorporate some extra precautions into the exercise due to rough weather that set in over the weekend over the Bering and Chukchi seas.  KUAC
 
Language Assistance Provisions Enacted in Western Alaska and the Arctic. When Alaskans went to the polls this week, some had new options for language assistance. Expanded help for Yup'ik, Gwich'in and Inupiaq speakers was the result of a lawsuit brought against the state in 2013. A team of state elections officials and those involved in the lawsuit traveled to three Bristol Bay communities to see how the provisions worked out on primary day.Before choosing a primary ballot at polling place set up at the Manokotak City Office this week, Mike Toyukak glanced at two sample ballots offering Yup'ik translations of the English ballots available for voters to chose from. From signing for his ballot to depositing it into the ballot box, it only took Toyukak a few minutes to vote. KNBA
 
The Mammoth Pirates: In Russia's Arctic North, a New Kind of Gold Rush is Underway. With the sale of elephant tusks under close scrutiny, "ethical ivory" from the extinct woolly mammoth is now feeding an insatiable market in China. This rush on mammoth ivory is luring a fresh breed of miner - the tusker - into the Russian wilderness and creating dollar millionaires in some of the poorest villages of Siberia. On condition that he not reveal names or exact locations, RFE/RL photographer Amos Chapple gained exclusive access to one site where between bouts of vodka-fueled chaos and days spent evading police patrols, teams of men are using illegal new methods in the hunt for what remains of Siberia's lost giants. Radio Free Europe
Legislative Action futureevents   

No Arctic legislation was formally considered yesterday.

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.

...new this week...

Arctic Science Ministerial Side Event, September 27, 2016 (9:00-11:30 am) (Washington, DC).   ARCUS , i n collaboration with partners , is pleased to announce a side-event to the  2016 Arctic Science Ministerial meeting that will be held at the ARCUS office, 1201 New York Ave. NW, 4th floor, in Washington, D.C. 20005. In-person participation (limited space) and online streaming require registration ( here ).

The event  will be a dialogue on one of the four themes of the ministerial: "Arctic Science as a Vehicle for STEM Education and Citizen Empowerment." The event also provides an opportunity to hear from ministerial participants before the closed meetings of the ministerial begin the next day.

Two 1-hour panel discussions by an international group of Arctic leaders, including USARC Chair Fran Ulmer, will explore opportunities for advancing the use of Arctic research and education activities to inform worldwide audiences about the changes happening in the Arctic and to help empower Arctic residents most impacted by the complex dynamics shaping the region.  An introductory plenary by Mark Brzezinski, Executive Director of the U.S. Government's  Arctic Executive Steering Committee  will kick-off the conversation.

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.

...new this week...

National Academies of Sciences..."Scientific Priorities for a Changing Arctic(panel discussion)," September 29, 4:30 to 6:30pm (Washington, DC.   The public is invited to a recap and discussion of the first-ever White House Arctic Science Ministerial taking place, in Washington, DC, on September 28. At that event, ministers of science, chief science advisors, and other senior officials from countries around the world, as well as representatives from indigenous groups, will
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 address the collective actions and innovative  collaborations needed to enhance scientific understanding of the rapidly changing Arctic. This Academies' event and reception provides an opportunity to broaden the conversation to all those interested in the Arctic science and policy. Panelists will include officials from the White House, from the USARC, and others involved in the ministerial discussions.

As an exciting cultural addition to the program, producers of a new large format 3D film about Greenland will share their storytelling strategies and the process of using immersive cinema, virtual reality and the perspectives of climate scientists and usarc logo large extreme athletes to expand public understanding of the Arctic environment. Presenters will represent producing partners Giant Screen Films, Teton Gravity Research, and Golden Gate 3D.  Support for this event is provided by USARC  and the National Academies of Sciences , Engineering, and Medicine. Please register
  here


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.

Converging Interests: Maritime & Arctic Security & Safety Conference (MASS16), October 27-28, 2016 (Newfoundland & Labrador, Canada). MASS16 will once again focus on the challenges associated with both northern and maritime environments. The aim of the Government of Canada and the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador supported international conference is to promote stakeholder collaboration, technological innovation, harsh environment research & development, and world-class education efforts that are contributing to various components of northern development. 
 
The 5th Forum for Arctic Modeling and Observational Synthesis (FAMOS) project School and Meeting, November 1-4, 2016 (Woods Hole, Massachusetts, USA).The major goals of the meeting are to discuss results of ongoing FAMOS activities, and to plan 2016-2017 coordinated modeling and observing projects, with a special focus on high and very high spatiotemporal resolution processes. You can register here.

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