Arctic Update Header
July 15, 2016

Today's C ongressional Action:   
The House and Senate are not in session.

Media   

russian flag Russia Looks to Populate its Far East. Wimps Need Not Apply.  Standing ankle deep in mud in a swampy grassland more than 4,000 miles from his home, Yuri A. Bugaev surveyed a mosquito-infested wasteland that the Russian government is offering to would-be pioneers under its own modern-day version of the   1862 Homestead Act   in the United States.  "This is not really what I had in mind," said Mr. Bugaev, who had traveled across seven time zones from St. Petersburg,   Russia, to scout the possibilities for settlers in the country's sparsely populated Far East, a territory roughly two-thirds the size of the United States.  New York Times
 
Melting Sea Ice Brings Danger and Opportunity to Canada's Arctic. Taking a break from sewing a traditional sealskin amauti (a coat with a large hood) for her granddaughter, Aaju Peter says ice patterns have changed since she moved from Greenland to Canada, 35 years ago. "The water is becoming more accessible much sooner, and it forms later," she said. "Hunters that used to hunt from 1981 to this day - seasoned hunters - are falling through the ice. And they shouldn't." Deutsche Welle
 
Subsea Fiber Optic Connection Could Transform Alaska's Arctic Future. At the close of the Civil War, the Western Union Telegraph Company cut 15,000 telegraph poles in Russia and North America and explored 6,000 miles as part of the first great telecommunications project in Alaska. But the well-financed project to link New York to European capitals via the Bering Strait, which started two years before the Alaska purchase from Russia, was the gas pipeline of its day. Alaska Dispatch News
 
Navy Teams up with Coast Guard to Build Polar Icebreaker. It would take the Coast Guard more than a decade to build a new polar icebreaker. To try to cut that time in half, it's joining forces with the Navy's well-oiled acquisition machine. The two services are standing up a joint program office after months of prodding by a California congressman who has called for the Coast Guard to put an icebreaker in the water as soon as possible, whether newly built or leased from another country. Navy Times

Legislative Action futureevents   

No Arctic legislation was formally considered yesterday.

Future Events
    
A Collaboration with Rural Alaskans: The Driftwood Harvest in a Changing Climate, July 19, 2016 (Webinar). As part of the OneNOAA Science Seminar Series, ACCAP Climate Webinar will sponsor this event. The webinar will consider a study that examined flood events in the Yukon River with the goal of understanding how actual or perceived changes in driftwood availability are related to river hydrology and how future changes in hydrology may affect the driftwood harvest.

** New this week ** Hickel Day of the Arctic- Northern Forum, July 26, 2016 (Anchorage, Alaska, USA). To celebrate our annual "Day of the Arctic," the Institute of the North has organized a special luncheon featuring speakers from the Northern Forum, an intergovernmental, subnational platform for advancing sustainable development in the Arctic. Speakers include: Mr. Byron Mallott, Lieutenant Governor, State of Alaska; Mr. Yuri Zakharinsky, Vice-Governor of Krasnoyarsky Krai, Chair of the RCC; Mr. Alexander Mazharov, Vice-Governor of Yamalo-Nenetsky Autonomous Okrug; Mr. Alexander Zhirkov, Speaker of the Parliament of Sakha Republic; Mr. Leonid Nikolaev, First Vice-Governor of Chukotsky Autonomous Okrug.

Hosted by Saint Petersburg State University, the UArctic Congress 2016 will feature Science and Meeting sections, including:
  • Acclaimed keynote speakers and scientific experts presenting their latest research.
  • Parallel sessions on an array of Arctic science, policy, and education topics.
  • Formal meetings for representatives of the Council of UArctic and UArctic Rectors' Forum.
  • Pre-Meetings to foster contacts and enhance networking.
  • Opportunities for promoting and marketing your organization and activities.
  • A UArctic Student Forum with workshops.
  • A Cultural and Social program like no other.
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.

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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