Arctic Update Header
April 6, 2016
  
Today's C ongressional Action:   
The Senate will consider the Federal Aviation Administration authorization. The House is not in session.
Media  

Norway Oil Development Oil Spill Tests on Ice Prove Arctic Quests Risky. The skimmer is lowered from the rear of the icebreaker, its weight pushing massive pieces of ice under the water and forcing the spilt oil up to the surface, where the sticky black goo can be sucked up. Luckily, this is just a test: as the world's superpowers eye the lucrative Arctic region with growing interest, unprecedented oil spill clean-up tests in icy Finnish conditions reveal just how hazardous and challenging an accident in the Arctic's pristine sea ice could be. Brief
 
Photographer Captures Stunning Arctic Wildlife. Go on a journey to the frozen north with wildlife photographer Vincent Munier. Spotlighting foxes, wolves, hares, owls, and even a polar bear, these photographs capture the beauty of the Arctic. Check out Munier's book Arctique to see more of the images. The Short Film Showcase spotlights exceptional short videos created by filmmakers from around the web and selected by National Geographic editors. We look for work that affirms National Geographic's belief in the power of science, exploration, and storytelling to change the world. The filmmakers created the content presented, and the opinions expressed are their own, not those of National Geographic Partners. National Geographic
 
Polar Bears Losing Weight as Arctic Sea Ice Melts, Canadian Study Finds. Three decades of melting sea ice has led to significant weight loss among the world's southernmost population of polar bears, new data from Canadian researchers suggests. "It's a red flag," said Martyn Obbard, a scientist with the Ontario provincial government and co-author of a recently published study in the journal Arctic Science. The Guardian
 
Will Ferrell, Temple Hill Team for Arctic Comedy 'Ice Pack.' Will Ferrell is heading to the North Pole. Sony Pictures has picked up movie rights to Ice Pack: An Insurance Salesman and a Doctor Walk Into a Bar, and End Up at the North Pole, a comedic story of an unorthodox expedition to the Arctic. Ferrell is attached to star in the project, which will be produced by Temple Hill's Marty Bowen and Wyck Godfrey. Hollywood Reporter
 
Critics of Arctic Ocean Drilling Want It Killed in Proposed Leasing Program. The federal government isn't expected to hold an oil drilling lease sale in the U.S. Arctic Ocean for at least a few more years, but a meeting on the topic in Anchorage on Tuesday drew a large crowd, after environmental groups rented a room next to the leasing agency's open house and hired a stenographer to take statements from people opposed to drilling. The sideshow, with one protester dressed as a polar bear and others waving signs with slogans such as "Keep it in the Ground" -- centered around the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management's proposed 2017-2022 lease plan for the U.S. outer continental shelf. Alaska Dispatch News
 
Iceland's Leader is First Victim of Offshore Holdings Leak. The leak of millions of records on offshore accounts claimed its first high-profile victim Tuesday as Iceland's prime minister resigned amid outrage over revelations he had used such a shell company to shelter large sums while Iceland's economy was in crisis. The fall of Icelandic leader Sigmundur David Gunnlaugsson is the biggest fallout so far from the publication of the names of rich and powerful people linked to the leaks, dubbed the Panama Papers. Alaska Dispatch News
 
Watch: Boeing 737 Full of Passengers Blown Round in Circle by Apocalypic Wind. Heart-stopping footage shows the Nord Star Boeing 737 spin on the spot in the fearsome blast. Air traffic controllers looked on in horror as the 100ft aircraft is blown around like a paper aeroplane in gusts of up to 40 meters per SECOND. Daily Star
 
Nome Won't Receive Federal Disaster Training Until After Arrival of Arctic Cruise Ship. The Arctic is set to see its first large cruise ship this summer, but Nome and many other communities along its route may not be ready for a major disaster at sea. The Crystal Serenity will carry over 1,000 passengers through the Northwest Passage.  New Sea-Going Icebreakers are Tested Within the Northern Sea Route. New sea-going diesel-electric icebreakers of 21900M project, Vladivostok and Murmansk, will be tested under the extreme conditions of the Northern Sea Route, the manufacturing plant's General Director Alexander Solovyov told TASS news agency. Both vessels were constructed at Vyborg Shipyard in the Leningrad Region for the company Rosmorport. "We need heavy ice and we will look for ice ridges and fast ice. Only extreme conditions will allow us to properly monitor the vessel's performance," Mr. Solovyov explained. The Arctic
 
International Expedition to Study Ancient Sediments on Yamal Lake Bottom. Members of an international research expedition, due to set out April 6 from Salekhard, are to study Lake Bolshoye Shchuchye on the Yamal Peninsula, reports the official government agencies website of the Yamal-Nenets Autonomous Area. The six members of the research team represent the Arctic and Antarctic Research Institute, the Northern Water Problems Research Institute of the Karelian branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, St. Petersburg State University, North-Eastern Federal University in Yakutsk, the Institute for Geology and Mineralogy at the University of Cologne, the Institute of Earth Sciences at the University of Kiel and the University of Bergen. The Arctic
 
Monitoring the Arctic Ice Through Winter and Summer. Most research trips to the Arctic have been made in the warmer months of summer, so far. But a team of scientists now wants to spend a whole year on a ship at the North Pole in October 2019. The idea is to better monitor and record climate change in the sea ice. American atmospheric specialist, Matthew Shupe, is the lead scientist. BBC News
 
canadian flag Oceans North Canada Calls for Inuit Input on Canada's Arctic Shipping Corridors. A new report from Oceans North Canada is calling on the federal government to re-work its Arctic shipping corridors initiative to include environmental protections and engagement with Inuit groups.  The non-governmental organization promoting the conservation of Canada's Arctic waters says the government had big gaps in the data it used to create the Northern Marine Transportation Corridors Initiative.  Oceans North Canada's  37-page report outlines several key recommendations, including the need for a new management structure to govern the areas in the corridors initiative. The organization (which is a program of The Pew Charitable Trusts) wants to see the creation of a commission that would be co-chaired by the Coast Guard and Inuit beneficiaries. CBC News

Legislative Action futureevents   

No Arctic legislation was formally considered yesterday.

Future Events
 
2016 Social and Environmental Determinants of Health in Alaska Symposium, April 14-15, 2016 (Anchorage, Alaska, USA).  The symposium will bring multidisciplinary teams of biomedical and health researchers together to discuss translational research, with a goal to expand the INBRE network, and to enhance interdisciplinary and translational biomedical and health research.  Presenters from across the United States will speak on social and environmental determinants of health in Alaska, followed by panel discussions on each topic.  Registration is free.  For more information, please call  907.786.6460 or email  kalance@uaa.alaska.edu.

Bridging the Future of Arctic Social Science Research, April 14-16, 2016 (Cedar Falls, Iowa, USA). The event is sponsored by Arctic Horizons. This workshop will gather a diverse group of scholars to discuss the state-of-the art in Arctic social sciences and develop visioning scenarios for the future of social science research in the Arctic. The core topics will parallel discussions held at other regional workshops (Portland, OR and Providence, RI), which include: social sciences research and climate change; interdisciplinary research in the Arctic; social sciences and humanities in the Arctic, and applied social sciences research.

Service-Learning in Undergraduate Geosciences: A Workshop, April 20-21, 2016 (Washington, DC).  Pre-register  here  to participate in the NSF-funded workshop " Service-Learning in Undergraduate Geosciences"  that will be  held at the National Academies of Sciences in Washington D.C. on  April 20 & 21 .   This workshop will focus on what is currently happening in service-learning in the geosciences and what can be learned from service-learning in other disciplines.

Alaska Rural Energy Conference, April 26-28, 2016 (Fairbanks, Alaska, USA). The Alaska Rural Energy Conference is a three day event offering a large variety of technical sessions covering new and ongoing energy projects in Alaska, as well as new technologies and needs for Alaska's remote communities. Building on the growing success, the Alaska Energy Authority and the Alaska Center for Energy and Power have joined forces again to organize and sponsor the 10th annual Alaska Rural Energy Conference.   

High North Dialogue 2016: The Blue Future of the Arctic, May 25-26, 2016.   HND is an annual conference hosted by the High North Center at Nord University, engaging a wide audience of researchers and future leaders of the region. It will address the necessary questions to effectively promote dialogue between interested stakeholders on how to sustainably develop the different realities of the many Arctics. PhD and Masters students can also participate in a week long credit awarding graduate course.

Bridging the Future of Arctic Social Science Research, May 31-June 2, 2016 (Providence, Rhode Island, USA). The event is sponsored by Arctic Horizons. The workshop will bring together researchers working on multidisciplinary natural/social science projects addressing issues of contemporary change in the North with social scientists focused on policy development at a global scale. This focus draws on the expertise of Brown University's Watson Center for International Studies (http://watson.brown.edu), the Institute at Brown for Environment and Society (IBES, http://www.brown.edu/academics/institute-environment-society/about), and the Haffenreffer Museum of Anthropology's (http://www.brown.edu/haffenreffer) six-decade engagement with northern people and northern heritage.

14th IATS Seminar, June 19-25, 2016 (Bergen, Norway).
The University of Bergen (UiB) is honored to host the 14th IATS Seminar in Bergen, Norway, from Sunday 19 to Saturday 25 June 2016 in co-operation with the Network for University Co-operation Tibet-Norway, an academic network with the universities of Oslo, Bergen and Tromsø as partners. The convenor is Professor Hanna Havnevik, Department of Culture Studies and Oriental Languages, University of Oslo, and Chair of the Network.
 
11th International Conference on Permafrost (ICOP 2016), June 20-24, 2016 (Potsdam, Germany). The Alfred Wegener Institute has teamed up with UP Transfer GmbH and the University of Potsdam to organize a great conference for you, permafrost researchers. The conference aims at covering all relevant aspects of permafrost research, engineering and outreach on a global and regional level.

Bridging the Future of Arctic Social Science Research, September 23-24, 2016 (Monticello, Rhode Island, 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.
  
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.
 

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