Arctic Update Header
August 19, 2016
 
Today's C ongressional Action:   
The House and Senate are not in session.

Media   

Defrosting Arctic Releasing Powerful Greenhouse Gas. "Methane is a potent greenhouse gas. It's 25 times more potent than carbon dioxide and we know that there are vast stores of methane that are now trapped," says Dale Marshall, national program manager at Environmental Defense Canada.  The only way to stop this methane escaping is to slow global warming. But July was the world's hottest month on record and  the 15 th  month in a row to break a monthly heat record , reports the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Temperatures in the far north are increasing about twice as fast as in regions further south . Radio Canada International
 
The Coast Guard's Flawed Icebreaker Plan. As ice melts in the Arctic, military and business leaders increasingly worry that the U.S. is falling behind Russia and other countries seeking to exert influence in the region. The issue has important economic and national security implications that the United States can no longer ignore. An ice free route through the Arctic is the shortest transit from the Atlantic to Pacific, which is a significant commercial advantage-not to mention access to untold oil reserves. The race is on to secure those benefits. In June, Moscow unveiled the world's largest and most powerful icebreaker-adding to its already robust fleet of more than 40. Even China, a country without direct access to Arctic waters, is scheduled to have three icebreakers by the end of this year. The U.S. has just one heavy icebreaker, in addition to an ice-capable scientific research vessel. Politico
 
NASA Reveals The Melting of Arctic Sea Ice Due to Warm Temperature. 
The NASA scientists unravel the dramatically declined of the Arctic sea ice because of the warm temperature. The sea ice is frozen ocean water around the polar caps. In the winter, it grows. On the other hand, during summer, it thins and decreases.
According to  NASA , the Arctic is the Earth's air conditioner. It helps in regulating the global temperatures. On the other hand, it is warming twice as fast as any other places in the world. This makes the Arctic one of the most visible signs of the changing planet. They are observing now the changing conditions in the Arctic with its satellites and airborne. Their ground campaign also measures the polar sea ice.
Science World Report
 
Denmark and Greenland to Present Continental Shelf Demands. A delegation from Denmark and Greenland will present a continental shelf claim to the Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf (CLCS) at the United Nations in New York this week. The claims concern three partial-submissions relating to areas 200 sea miles to the south, northeast and north of Greenland's coast - an area that Denmark and Greenland made claims on in 2014. "This is one of the milestones in our long and considerable co-operation to document and ensure our claim, and thus ascertain the Commonwealth's outer border," said the foreign minister, Kristian Jensen. The Copenhagen Post
 
Russian and US Scientists Collaborate to Map Migration Paths of Arctic Breeding Birds. Conservation of intertidal habitat- 65 percent of which has been lost over the last 50 years- is critical to the survival of countless birds during migration on the East Asian Australasian Flyway. In an effort to understand the threats and inform conservation of these areas, scientists from The Institute of Biological Problems of the North (Russian Academy of Sciences) and WCS (Wildlife Conservation Society) have collaborated to identify vital stopover areas for the dunlin, a shorebird known to migrate up to 7500 km (4700 miles) to reach its destination. Arctic Journal
 
Historical Data Shows Arctic Melt of Last Two Decades is 'Unprecedented.'
While satellite images of the Arctic clearly show that sea ice in the region has been on a steady decline since those images began in 1979, the relatively short span of that history has been seized on by some climate denialist to discount its significance in concluding humans are warming the planet.  Now, scientists have compiled  the most detailed study to date   of sea ice records going back more than a century and a half. The data shows that the rapid meltdown that satellites have been documenting since 1979 is unprecedented since at least 1850 and coincides with the buildup of heat-trapping greenhouse gases in the atmosphere from burning fossil fuels.  Inside Climate News

[Opinions] State Bases Alaska Game Management on Politics, Not Science.
In "Feds wage war on Alaska management of its fish and game" (Aug. 11),  Doug Vincent-Lang excoriated the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) for its decision to prohibit some forms of state-sanctioned predator control on national wildlife refuges in Alaska.  Vincent-Lang claimed that "federal bureaucrats" are "intent on destroying science-based wildlife management here in Alaska." I have news for him. The state's management of wildlife has become increasingly less science-based since 1994, when the Alaska Legislature served up the   Intensive Management Act.  Alaska Dispatch News

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.
 
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 ( greg@wtcak.org) 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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