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October 15, 2014

capital Today's Congressional Action:  

The House and Senate are not in session.

Media  

 

capital 3 Senate Endgame Scenarios. So much for a predictable midterm cycle. The past month has left multiple possible outcomes for control of the Senate. Republican groups are barraging Kansas with resources and advertising to save a three-term incumbent being challenged by an independent in a solidly GOP state. Democrats, lacking much hope for months of holding an open seat in South Dakota, are all of a sudden dropping $1 million in advertising there - and being matched by Republicans - in a last-second Hail Mary that could possibly save its majority. Roll Call

 

Governments, Aboriginal Groups Strike Deal on South Hudson Bay Polar Bears. After years of postponed meetings and debates, governments, Aboriginal organizations and hunters in Nunavut, Nunavik and Cree regions within Ontario and Quebec have reached a new agreement on how to manage the controversial southern Hudson Bay polar bear subpopulation. Under the new agreement, Inuit hunters will be taking fewer polar bears that in past years; the annual harvest of that subpopulation has been set at 45, said an Oct. 10 Environment Canada news release. Nunatsiaq Online

 

Conscience or Chaos? With the exception of a special report or a business article looking into Greenland's economic woes, news from the northern reaches of the Kingdom of Denmark is typically absent from the pages of the media in Copenhagen. Even so, it should come as little surprise that the political turmoil that engulfed the now-former government of Aleqa Hammond last month provided fodder for the southern press for at least a couple of days. Political scandal is always a seller, and never more so when it involves Denmark's former colony, to which Copenhagen still gives 3.7 billion kroner ($580 million) each year in a single lump subsidy. (The figure amounts to 66,000 kroner for each of the country's 56,000 residents.) Arctic Journal 

  

pontoon-plane-sm.jpg Alaska's Outdated Maps Make Flying a Peril, but a High-Tech Fix is Slowly Gaining Ground. In the age of Google Earth, it's tempting to think human knowledge of the world is complete, with no frontiers to be charted. Which is why Alex Stack thought modern technology could get him through the mighty Alaska Range after a successful 2006 moose hunt. Stack and his buddies Aric Beane and James Eule hit bad weather as they flew home through Mystic Pass, a narrow valley winding through 8,000-foot peaks southwest of Mount McKinley. One minute, the weather was fine; the next, clouds were rolling down the snow-streaked ridges. Washington Post

  

Challenging Time for Arctic Mining Companies. One of the smaller mining companies operating in Scandinavia, Northern Iron, is struggling to make ends meet as raw material prices plummet. After several golden years, a string of regional mining companies is threatened by closure. "We believe we can make it," company representative Harald Martinsen said in a  presentation in Kirkenes. Northern Iron has not made a profit since it started up mining in Arctic Norway in 2009, and deficits are steadily growing. However, the company still appears confident that it will make it through the industry downturn. Alaska Dispatch News

 

Alaska Native Ice Testing Stick Will be Used on National Research Vessel. In a few months, the ice-classed research vessel Sikuliaq, owned by the National Science Foundation, will be equipped with about a half dozen Arctic Native ice testing sticks as part of the ship's safety outfit. "It's a multi-tool. Sometimes there's a hook on the end for retrieving things, and the other end is used for poking the ice. It could be a harpoon with a rib bone, or some type of bone sticking out on the other end to test the ice," said Brandon Ahmasuk, subsistence director at Kawerak. "Obviously, if it goes through, you don't want to step there." KNOM

 

Fish Species Will Dash Poleward With Warming Oceans: New Study. More new kinds of fish are expected to move into the Arctic Ocean as the oceans warm - at a rate of up 100 kilometres north every 10 years - says a new study from the University of British Columbia. "As fish move to cooler waters, this generates new opportunities for fisheries in the Arctic," Miranda Jones, lead author of the research, said in a UBC news release.  "On the other hand it means it could disrupt the species that live there now and increase competition for resources." Nunatsiaq Online

  

CamBay Language Students Remain Keen on Reviving Inuinnaqtun. During the afternoon of Oct. 10, following their Inuinnaqtun language earlier exam in the morning, Pam Langan and Leggie Luz Cristobal were back at work in the May Hakongak library and cultural centre in Cambridge Bay. "I went from only knowing how to say koana [thank you] to much more," said Cristobal, one of 10 adults in this western Nunavut community, who took the Pigiarvik or beginner's level Pirurvik Inuinnaqtun course from Sept. 29 to Oct. 10. Nunatsiaq Online

 

russian flag Russia Seeks to Acquire Arctic Island. Russia is making a new territorial acquisition that might not be as lush as Crimea, but would be unlikely to incur criticism from the West. The Russian navy has completed a cartographic survey of a recently discovered island in the Arctic, which would allow the country to add 1,165 square kilometers of territorial waters around the sliver of land to its possessions, Baltic Fleet spokesman Captain Vladimir Matveyev said Tuesday in comments carried by RIA Novosti. The Moscow Times

 

Murkowski Murkowski Inspects Icebreaker for First-Hand Answers on Arctic Availability. As the other Arctic nations - and many outside of the region - surge their investment and focus in the area, Senator Lisa Murkowski paid a visit to the United States Coast Guard Cutter POLAR SEA in Seattle to get an update on its status. With the POLAR SEA having been commissioned in 1977 and one of only two heavy-duty icebreakers in America's fleet, Murkowski sought answers on just how much more of a contribution the USCG expects the ship to be able to make. "In a matter of months, the United States will take the chair of the Arctic Council, and we need to be able to demonstrate leadership in the Arctic region in word and deed; having icebreakers at the ready, and investments in more on the way, are a way we can show we're not going to allow America to fall further behind Russia or China or India," said Murkowski. "After seeing the POLAR SEA firsthand, I am even more concerned with the status of the U.S. icebreaking fleet. This vessel was a workhorse for decades, but is far from being returned to active duty. I really question the value of investing scarce federal resources to refurbish her when what the U.S. needs is modern technology and capabilities." Alaska Native News 

Legislative Actionfutureevents  

 

The House and Senate did not formally consider Arctic legislation Friday.

Future Events

  

2014 FAMOS School and Workshop #3, October 21-24, 2014 (Woods Hole, MA). The Forum for Arctic Ocean Modeling and Observational Synthesis (FAMOS) is an international effort to focus on enhancing collaboration and coordination among Arctic marine and sea ice modelers, theoreticians and observationalists synthesize major results from the field studies and coordinated numerical experiments. The major themes of workshop include but not limited by studies focused on: predictions; Arctic observational and modeling initiatives; fate of sea ice in models and observations; atmospheric, sea ice and ocean dynamics; process studies and parameterizations; model validation and calibration; numerical improvements and algorithms; ecosystems, biological issues, and geochemistry.

 

Transatlantic Science Week 2014, October 27-28, 2014 (Toronto, Canada). The purpose of the annual Transatlantic Science Week (TSW) is to promote enhanced cooperation between Canadian, American and Norwegian stakeholders in research, innovation and higher education. TSW is an arena where different stakeholders can meet with the purpose of developing long-term collaborations or partnerships. The conference also hopes to strengthen the linkages that currently exist between the research and education domains. Finally, TSW also provides an excellent arena for dialogue between the research communities and policymakers. 

  

Oil Spill Response 25 Years After the Exxon-Valdez and in the Wake of Macondo 252: What have we learned and what are we missing? October 28-29, 2014. (University of New Hampshire). The University of New Hampshire Center for Spills in the Environment and the School of Marine Science and Ocean Engineering will host a forum entitled Oil Spill Response 25 years After the Exxon Valdez and in the Wake of Macondo 252, What Have We Learned and What Are We Missing? Questions to be addressed include: what have we learned from these two spills? How can they inform future spill response? What should we do differently to address the spills of the future? Topics covered will include a) the types of spills that could occur in the future and the challenges they pose for response; b) the improvements needed in communication among responders, scientists, the public and politicians; c) the role of academic science in spill response; and d) the impacts of new scientific methods, such as molecular biology, on impact assessment and restoration. The forum will feature an array of speakers who played key roles during the Exxon Valdez and Deepwater Horizon spills.  After an opening overview of oil spills by Gary Shigenaka, NOAA Office of Response and Restoration, Captain Ed Page, Chief of Coast Guard Operations during the Exxon Valdez oil spill and Dr. Robert Spies, Chief Science Advisor to the Governments on the Exxon Valdez spill will kick off the discussion.  Then Thad Allen, former Commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard and Dr. Marcia McNutt, who was director of the U.S. Geological Survey, will present their perspectives on the Deepwater Horizon spill.  Speakers from the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute, U.S. Arctic Research Commission, U. S. Environmental Protection Agency, National Institutes of Health, the American Petroleum Institute, Ocean Conservancy, and many other experts will offer perspectives on oil spills in the United States. 

 

Arctic Circle, October 31-November 2, 2014 (Reykjavik, Iceland).

The Arctic Circle is nonprofit and nonpartisan. Organizations, forums, think tanks, corporations and public associations around the world are invited to hold meetings within the Arctic Circle platform to advance their own missions and the broader goal of increasing collaborative decision-making without surrendering their institutional independence. The Arctic Circle will organize sessions on a variety of issues, such as: Sea ice melt and extreme weather; Polar law: treaties and agreements; The role and rights of indigenous peoples; Security in the Arctic; Shipping and transportation infrastructure; The prospects and risks of oil and gas drilling; Clean energy achievements and sustainable development; Arctic resources; Business cooperation in the Arctic; The role of Asian and European countries in the Arctic; Greenland in the new Arctic; Fisheries and ecosystem management; The science of ice: global research cooperation; Arctic tourism; The ice-dependent world: the Arctic and the Himalayas. 
 

US- Canada Northern Oil and Gas Research Forum, November 4-6, 2014 (Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, Canada). Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada and the Canadian Polar Commission in partnership with the U.S. Department of the Interior, are hosting the fourth Canada - United States Northern Oil and Gas Research Forum. The Northern Oil and Gas Research Forum is a biennial meeting with representation from government, industry, academia, Aboriginal groups and Northerners from both Canada and the United States. The Forum provides an opportunity to discuss current and future priorities for northern oil and gas research. The Forum will showcase the value of northern research in support of sound decision-making for oil and gas management.

 

Alaska Policy Commission. November 17-18, 2014 (Anchorage, Alaska). The Alaska Arctic Policy Commission (AAPC) has more important work to do in 2014. The Commission will strive to gather public input and engage with Alaskan communities, state agencies, federal partners, and the international organizations working in the Arctic. In order to meet our goals AAPC will convene three in-person meetings over the course of 2014 and focus on implementation and final recommendations. 

 

Maritime Risk Symposium, November 18-19, 2014 (Los Angeles, CA, USA). The theme for this year's Symposium will be Worldwide Chokepoints and Maritime Risks. "Chokepoint" is a common military strategy term that refers to any enclosed space, corridor, or area where large numbers of personnel and/or resources are forced to pass through, with no reasonable alternate routes. Within the maritime environment, geographical features such as a strait or canal are considered chokepoints. The event is hosted by the Homeland Security Center of the University of Southern California.

 

The Arctic Biodiversity Congress, December 2-4, 2014 (Trondheim, Norway). The Arctic Biodiversity Congress will present and discuss the main scientific findings of the ABA; facilitate inter-disciplinary discussion, action and status updates on the policy recommendations in the ABA; provide scientific, policy, management, NGO, academia, Indigenous peoples and industry audiences the opportunity to collaborate around the themes of the ABA; advise CAFF on national and international implementation of the ABA recommendations and on the development of an ABA Implementation Plan for the Arctic Council; highlight the work of CAFF and the Arctic Council on circumpolar biodiversity conservation and sustainable development; and, contribute to mainstreaming of biodiversity and ecosystem services, ensuring that the recommendations of the ABA are implemented by not just governments, but many organizations and people across disciplines.

 

Arctic Change 2014, December 8-12, 2014 (Ottawa, Canada). The international Arctic Change 2014 conference aims to stimulate discussion and foster collaborations among people with a vested interest in the Arctic and its peoples. Coinciding with the pinnacle of Canada's chairmanship of the Arctic Council and marking ArcticNet's 10th anniversary, Arctic Change 2014 welcomes researchers, students, Northerners, policy makers, and stakeholders from all fields of Arctic research and all countries to address the numerous environmental, social, economical and political challenges and opportunities that are emerging from climate change and modernization in the Arctic. With over 1000 participants expected to attend, Arctic Change 2014 will be one of the largest trans-sectoral international Arctic research conferences ever held in Canada. 

  

AGU Fall Meeting, December 15-19, 2014 (San Francisco, CA, USA). With nearly 24,000 attendees, the AGU Fall Meeting is the largest Earth and space science meeting in the world. The AGU Fall Meeting brings together the entire Earth and space sciences community for discussions of emerging trends and the latest research. The technical program includes presentations on new and cutting-edge science, much of which has not yet been published.

 

Arctic Frontiers: Climate and Energy, January 18-23, 2015. The earth is in the midst of major climate changes. The Arctic is experiencing the impact of these changes more and faster than other parts of the globe. Processes starting in the Arctic may have deep and profound impacts on other parts of the globe. At the same time the Earth's population is rising and with it the global energy demand. New and greener energy sources are gaining market shares, but still the energy mix of the foreseeable future will have a substantial fossil component. The Arctic is expected to hold major oil and gas resources, while the regions green energy potentials are less explored. The Arctic Frontiers conference is a central arena for discussions of Arctic issues. The conference brings together representatives from science, politics, and civil society to share perspectives on how upcoming challenges in the Arctic may be addressed to ensure sustainable development. Arctic Frontiers is composed of a policy section and a scientific section. 

  

Alaska Marine Science Symposium, January 19-23, 2015. (Anchorage, Alaska, USA). The symposium will feature a session on the Communicating Ocean Sciences, keynote addresses, poster sessions, and workshops. As in past years, the main content of the symposium is organized by large marine ecosystem. The 2015 schedule will be: Tuesday, January 20 - Gulf of Alaska; Wednesday, January 21 - Bering Sea; and Thursday, January 22 - Arctic Ocean. The details of the 2015 Alaska Marine Science Symposium program will be available in mid-November.

 

Symposium on Law and Governance in the Arctic, UCI LAW, January 30-31, 2015 (Irvine, California, USA).  The symposium will explore the effectiveness of existing governance in the Arctic region, strategies for improving effective implementation, and possible alternative governance regimes. A segment of the presented papers will be published in the UCI Law Review as a symposium. Presenters include: Betsy Baker, Michael Byers, Joseph DiMento, Tore Henriksen, Brian Israel, Timo Koivurova,Tullio Scovazzi, and Oran Young. 

 

Arctic Encounter Symposium 2015: Charting a Path to US Leadership in the Far North, January 30-31, 2015 (Seattle, Washington, USA). Additional details and registration dates TBA.


The Polar Geography and Cryosphere, April 21-25, 2015 (Chicago, IL, USA). The Polar Geography and Cryosphere Specialty Groups of the Association of American Geographers will host its annual meeting in Chicago to consider: current topics in human-environment interactions; current topics in politics, resource geographies, and extractive industries; current topics in Antarctic research; advances in cryosphere research; high latitude environments in a changing climate; an mountain ice and snow.

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