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Today's Congressional Action:
The House is not in session. The Senate is expected to consider non-Arctic legislation and a judicial nomination today.
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 One Arctic. Fran Ulmer, Chair of the US Arctic Research Commission, authored an editorial published by Science about cooperation in the Arctic. This month, the United States takes over the chairmanship of the Arctic Council, a position it last held in 1998. Since then, global interest in the Arctic has increased, and the council has evolved considerably. What has spurred that interest, and what will the council focus on under U.S. leadership? Increased interest in the Arctic is being driven by dramatic change in a region that is both valuable and vulnerable: a warming climate (sea-ice retreat, thawing permafrost, and coastal erosion); globalization and the demand for resources (increasing population and an expanding middle class); and geopolitics (claims on extended continental shelves and potential northern shipping routes). Taken together, these factors create opportunities and challenges, all of which require preparation, informed by knowledge acquired through Arctic research. Science Magazine
Arctic Priorities Questioned on Eve of US Chairmanship. The United States assumes chairmanship of the Arctic Council next week, kicking off a two-year window to assert American priorities in the region. The U.S. and other member nations have committed to making the Arctic a "zone of peace." But now, some Arctic watchers wonder if the U.S. needs to add an item to its Arctic priority list: get tough with Russia. Russia has been flexing its military might in northern skies and waters, and Swedish authorities last year reported a near miss with a Russian spy plane. Nordic ministers this week described Russia as the greatest threat to northern Europe's security. Yet the U.S. says it still wants Russia to be its partner in the Arctic. Heather Conley, an Arctic expert at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, says she's unsure what to make of it. Alaska Public Radio
 BLM Completes Cleanup of 6 Legacy Wells in Umiat Area. Cleanup is done on six legacy wells that are relics of early North Slope oil exploration, the Bureau of Land Management said Friday. The six wells, in the federal National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska, were drilled by the U.S. Navy in the 1940s and 1950s, when the land unit was under control of that military branch. All the wells in this spring's cleanup are at Umiat, a settlement in the reserve. Three were plugged and had their wellheads removed; wellheads were removed at the other three, which had been plugged previously. Alaska Dispatch News
Top Arctic Ministers Ready for Visit to Nunavut Capital. If you live in Iqaluit, you will notice an above average amount of activity, many unfamiliar faces, and a lot of air traffic April 24. For that brief period this week, many observers from around the world will pay attention to events in Iqaluit and the circumpolar world. That's because the eight-nation Arctic Council will hold its high level-ministerial meeting April 24 in Nunavut's capital - and it's not every day that figures such as United States Secretary of State John Kerry decide to visit Iqaluit for any event. Nunatsiaq Online
 Report: Arctic Melt-Turning Resource Extraction Into Human Development. Globalization, urbanization, and demographic shifts present Arctic policy makers and residents with the opportunity to reinvent circumpolar development for the 21st Century. This Report offers an analysis of that opportunity in the context of Alaska ahead of the US Arctic Council Chairmanship. Globalization, urbanization, and population shifts provide a chance to redefine how we conceptualize, and realize, Arctic investment - a chance to turn economic growth into human development. The Arctic Institute
ESA Satellite Reveals Thickness of Arctic Sea-Ice in Near-Real Time. According to a European Space Agency statement, measurements of Arctic sea-ice thickness from the CryoSat mission are being made available within two days of acquisition. This extremely quick turn-around time has been achieved in collaboration with the United Kingdom's Centre for Polar Observation. Last week, CryoSat attained five years in Earth orbit, the first mission to produce complete maps of the thickness of Arctic sea-ice. CryoSat's radar altimeter penetrates clouds and nighttime darkness to continuously measure sea-ice thickness. CryoSat's capabilities are essential as the Arctic becomes more economically important and more research is done there. The Space Reporter
Federal Government's New Map of Canada Shows More Arctic Sea Ice. In at least one way, the federal government's new map of Canada pales by comparison to its predecessor, thanks to a generous splash of white across the top. The change has to do with the way Arctic sea ice is represented relative to the previous version of the map. At a glance, the update - unveiled on Wednesday - makes it seem as though there is more ice now than there was in 2006, when the previous edition was published. The Globe and Mail
Appeal to Start on Arctic Seismic Testing. Local residents are opposing a plan to conduct seismic oil and gas exploration off Baffin Island. The proposal was first put forth in 2011 by a consortium of three international companies -- TGS-NOPEC, Petroleum Geo-Services and Multi Klient Invest. Inuit on the island say consultations with them have been inadequate and their concerns about effects on marine life have not been listened to. They say Baffin Bay and Davis Strait are fragile and ecologically diverse with many whales, walrus, and seals, and there isn't any solid information about how seismic testing would affect them and their environment. Alaska Dispatch News
Where North-South Meets East-West. Although the Arctic and the Antarctic are often lumped into the same category due to the fact that they share ice as their most visible trait, the comparison is a difficult one, given the wide range of areas in which they are not alike. Nevertheless, the experiences of Norway, which is the only country with territorial claims both places, provide an interesting case of the considerations that go into polar-research policy. Despite its polar pedigree, Norway's ambitions in the Arctic were hamstrung by a 1933 decision by the International Court of Justice granting Denmark sole control of Greenland. It was a blow to national pride, and newspapers there grieved the loss by printing black bands on their front pages. Arctic Journal
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| Legislative Action No Arctic legislation was formally considered Friday. |
| Future Events
Arctic Science Summit Week, April 23-30, 2015 (Toyama, Japan). The Arctic Science Summit Week (ASSW) is the annual gathering of the international organizations engaged in supporting and facilitating Arctic research. The purpose of the summit is to provide opportunities for coordination, collaboration and cooperation in all areas of Arctic science. The summit attracts scientists, students, policy makers and other professionals from all over the world.
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.
Effects of Oil on Wildlife, May 18-22, 2015 (Anchorage, Alaska, USA). This event is co-sponsored by International Bird Rescue and "Aiuka," which is a Brazilian conservation organization. The event will focus on polar wildlife issues and integrating wildlife into oil response, etc. Alaska Clean Seas is also a sponsor. North Slope Borough will also be a part of this meeting.
The House of Sweden Conference, May 19-20, 2015 (Washington, DC, USA). A two day conference focusing on changes, adaptations and opportunities for a changing Arctic. The conference will be divided into separate, but intertwined thematic segments - policy, science, climate change and green technologies. The conference is organized by the Swedish Ministry for Foreign Affairs, the Swedish Polar Research Secretariat, the Embassy of Sweden in Washington, DC and the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), and is aimed at Arctic oriented policy-makers, researchers, business representatives and NGO's in the lead-up to the U.S. chairmanship of the Arctic Council.
The European Union and Arctic (2015 EU-Arctic Conference), May 29, 2015 (Dundee, UK). The School of Law, University of Dundee, UK and the K. G. Jebsen Centre for the Law of the Sea, University of Troms?, Norway are pleased to announce the registration open for "The European Union and the Arctic" (2015 EU-Arctic Conference). This conference will bring together academics and practitioners from relevant disciplines such as international law, international relations, political science and marine biology, NGOs, representatives from EU institutions and international organizations to discuss the EU's potential contribution to enhance Arctic governance. A roadmap for increasing the effectiveness of the EU's action in the Arctic will be drawn at the end of the conference.
7th International Conference on Arctic Margins, June 2-5, 2015 (Trondheim, Norway). The next meeting, the 7th International Conference on Arctic Margins (ICAM VII), previously announced to be arranged in St. Petersburg, will be held in Norway. ICAM VII is hosted by the Geological Survey of Norway. The International Conference on Arctic Margins (ICAM) was founded by the U.S. Department of the Interior Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, formerly the Minerals Management Service, in 1991 with the underlying two-point theme of 1) Arctic understanding, 2) international cooperation in Arctic research. To these ends, ICAM has provided a successful forum for the exchange of information, collaboration in research, and presentation of results. ICAM is organized, hosted, and conducted by scientists for scientists which makes it a unique forum.
16th International Congress on Circumpolar Health: Focus on Future Health and Wellbeing, June 8-12, 2015 (Oulu, Finland). The congress will focus on human health and well-being in the Arctic and northern areas. It is open for everyone interested in Arctic issues, especially scientists, researchers, health care professionals, policy analysts, government agency representatives and community leaders. The congress is organized by the Thule Institute, University of Oulu in collaboration with the International Union of Circumpolar Health (IUCH), the Nordic Society for Circumpolar Health, the Society of Arctic Health and Biology, and the Rokua Health & Spa. The InternationaI Congress on Circumpolar Health (ICCH) series are arranged every three years in Arctic countries or countries related to Arctic issues. First congress of the series was arranged in 1967, and it was previously hosted by Oulu in 1971.
52nd Annual Conference of the Animal Behavior Society, June 10-14, 2015 (Anchorage, Alaska, USA). The Animal Behavior Society was founded in 1964 to promote the study of animal behavior in the broadest sense, including studies using descriptive and experimental methods under natural and controlled conditions. Current members' research activities span the invertebrates and vertebrates, both in the field and in the laboratory, and include experimental psychology, behavioral ecology, neuroscience, zoology, biology, applied ethology, and human ethology as well as many other specialized areas.
2015 ESSAS Annual Science Meeting, June 15-17, 2015 (Seattle, WA, USA). This symposium, to be held at the University of Washington, is intended for interdisciplinary scholars who will be prepared to discuss their research in the sub-arctic North Atlantic, sub-arctic North Pacific, and the Arctic Ocean that bears on the issue of how changes in sea ice are likely to affect these marine ecosystems. The symposium will also consider the people who depend upon these ecosystems and how they may be able to cope with the changes in the ecosystem goods and services that are coming. These goods and services include the availability of transportation corridors, the availability of subsistence foods, and the opportunity for commercial fishing. To put the present day in a longer perspective, the symposium will include a session on the paleo-ecology of people in sub-arctic and arctic regions that were forced to adjust to changing sea-ice conditions in the past. 6th Symposium on the Impacts of an Ice-Diminishing Arctic on Naval and Maritime Operations, July 14-16, 2015 (Washington, DC, USA). Program in development...check back soon. To see the programs from prior symposia, click here.
Polar Law Symposium (8th) will be held in Alaska (
Sept. 23-24, UAF; Sept. 25-26, UAA). It's sponsored by UAF, UAA (and ISER), UAA Justice Center, UW Law School. Abstracts due 3/15/15. This year's conference theme is, "The Science, Scholarship, and Practice of Polar Law: Strengthening Arctic Peoples and Places."
2015 Arctic Energy Summit, September 28-30, 2015 (Fairbanks, Alaska, USA).The Institute of the North's 2015 Arctic Energy Summit builds on our legacy efforts to address energy as a fundamental element of the sustainable development of the Arctic as a lasting frontier.Central to this concept is a focus on providing pathways for affordable energy development in the Arctic and for Arctic communities.
The Polar Oceans and Global Climate Change, November 3-6, 2015
(La Jolla, California USA.) The American Polar Society will host this Symposium at Scripps Institution of Oceanography. A flyer with a partial list of presenters is available on the Society's website (
americanpolar.org
) and from the Society's Membership Chairman by
email.
Due North: Next Generation Arctic Research & Leadership, November 5-8, 2015 (Calgary, Alberta, Canada).
The Association of Canadian Universities for Northern Studies (ACUNS) will convene an interdisciplinary conference of early career scientists working on Arctic issues. The organizers have issued a call for abstracts, due 5/31/15, on the following topics, full descriptions of where are available
here
, Arctic Communities, Arctic Sustainable Development, Arctic Wildlife, Ecosystem and Biodiversity, Arctic Food Security, Arctic Landscapes, Climate Change and Adaptation, Disaster Risk Management, Policy, Politics and Leadership, Arctic Environment (Data and Techniques), Arctic Resources, and Future of Arctic.
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