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Today's C
ongressional Action:
The House is not in session. The Senate is in session and expected to consider non-Arctic legislation.
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Obama, Trudeau Announce Plans to Fight Arctic Oil, Gas Pollution; Alaskans Criticize Lack of Input. President Barack Obama and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced a joint plan to cut methane emissions from the oil and gas industry and a suite of plans to protect the environment in the Arctic on Thursday. Alaska's congressional delegation -- Sens. Lisa Murkowski and Dan Sullivan and Rep. Don Young -- criticized the statement as myopic and lacking in input from anyone from the United States Arctic.
Alaska Dispatch News
Senators Pan Arctic Agreement as Canadian Leader Visits US. When a U.S. president and a Canadian prime minister meet, it's not a given that the Arctic will be on the agenda. But this morning, on Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's first official visit to Washington, D.C. the two leaders released an agreement on the Arctic, energy and climate. Alaska's senators aren't happy with it. The Arctic portion of the agreement calls for a "new partnership" to build an economy that protects the environment. In a White House press conference, Trudeau said the partnership foresees science-based standards for various Arctic activities.
Alaska Public Radio
[Opinion] Arctic Deal a Path for Full Inuit Participation in the Northern Economy. As the two leaders acknowledged, our shared Arctic rests on the territories of indigenous peoples who possess a wealth of knowledge and cultural diversity. From Nunatsiavut (northern Labrador) in the East to the Bering Sea in the West, 52 Inuit communities in Canada and many more in Alaska are built directly on the shore of the Arctic Ocean. These same communities are on the front lines of climate change and are ready to apply their knowledge, inventiveness and adaptability. But we need help.
The Globe and Mail
Melting Permafrost in the Arctic: A Tale of Two Feedbacks. Earth's climate has both positive and negative feedback mechanisms.
Negative feedbacks counteract changes and have a stabilizing effect, while positive feedbacks enhance an initial change and have a destabilizing effect. In the Arctic, positive feedbacks have dominated, playing a major role in Arctic amplification - the phenomenon of enhanced warming in this region compared to the rest of Earth. Decoded Science
The Arctic Ground Squirrel Can Survive Even If Its Body Temperature Drops Below the Freeze Point of Water. Most animals hate the cold. When winter comes around many species burrow underground to hibernate or migrate to lower latitudes where conditions are warmer. But a few strange creatures do the opposite. They actually embrace the freezing conditions.
We are still unravelling the mysteries of these amazing animals that freeze. For one species in particular, doing so could prove significant. Several scientists are trying to work out how the Arctic ground squirrel (Spermophilus parryii) became the only known warm-blooded mammal to be able to tolerate subzero body temperatures. Solving the mystery could hold the key to freezing human organs for transplant without damaging them. BBC News
[Opinion] Showcasing Polar Research: Arctic Science Summit Week Brings International Spotlight to UAF. With all the attention placed on global summits in high-profile places such as Paris or New York City, it's easy to fall into the trap of believing nothing that happens in Fairbanks can be too significant of an event. But the Arctic Science Summit Week beginning this weekend in Fairbanks is indeed a very big deal. It comes as the U.S. is at the helm of the Arctic Council, and it could help shape the direction of arctic policy for America and the world. This year's Arctic Science Summit will be the first ever held on U.S. soil and could be the biggest yet. It will combine a host of related gathering, including Arctic Science Summit Week business meetings, the Arctic Council's Senior Arctic Officials Meeting, the Arctic Observing Summit, a Model Arctic Council and the International Arctic Assembly. From March 12-20, the meetings will be a blend of science, politics and policy as participants catch up on the state of arctic research and chart a course on polar affairs.
Fairbanks Daily News-Miner
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Legislative Action
No Arctic legislation was formally considered yesterday.
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Future Events
5th Annual Fletcher Opening Arctic Conference, March 12, 2016.
The Opening Arctic Conference builds on the Fletcher School's Warming Arctic International Inquiry series, to bring together high-level thought leaders from across disciplines, Fletcher's hallmark. Staged annually, Fletcher's event continues to address the foreign policy, economic, environmental and security implications of the opening Arctic, while dispelling myths.
Bridging the Future of Arctic Social Science Research, March 23-25, 2016 (Fairbanks, Alaska, USA).
The event is sponsored by Arctic Horizons. The Fairbanks workshop aims to explore recent advances and innovations in indigenous science and scholarship in the circumpolar north and its neighbors. The workshop will bring together indigenous experts and researchers from diverse academic and cultural backgrounds to explore the role and contributions of indigenous frameworks and knowledge systems in advancing fields of science and informing global solutions.
** New this week **
Using an Environmental intelligence Framework to Evaluate the Impacts of Ocean Acidification in the Arctic, March 31, 2016 (Washington, DC, USA).
The intensity and extent of ocean acidification in the Arctic will increase rapidly as atmospheric CO2 levels continue to rise making the region a bellwether for the global ocean during the next few decades. The environmental changes brought on by ocean acidification could pose a significant threat to Arctic ecosystems that are already facing challenges from changes in sea ice distribution, warming and increased freshwater discharge. New ways of collecting and integrating critical environmental intelligence will be discussed in the context of developing resilience and adaptation strategies for dealing with ocean acidification.
This event is sponsored by the Arctic Research Consortium of the United States.
Bridging the Future of Arctic Social Science Research, March 31-April 2, 2016 (Fairbanks, Alaska, USA).
The event is sponsored by Arctic Horizons. The Juneau Workshop, organized in collaboration with University of Alaska Southeast Department of Social Science, aims to explore the contributions and potentials of Arctic social sciences in the emerging synergies that involve humanities, natural sciences, and engineering. The connections we attempt to foster reach mainly into two directions within the recent history of Arctic research.
15th Annual Arctic Health Science Seminar, April 1, 2016 (Anchorage, Alaska, USA).
The American Society for Circumpolar Health will host the 15th Annual Arctic Health Science Seminar in Anchorage, Alaska. This event will include the annual meeting of the American Society for Circumpolar Health, the Robert Fortuine Memorial lecture, and the Albrecht Milan Foundation will provide the Albrecht-Milan Emerging Professional Award to one of the Arctic Health Science Seminar presenters. The call for abstracts is open through
Monday February 29, 2016.
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.
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.
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.
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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2016 (Fairbanks, AK, USA).