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 Today's C
ongressional Action:
The House and Senate are not in session.
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 The Changing Arctic Presents Opportunity to Thrive, If We Act Now.
The United States has been an Arctic nation since it purchased Alaska from Russia in 1867, yet no sitting president has ever ventured to the Alaskan Arctic. That will change when President Obama arrives there later this month to address a conference on Arctic issues. While he has signaled his intent to focus on climate change, an important issue that affects us all, it should be one of many dimensions to our nation's Arctic strategy. There are many who have called the Arctic home for generations, and expect to for generations to come. There is much to be addressed in the Arctic to sustain our people's presence here, and to assert our nation's stewardship of the region. The timing is urgent, particularly in light of increased human activity from many nations related to shipping, oil and gas development, commercial fishing, military, and even tourism. The Hill
Science Takes Center Stage at USARC Meeting in Nome.
Science was in the spotlight when the U.S. Arctic Research Commission came together for its second and final day of meetings, covering a range of topics - from fire forecasts and walrus tagging to sea ice loss and the nutritional value of reindeer meat. The agency - which advises the White House and Congress on Arctic issues - gathered Aug. 26 at Nome's Mini Convention Center to hear from researchers working at the regional and federal levels. KNOM Public Radio
Airborne Research Above Alaska's Beaufort Sea Prompts New Aviation Warning Area.
Alaska's Arctic waters are enticing researchers north, and that research increasingly involves activities that can pose hazards to aircraft. With that in mind, the Federal Aviation Administration this year designated a strip of airspace in which researchers can conduct experiments without threatening nearby aircraft. Warning Area W-220 is a 40-mile-wide zone that stretches north from waters of Prudhoe Bay near Oliktok Point for 700 miles, ending just 400 miles shy of the North Pole. When one or more of the warning area's 16 zones is activated, pilots in the area are put on notice and provided coordinates to avoid. Alaska Dispatch News
 Pan-Arctic Summit Recommends Roman Orthography for the Inuit Language.
The Atausiq Inuktut Titirausiq group will recommend a shift to Roman orthography for all written Inuktut, following the Aug. 26 conclusion of a summit in Iqaluit that brought together numerous representatives from the Inuktut-speaking world. They'll present the draft to the National Committee on Inuit Education Sept 9. "Existing writing systems have been imposed on us. Canadian Inuit now have an opportunity to choose and create our own unified writing system," the draft said. Nunatsiaq Online
[Opinion] GLACIER Conference: US Arctic Leadership on the World's Stage.
Next week, the world will focus on Alaska. Leaders representing 20 nations will make their way to Anchorage for the Global Leadership in the Arctic: Cooperation, Innovation, Engagement, and Resilience (GLACIER) conference. Arctic experts, many from Alaska, will discuss ways to deal with the environmental and operational challenges that climate change brings and the key policy issues, including emergency response and cold-weather home construction, that matter to the more than 4 million people who call the Arctic home. U.S. interest in the Arctic doesn't begin and end with GLACIER. As Alaskans are well aware, the United States became an Arctic nation nearly 150 years ago, when Secretary Seward negotiated the purchase of Alaska land from Russia. Since then, Alaska and the Arctic have been strategic priorities for the United States, integral to our nation's security and prosperity. Alaska Dispatch News
 Mental Health Focus of US Arctic Research Commission's First Day in Nome.
the US Arctic
Research Commission is meeting in Alaska this week and focused on mental health during the group's first day of meetings in Nome.
In a small gathering at Nome's mini convention center Tuesday morning, commissioners heard testimony about the mental health services available in the Norton Sound, the Bering Strait, and the Northwest Arctic regions-and some sobering statistics as to the very real challenges residents face. KNOM Public Radio
New Statewide Advertisement Calls for Balanced Approach to Energy Development.
A statewide Alaskan television spot launched today by Arctic Slope Regional Corporation (ASRC) highlights the key role that Arctic energy development plays in supporting native Alaskan communities. "Iñupiat Eskimo and other indigenous peoples have lived in the Arctic for thousands of years," said Rex Rock Sr., ASRC president and CEO. "As stewards of the land we have the most at stake in protecting an environment that is fundamental to our way of life. We also understand that environmental stewardship does not come at the expense of the responsible development of our natural resources, which is essential to our economic future." Arctic Journal
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| Legislative Action No Arctic legislation was formally considered yesterday. |
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Future Events
11th Conference on Hunting and Gathering Societies (CHAGS XI), September 7-11 (Vienna, Austria). The study of hunter-gatherer societies has
become, since the landmark conference "Man and Hunter" in 1966, a major topic of study within the social and human sciences community. While scholarly foci have changed during the last 50 years, the principle goal generated during the initial conference, to establish a unified field of hunter-gatherer studies, is as valid today as it was then. CHAGS XI hopes to explore how research results since 1966 and new research agendas can be applied for present and future study.
Eighth Polar Law Symposium Alaska 2015, September 23-26, 2015 (Fairbanks and Anchorage, Alaska , USA).
The Eighth Polar Law Symposium is co-hosted by
A
laska Pacific University
(APU), the
University of Alaska Fairbanks
, the
University of Alaska Anchorage
(through its
Justice Center
and its
Institute of Social and Economic Research
), the
University of Washington School of Law
, and
Vermont Law School
, in cooperation with the
Arctic Law Section
of the
Alaska Bar Association
. The symposium will be held on both campuses of the University of Alaska. The 2015 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 Arctic Circle is the largest global gathering on the Arctic. It is attended by heads of state and governments, ministers, members of parliament, officials, experts, scientists, entrepreneurs, business leaders, indigenous representatives, environmentalists, students, activists, and others from the growing international community of partners and participants interested in the future of the Arctic. The Arctic Circle highlights issues and concerns, programs, policies and projects; it provides platforms for dynamic dialogue and constructive cooperation. While the plenary sessions are the responsibility of the Arctic Circle, the breakout sessions are organized by various participating partners in their own name and with full authority over the agenda and the choice of speakers.
2015 Arctic Science Conference, October 1-3, 2015 (Anchorage, Alaska, USA). The conference theme is "Healthy Estuaries: Sustainability and Resilience." Conference topics include traditional scientific disciplines, science education, arctic social sciences, biomedical research, and artistic interpretation of the evolving North. Abstract submissions are now being accepted. The deadline is August 1, 2015.
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.
Forum for Arctic Modeling and Observational Synthesis Meeting, November 3-6, 2015 (Cape Cod, MA, USA). On November 3rd, the
2015 School for young scientists will consider "Regional Oceanography of the Arctic marginal seas" with lectures covering major features of atmospheric, sea ice and oceanographic regimes of the: Bering, Chukchi, Beaufort, East-Siberian, Laptev Sea, Kara, Barents and Nordic seas. On November 4-6, the meeting portion will summarize project accomplishments for the last 3 years of activities and will focus on the formulation of scientific questions and directions for FAMOS future research (2016-2019) to: (a) improve Arctic modeling, employing very high resolution models; (b) develop and test new arctic monitoring/observing systems and (c) improve predictions of Arctic environmental parameters with reduced uncertainties.
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. Topics will include:
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.
Arctic Observing Open Science Meeting, November 17-19, 2015 (Seattle, Washington). The Arctic Observing Open Science Meeting will be 2.5 days and held at the Hyatt at Olive 8 in Seattle, Washington. The conference will bring together individuals and teams involved in the collection, processing, analysis, and use of observations in the Arctic - from academia, agencies, industry, and other organizations. The meeting will be convened as a combination of plenary talks, parallel science sessions, and a poster session. The agenda and registration information will be forthcoming.
In the Spirit of the Rovaniemi Process 2015, November 24-26, 2015 (Rovaniemi, Lapland, Finland).
When the Arctic Environmental Protection Strategy, the so-called Rovaniemi Process, was adopted in 1991, it aimed at overcoming divisions and turning the zone of Cold War military tensions into a region of peace and co-operation. In this joint effort focusing on the protection of environment, and later, sustainable development, the Arctic states supported by indigenous organizations laid grounds for institutionalized collaboration and the emergence of Arctic regional identity. The second international conference will bring together decision-makers, scholars, artists, designers and students to address these questions and discuss the Arctic in global, regional and local perspectives.
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