The House will consider legislation to limit regulatory authority of the executive branch. In the Senate, there will be several votes on judicial nominees. Most of the work, however, will be behind the scenes to finalize a deal on FY 2012 appropriations.

Drop in Carbon Dioxide Levels Led to Polar Ice Sheet, Study Finds. A drop in carbon dioxide appears to be the driving force that led to the Antarctic ice sheet's formation, according to a recent study led by scientists at Yale and Purdue universities of molecules from ancient algae found in deep-sea core samples. Science Daily 

Papp Testifies at Arctic Hearing. Coast Guard Commandant Adm. Bob Papp testified before the U.S. House Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee on Coast Guard and Marine Transportation on, "Protecting U.S. Sovereignty: Coast Guard Operations in the Arctic," Dec. 1. During the hearing, Papp discussed issues facing the Arctic, national policy objectives and capacity to support Arctic operations. Military.com 

U.S. Subcommittee: USCG Needs Icebreakers. The Subcommittee on Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation, chaired by U.S. Rep. Frank A. LoBiondo (R-NJ), held a hearing last week to examine the U.S. Coast Guard's role and operations in the Arctic. The Subcommittee reviewed several recent reports and analyses of the Service's polar capabilities."As we all know, the ice caps are shrinking in the Arctic, effectively creating new coastline and navigable waters where the Coast Guard will be required to operate," said Chairman LoBiondo. "This opening is already providing significant economic opportunities for the energy and maritime transportation sectors, but has also exposed a new set of risks and challenges to our national security and sovereignty." gCaptain 

Rep. Young Pushes for an Increased American Presence in the Arctic. During today's House Subcommittee on Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation hearing on the U.S. Coast Guard's role in the Arctic region, Alaskan Congressman Don Young used his time to continue his push to expand America's presence in the Arctic. The hearing's objective was to review several recent reports regarding this country's capabilities in the Arctic as well as the recently passed Coast Guard Reauthorization bill which requires the Coast Guard to report back to Congress with an analysis of its current Arctic capabilities and future needs. Congressman Don Young

Reversing US Retreat From the Arctic. [Opinion] As the Arctic ice cap is decreasing in size, the international race for Arctic resources is heating up. The High North countries-including Russia, Denmark, Norway, and Canada-are scrambling to lay claims on previously inaccessible giant oil reserves and begin their development. Richard Weitz, Ph.D., senior fellow at Hudson Institute, recently published a report on the subject that comes to an unpalatable conclusion: "U.S. is dead last in committing resources to the Arctic mission." There are a number of reasons for that strategic blunder. First is the lack of public and government attention to the issue and an unwillingness to allocate resources to Arctic exploration. There are certainly some costs involved-the U.S. spent a total of $5.6 million in the Arctic in 2008-but, as The Heritage Foundation rightly notes, that is "a pittance compared to the billions of dollars of Arctic natural resources that are at stake." The Heritage Foundation

March of Progress: White House Tribal Nations Conference. Today, the White House hosted the Tribal Nations Conference at the Interior Department. The conference continued the meaningful government-to-government dialogue that has made the march of progress happening in Indian Country possible. During his remarks today, President Obama again reiterated his deep commitment to making government work better to fulfill our trust management duties, support tribal self-determination and empower American Indian and Alaska Natives to unlock the economic potential of Indian communities. This is a promise shared throughout the Obama administration, and today's conference was a great manifestation of the progress we've made - bringing together several members of the President's cabinet, key federal officials from across the administration as well as the White House, and leaders from more than 565 federally-recognized tribes. The White House  

Chairman Young, Ranking Member Boren Introduce Native Empowerment Act. After gathering input from tribal leaders across the country, Subcommittee on Indian and Alaska Native Affairs Chairman Don Young (AK) and Ranking Member Dan Boren (OK) have introduced H.R. 3532, The American Indian Empowerment Act of 2011. This bipartisan piece of legislation will enhance the authority America's tribes have wanted over their lands. Specifically, this bill allows a tribe to request that the title to its tribal land be taken out of trust and conveyed to the tribe while also ensuring such lands retain their "Indian Country" status. Congressman Don Young

No Arctic legislation was formally considered on Friday.

National Science Foundation Town Hall Meeting, December 7. The Arctic Sciences Division (NSF) will hold a Town Hall Meeting from 12:00 - 1:30 pm in the ARCUS community room (San Francisco Marriott Marquis, Pacific Room J). Note the change from the AGU program book. The Deputy Director and Program Officers will discuss the Division's portfolio, some recent awards, future directions, and--most importantly--take questions and hear comments from the community. If you have questions, contact bkelly@nsf.gov.

Alaska Marine Science Symposium, January 16-20, 2012. The symposium was first held in 2002 to connect scientists in Alaska, the Pacific Northwest and beyond in an effort to collaborate and communicate on research

activities in the marine regions off Alaska. There will be plenary and poster sessions featuring a broad spectrum of ocean science on issues of climate, oceanography, lower trophic levels, the benthos, fish and invertebrates, seabirds, marine mammals, local and traditional knowledge, and socioeconomic research. There will also be speakers, workshops and special sessions.

Workshop: Responding to Arctic Environmental Change: Translating Our Growing Understanding into a Research Agenda for Action Jan. 30-Feb. 1.  

Queen's University, Kingston, Canada. Co-sponsored by International Study of Arctic Change (ISAC) and the School of Policy Studies at Queen's University. Endorsed by the International Arctic Science Committee, this workshop is the first in a planned series of meetings that aim to collectively shape and coordinate initiatives for research that directly addresses the needs of stakeholders who are affected by change or who are addressing arctic environmental change. The long-term objective is to enable local people, the arctic nations and the wider global community, including the scientific community, to better respond to a changing Arctic. This workshop is a pre-IPY 2012 Conference event. It is intended to develop a science plan that will feed into and further evolve at IPY 2012 Conference "From Knowledge to Action". For more information and to register for the workshop go here.