America Must Tap Into Alaska's Arctic Oil. North Dakota has now overtaken Alaska in oil production, again demonstrating shale oil's ascendance - and importance - in the nation's oil supply. I lost a bet [Lt. Governor Mead Treadwell writes], and owe my North Dakota counterpart a salmon dinner. But the offshore Arctic oil potential of the Beaufort and Chukchi seas, which Alaskans hope to explore this summer, could eventually put us back on top - and earn me a steak dinner. It's not about me, though. America needs to say "yes" to new Arctic oil. Politico 

BSEE Completes Safety Review Visits to Shell's Drilling Rigs, Capping Stack. As part of the Obama Administration's commitment to safe and responsible offshore energy exploration and development, Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) Director Jim Watson traveled to Portland, Ore., for a firsthand look at Shell's capping stack-a key piece of safety equipment that Shell is required to have in position in the Arctic as part of BSEE's heightened safety requirements. The capping stack is similar to the one that stopped the flow of oil from the Macondo well following the Deepwater Horizon explosion. BSEE engineers and inspectors will conduct tests on the capping stack system in the coming weeks. The Maritime Executive 

US, Russia View Arctic Environment. The United States and Russia announced plans to work together to protect the arctic environment from diesel emissions and other pollutants. Russia is trying to convince the international community that it has a greater claim to the arctic. A 1982 convention gives bordering nations the right to extend arctic claims if the government can prove its continental shelf extends beyond a 200-mile limit. Warming temperatures have melted arctic sea ice, opening new shipping lanes and exposing vast areas that may hold undiscovered oil and natural gas reserves. UPI 

Russia Kicks Off Air Force Drill in Arctic. Russian air forces on Tuesday started a military exercise in the Arctic region involving some 200 troops and about 30 warplanes, said the Defense Ministry. "About 30 warplanes including strategic bombers Tu-160 and Tu-95MC, fighters Su-27 and MIG-31, refuellers Il-78 and airborne warning and control planes A-50 take part in the exercises with over 200 servicemen participating," ministry spokesman Vladimir Deryabin told reporters. Crienglish 

Group Announces Intent to Sue to Protect Ice Seals. A conservation organization vows to sue the federal government to protect two species of ice-dependent seals found off Alaska's northern coast. The Center for Biological Diversity on Monday gave a required 60-day notice to the National Marine Fisheries Service that it will sue the agency for missing a deadline on deciding whether to list ringed and bearded seals as threatened species because of climate change. A listing would trigger additional protections for the animals. "The time for protecting these seals is now," said Rebecca Noblin, Alaska director of the conservation organization. Juneau Empire 

China in Greenland: A Challenge for the European Union. "The Arctic is hotter than ever. Not only due to the consequences of climate change in this region, but also because of the rise of global non-regional powers in this new frontier of international relations. China is from far the most significant. Such a presence raises opportunities and challenges for future developments in the Arctic. China in the Arctic can be an enormous asset when it comes to climate research, if it leads to further international cooperation in the field of polar research, which is of strategic importance in order to get the best data to adapt to climate change and global sea level rise. The case of Greenland in the Arctic is often underestimated. This self-ruled territory of the Kingdom of Denmark is in an advanced stage of its state-building process and attracts major powers. Greenland is as large as about half of the European Union and inhabited by no more than 57,000 persons. Only 44 politicians are in charge of Greenland (including ministers, MPs and mayors)."  EurActiv 

Canada Discontinues Arctic Trips for Foreign Ambassadors. Analysis: Late last week, the Canadian House of Commons held a 24-hour session to vote on the 2012 federal budget. After members listened to the over 800 proposed amendments, they finally voted in favor of passing the budget. It will now move on to the Senate, where it will almost inevitably pass. One of the notable cuts is the $71.8 million decrease in the annual budget of the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade. The Department will actually have to make do with $169.8 million less over the next three years. Alaska Dispatch 

Real Threat to Alaska Native Culture Isn't Oil Development. It's a World Without Oil. [Opinion] When it comes to oil in the north, the time has arrived for environmentalists and Alaska Natives themselves to face the fact that the gasoline that fuels the internal combustion engine long ago corrupted traditional cultural practices. That the descendants of the 49th state's aboriginal occupants have managed to hang onto and celebrate the vestiges of these traditions is a testament to Native leaders, but the sort of claim that follows here is pure nonsense: "On Alaska's Arctic coast, the Inupiat people practice the same cultural traditions that they have for thousands of years -- traditions that fuel their bodies, their spirits and their future." Those are the words of Betsy Beardsley, Director of the Environmental Justice Program at the Alaska Wilderness League, writing for Forbes magazine in an article entitled "The Case Against Drilling in Alaska's Arctic Waters." Alaska Dispatch