Sensitive information: A peek inside the next IPCC assessment. "'That report is going to scare the wits out of everyone,' said Yvo de Boer recently. He is a former United Nations chief climate negotiator and was talking about the forthcoming fifth assessment by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). With two months to go before the assessment is to be published, however, one sign suggests it might be less terrifying than it could have been. The sign in question is about climate sensitivity. This is the measure used by researchers of how much they expect the world's average temperature to increase in response to particular increases in levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. According to one table from the unpublished report, at CO2 concentrations of between 425 parts per million and 485 ppm, temperatures in 2100 would be 1.3-1.7°C above their pre-industrial levels. That seems lower than the IPCC's previous assessment, made in 2007. Then, it thought concentrations of 445-490 ppm were likely to result in a rise in temperature of 2.0-2.4°C." The Economist  

Arctic methane credibility bomb. "Jason Samenow's posts at the Washington

Post's Capital Weather Gang blog are always valuable reading. But he has outdone himself

with a new piece helpfully laying bare the glaring problem at the heart of a much-discussed commentary in this week's issue of Nature calculating how many trillions of dollars in economic costs would attend a burst of methane emissions from the warming Arctic." NY Times 

Scientists envision fracking in Arctic and on ocean floor. "Scientists in Japan and the U.S. say they are moving closer to tapping a new source of energy: methane hydrate, a crystalline form of natural gas found in Arctic permafrost and at the bottom of oceans. At room temperature the crystal gives off intense heat, earning it the nickname of 'fire in ice,' and making the estimated 700,000 trillion cubic feet of the substance scattered around the world a potentially major fuel source, containing more energy than all previously discovered oil and gas combined, according to researchers at the U.S. Geological Survey." Wall Street Journal 

Global energy experts to discuss pivotal Alaska issues this week. "Issues that could change Alaska's course in the next few years will take center stage at an annual meeting of global energy experts gathering in the 49th state for the first time. For four days starting Sunday, the 32nd gathering of the U.S. Association for Energy Economics will cover everything from the latest icebreaker technology and Arctic development to renewable energy and opportunities Alaska might have for opening the lid on its vast natural gas fields." Alaska Dispatch 

Opinion: Gangplank to a Warm Future. "Many concerned about climate change, including President Obama, have embraced hydraulic fracturing for natural gas. In his recent climate speech, the president went so far as to lump gas with renewables as 'clean energy.' As a longtime oil and gas engineer who helped develop shale fracking techniques for the Energy Department, I can assure you that this gas is not 'clean.' Because of leaks of methane, the main component of natural gas, the gas extracted from shale deposits is not a 'bridge' to a renewable energy future - it's a gangplank to more warming and away from clean energy." NY Times   

Harper's focus for North shifts from sovereignty to development. "At first, it was all about sovereignty, but Ottawa's focus for the North has changed. Prime Minister Stephen Harper is expected to make another trip north this summer as the government's military rhetoric has been replaced with talk of development. And the northern premiers have a wish-list for him: Yukon is pushing for an investment in power generation, the Northwest Territories wants housing transfer cuts reversed and Nunavut is pushing for devolution, or province-like power." The Globe and Mail 

Murkowski, Landrieu federal offshore revenue sharing plan faces cold front. "As Arctic and Southwest Alaska communities contemplate the resources needed to create a safe and efficient network to accommodate increased shipping traffic and offshore oil and gas development in northern waters, work is underway to provide some funding for that effort. But the effort isn't supported, at this point, by the federal administration." Alaska Dispatch 

Think tank: Ottawa must build marine transport system in Nunavut. "Ottawa must begin working towards the creation of a new marine transport corridor in Nunavut as an act of nation-building, a researcher with an Ontario-based think tank said, following a conference this past May in Iqaluit. 'The federal government, in collaboration with stakeholders and in support of its jobs and growth agenda, should develop an 'Arctic Maritime Corridors and Gateways Initiative,' starting modestly,' said John Higginbotham, a senior fellow at The Centre for Intl' Governance Innovation in Waterloo, Ont." Nunatsiaq Online 

Refurbished Amundsen sets out on 10th Arctic science mission. "The Canadian Coast Guard research icebreaker Amundsen set out from Quebec City for the Arctic July 26, on its 10th anniversary mission as a science vessel. The ship leaves Quebec on its first Arctic mission following major repairs, including replacement of its engines and upgrades to shipboard systems and equipment, the Department of Fisheries and Oceans said. This marks the 10th year for the Amundsen's dual service as a science vessel in the North during the summer and fall seasons, and as an icebreaker and escort ship in the St. Lawrence River and the Gulf of St. Lawrence during the winter months." Nunatsiaq Online 

Arctic Fibre ramps up cable project with seven-community Nunavut tour. "If you live in one of the seven Nunavut communities that lie close to Arctic Fibre Inc.'s proposed marine fibre optic cable backbone, you'll get a chance next month to learn more about the company's plans and share your knowledge of potential landing sites for cable spurs. '[W]e want the benefit of the local communities' expertise with regard to ice conditions and the most suitable location away from anchorages and any environmentally-sensitive areas and habitat,' Doug Cunningham, Arctic Fibre's CEO, said in a news release." Nunatsiaq Online 

Iqaluit Coast Guard office maintains pan-Arctic vigil. "Out of a small station in Iqaluit that looks out onto Frobisher Bay, a team of 11 Coast Guard staff oversee ship traffic throughout all of Canada's vast expanse of Arctic waters. 'Until about 20 years ago, we had maybe 15 stations in the Arctic,' says Jean-Pierre Lehnert, who heads up the Marine Communications and Traffic Services office in Iqaluit." Nunatsiaq Online 

Barge collides with docked Coast Guard cutter in Cordova. "An Alaska Marine Line barge smashed into the Coast Guard Cutter Sycamore on Sunday morning while the vessel was moored at the Cordova Harbor. The tug the Krystal Sea was maneuvering an attached barge, Cordova Provider, into a spot in the harbor when the front part of the barge struck the cutter around 7 a.m. Sunday. The ship was arriving from Whittier with 4 people onboard at the time of the accident. The Sycamore, a 225-foot buoy tender, suffered damage to its port bow during the accident. The above photo 'gives you the extent' of the damage, Coast Guard spokesperson Lt. Allie Ferko said, but couldn't put a price tag on it." Alaska Dispatch 

**Revised day and time**

Center for Strategic and International Studies discussion on "The Benefits and 'Costs of Cold:' Arctic Economics in the 21st Century" featuring Alaskan Lieutenant Gov. Mead Treadwell, Tuesday July 30, 2013, 9-10:30 a.m. (CSIS, Washington, D.C.). Alaska's Lieutenant Governor Mead Treadwell will discuss the future of economic 

development in the American Arctic at this upcoming event.

"A new CSIS Europe Program report, which will be released on July 31, examines the economic benefits of Arctic development and the financial and environmental costs of Arctic infrastructure development. It determines that for now, the U.S. gives greater weight to the costs of Arctic development than to its benefits. Lieutenant Governor Treadwell will offer his reflections on this new report."

Please RSVP to Matthew Melino at MMelino@csis.org