The 32nd United States Association for Energy Economics (USAEE)/The International Association for Energy Economics (IAEE) North American Conference: "Industry Meets Government: Impact on Energy Use & Development," July 28-31, 2013 (Anchorage, AK). 

"As the global economy follows a precarious path to full recovery, the challenge of meeting growing energy needs in an increasingly volatile world with finite resources becomes ever more urgent. All parties - from governments and non-governmental organizations to energy producers and consumers - have a stake in fostering smarter energy development and use that minimizes adverse 

environment effects and consumer costs. The 32nd USAEE/IAEE North American Conference will address the issues, challenges, and opportunities of industry-government relations as the stakeholders strive to meet their respective goals for commerce and society."

Fran Ulmer, Chair of the US Arctic Research Commission, spoke yesterday at the conference to discuss "potential energy resources of the Arctic Offshore, competing claims to the Outer Continental Shelf, the Law of the Sea Treaty and future U.S. participation, onshore transportation, the risks of oil spills and other pollution, and international cooperation in dealing with issues and events." 

You can view the full conference agenda here.

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

U.S. needs to step up its Arctic game. "For anyone living in the Northern Hemisphere, it's been a sweltering few weeks. In fact, last month was the fifth hottest June in recorded history. According to government data, for 340 consecutive months - more than 28 years - the earth has been warmer than historic averages. And take a look at what's happening in one of the coldest parts of the world - way up north in the Arctic. Twenty-eight years ago, the Arctic was covered by ice throughout the year, as it had been for centuries. Now, every summer, two-thirds of it melts to water." CNN 

Towards commercial breakthrough for Northern Sea Route. "During the last couple of years there has been a tenfold increase in the number of vessels using the route, which shaves ten days off the time to sail between Rotterdam and Kobe, Japan compared to going through the Suez Canal. In 2012 46 vessels sailed the whole route, compared to 34 in 2011 and only four in 2010. The NSR administration has received 391 applications to sail the route. 52 refusals have been given, the administration's web site reads. Not all the vessels will be sailing the whole route between Europe and Asia, as also vessels operating on the western part of the route from Dudinka or Pevek to Murmansk are on the list over permits." Barents Observer

The latest computer generated image of the Arctic sea ice extent as of July 28th, 2013. The orange line shows the average extent for the 1981-2010 period.

The latest on this year's Arctic sea ice decline. "How is the Arctic sea ice volume compare to the four lowest years on record? Right now, looks like we are running fairly even with 2010, which had the third lowest volume on record. The lowest volume on record was set last year." ACCU Weather

Infighting freezes Arctic plan. "The Conservative government's plans for the Arctic are suffering because of bureaucratic infighting and a lack of political leadership, a group of Defence Department advisers has concluded. They also urged the Canadian military to reach out to both mining companies and Inuit communities as it looks to establish a more tangible presence in the North, saying such relationships can be financially beneficial. Prime Minister Stephen Harper first announced in 2007 that his government would focus on ensuring sovereignty over the country's vast Arctic territories, developing its abundant natural resource deposits, and improving the lives of those living there." Leader-Post

Russian Navy to perform Arctic campaigns. "Russia's Northern Fleet will continue to explore new navigation areas in the Arctic, Commander Vladimir Korolev told reporters on Friday. 'Quite soon, we plan to send a detachment of the fleet's combat ships led by the nuclear-powered missile cruiser 'Pyotr Velily' to eastern regions of the Arctic Ocean', the Russian Ministry of Defense's web site reads. Another vessel group will sail to the archipelago Franz Josef Land, an event that will mark the 100th anniversary of the expedition to the North Pole of the Russian Arctic explorer Georgy Sedov." Barents Observer

Canada reviews arctic drilling safety. "A Canadian energy regulator said the regulatory mechanisms are in place to ensure any future drilling in arctic waters is done with the environment in mind. Roland George, a member of the Canadian National Energy Board, delivered an address at a conference in Anchorage, Alaska, on energy development in the arctic." UPI

Ice-free Arctic winters could explain amplified warming during Pliocene. "Year-round ice-free conditions across the surface of the Arctic Ocean could explain why the Earth was substantially warmer during the Pliocene Epoch than it is today, despite similar concentrations of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, according to new research carried out at the University of Colorado Boulder. The last time researchers believe the carbon dioxide concentration in the atmosphere reached 400 ppm-between 3 and 5 million years ago during the Pliocene-the Earth was about 3.5 to 9 degrees Fahrenheit warmer (2 to 5 degrees Celsius) than it is today. During that time period, trees overtook the tundra, sprouting right to the edges of the Arctic Ocean, and the seas swelled, pushing ocean levels 65 to 80 feet higher." Phys.org