ICC Greenland Shocked at Proposed Funding Cuts. Greenland's proposed budget for 2014 cuts annual funding for the Greenlandic branch of the Inuit Circumpolar Council (ICC) from 5.4 million Danish kroner ($1 million) to 1.4 million Danish kroner. Aqqaluk Lynge, the president of the international ICC organisation, said he was deeply shocked when he saw the proposed cuts, but if one member of Greenland's parliament gets his way, Lynge's sense of shock may turn into panic. Arctic Journal

Fish Wars: Faroe Islands Fire First Shots. The Faroe Islands set the stage yesterday at the World Trade Organisation (WTO) for the beginnings of its battle over EU trade sanctions on its fish quotas. The WTO said that the Faroes had made a formal request for consultations with the European Union over measures that restrict the entry into any EU port of herring and mackerel caught under the control of the Faroe Islands. Arctic Journal

What Role Does Alcohol Play in Alaska's Soaring Suicide Rate? Half the time Alaskans kill themselves, they have been drinking. That doesn't mean alcohol causes suicide in Alaska. But it's an important figure when you consider that far fewer suicides nationwide -- only about one third -- involve booze. Why is the rate so much higher among Alaskans? Anchorage Daily News

Warming Autumn May Delay Western Arctic Caribou Herd Migration in Alaska. Temperature readings aren't the only things that have been out of whack in this unusually warm Alaska autumn. The annual southward migration of North America's largest caribou herd has also been late and unusual, biologists say. The Western Arctic Caribou Herd, with about 325,000 animals, apparently procrastinated en masse before starting the march from northernmost Alaska to its wintering grounds south of the Brooks Range.  Alaska Dispatch

[Alaska] State Department Heads Come Together to Figure Out Alaska Food Security. In a small, gray Atwood Building conference room, half a dozen state commissioners passed around a surprising snack: An enormous bowl full of yellow, purple and bright orange Alaska-grown carrots. While carrots might not seem like the most expected snack for a high-level early morning meeting, it made sense Monday, when commissioners from various state departments came together in Anchorage to talk about one thing that ties all Alaskans together: food. Alaska Dispatch

Fighter Jets Train Over Baffin Island. CF-18 Hornet fighter jets and an air-to-air refueling aircraft were in the sky over some eastern Arctic communities recently. Canada's NORAD Region was conducting a training exercise over Labrador and Baffin Island. NORAD is a joint United States and Canadian command that oversees air sovereignty and control. Capt. Jeff Noel with the Royal Canadian Air Force says air force personnel were doing skills proficiency training and refueling exercises. Alaska Dispatch

Russia Unprepared for War in Arctic. Russia is unprepared for a war in the Arctic, a government report says. The country, which has the longest Arctic border, would be unable to quickly respond to an attack in the area, the Regional Development Ministry said in an assessment of risks to economic interests in the Far North. RIA Novosti

Safety Systems Shut Down Russian Arctic Nuclear Reactor. The safety system at a nuclear power plant in a remote Russian Arctic region automatically shut down one of its reactors on Tuesday, Russia's nuclear utility said. The reason for the shutdown of the Unit One of the Bilibino nuclear plant in Russia's most northeasterly region of Chukotka remains unclear. Radiation levels in the 30-kilometer (19-mile zone) are within the normal background range, according to state-owned nuclear utility Rosenergoatom. RIA Novosti

World Bank Sees Ways to Slow Arctic Melt in Kitchen, Coal Mines. Replacing cook stoves, curbing crop fires and capturing methane when extracting fossil fuels would help slow ice melting from the Arctic to the Himalayas and decrease risks of flooding, the World Bank said. Global warming is accelerating the thawing of glaciers, snow caps and permafrost, which will in turn release carbon dioxide and methane they held into the atmosphere, the bank said. Measures to fight pollution today can hold back these changes while improving the health of millions of people, according to the report. Bloomberg

Global Warming Ups Threat of Invasive Species in the Arctic. Scientists are warning that warmer ocean temperatures in the far north will open the door for aquatic invaders that could devastate native marine ecosystems. So far, cold-water temperatures have prevented most harmful low latitude species from establishing themselves but the threat of invasive species will grow as the oceans warm and as ship traffic increases in the Arctic, said an international team of researchers led by PhD candidate Chris Ware from the University of Tromsø in Norway. Summit County Citizens Voice

Government of Canada Releases the 2013-2016

Federal Sustainable Development Strategy. The Honourable Leona Aglukkaq, Canada's Environment Minister, Minister of the Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency and Minister for the Arctic Council, today released the 2013-2016 Federal Sustainable Development Strategy. "Our Government is taking action on environmental issues that matter most to Canadians," said Minister Aglukkaq. "Canada's second Federal Sustainable Development Strategy builds on the significant progress already achieved and continues to provide Canadians with the information they need to monitor the Government's record and results." Canada NewsWire

Coast Guard Completes Arctic Shield 2013. The Coast Guard completed Arctic Shield 2013 after a successful summer season of sustained operations and outreach efforts in the Arctic region Friday. Arctic Shield focused on Western Alaska and the Bering Strait and consisted of a three-pronged approach of operations, outreach and an assessment of the Coast Guard's capabilities in the Arctic. This regional operation aligns with the Coast Guard Arctic Strategy and its three key objectives: improving awareness, modernizing governance and broadening partnerships. Alaska Native News

US and Canadian Forces Partner for SAR Exercise. The call came in two days ago: an aircraft with 40 passengers aboard had gone down in a remote area somewhere along the Alaskan-Canadian border. The Federal Aviation Administration, which had been monitoring the flight, received the distress call before losing contact with the aircraft. Just as if it had been a real-life situation, the FAA contacted the Alaska Rescue Coordination Center at Joint Base Elemendorf-Richardson. MarineLink

Heinz Environmental Policy Center Closing. The H. John Heinz III Center for Science, Economics and the Environment is planning to shut down by the end of the year. The Washington, D.C.-based center has been in operation since 1995 as a nonpartisan environmental group that has worked in the areas of climate change, the Chesapeake Bay and fisheries. It was created following the death of the Pennsylvania senator, who had discussed just such a center. There are eight employees and a $2.5 million budget. The reason it is closing? Financial. Pittsburg Business Times

Proceedings. The US Coast Guard published the Journal of Safety and Security at Sea of the Marine Safety and Security Council. The summer edition including information on "The Arctic: Emerging Frontier, New Opportunities" and "US Coast Guard Arctic Strategy." A link to the journal is here.

BOEM Joins National Science Foundation and International Partners to Study Impacts of Development in the Arctic. The National Science Foundation (NSF), in partnership the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) and international partners, has made the first round of awards under a program that supports interdisciplinary science important to understanding the sustainability of the Arctic. The research will examine the impacts of the changing natural environment and socio-economic conditions on the region. Alaska Business Monthly

Begich Nominee Appointed to White House Task Force. Senator Mark Begich welcomed the appointment of Northwest Arctic Borough (NWAB) Mayor Reggie Joule to the White House's State, Local, and Tribal Leaders Task Force on Climate Preparedness where he will bring an Alaska perspective to federal discussions about preparing communities for the consequences of climate change. Senator Mark Begich