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Today's Congressional Action:
The House and Senate are not in session.
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Oregon Mining Company Says it Can Build Northwest Arctic Port for Alaska. Worried that the other nations are crushing the United States in the race for Arctic shipping and resource-extraction dominance because we have no deepwater port in northern Alaska? Never fear, Arctic-minded Alaskans. An Oregon mining entrepreneur says he has the answer. Dennis Humbird, founder and president of a company called Sea Pirate Mining, has submitted what he contends is a serious proposal to oversee construction of a major shipping hub at Port Clarence, a site near the Bering Strait near Nome. Alaska Dispatch
Canada Eyes Arctic Reindeer Reserve for Oil and Gas. Tracts of land that had been set aside for reindeer grazing in Canada's North have instead been offered up by the Conservative government for oil and gas exploration, newly released documents show. Companies interested in obtaining petroleum exploration rights in the Mackenzie Delta and Beaufort Sea region of the Northwest Territories were asked last year to nominate blocks of land that they wanted to see included in a subsequent call for bids. Alaska Dispatch
Geese in Petroleum Reserve Find New Habitat Amid Melting Sea Ice. The U.S. Geological Survey says melting Beaufort sea ice is creating new habitat for geese on the North Slope. That could have implications for conservation inside the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska. For animals that live on Arctic ice, like polar bears and walruses, rising sea temperatures usually mean a disappearing home. Alaska Public Radio
Breaking the Ice: New Arctic Route Opens Up. As the ice melts in Russia's Arctic waters due to global warming, a new Arctic shipping route is opening up. The new route will cut about two weeks off the time needed to ship oil and gas from Russia to Asia. VoR's Alice Lagnado finds out more. The Northern Sea Route is a shipping route which runs along Russia's Arctic coast, from Murmansk on the Barents Sea all the way to the Far East. Voice of Russia
Climate Change Could Change the Way that Seals Mate: Research. New research suggests that Arctic pinnipeds, the sub-order of species that includes seals, sea lions and walruses, might change their mating habits - and acquire harems - as the climate around them gets warmer. Carleton University research, published this week in the journal Evolution, shows that sexual dimorphism - a difference in physical traits between a male and female of the same species - has existed in seals and walruses for well over 20 million years. Nunatsiaq Online
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Legislative Action
No Arctic legislation was formally considered yesterday.
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Future Events
** New **
The Standing Committee of Parliamentarians of the Arctic Region, February 24, 2014 (Ottawa, Canada). The agenda of the meeting includes a report from the Honorable Leona Aglukkaq, current Chair of the Arctic Council, on the progress of the Canadian Chairmanship. The Committee will also look into the role of the Northwest Passage in future Arctic shipping and mental wellness in the Canadian North.
Arctic Ambitions, February 27-28, 2014 (Girdwood, Alaska). World Trade Center Alaska will host Arctic Ambitions III: Commercial Development of the Arctic. This conference focuses solely on Arctic international trade and business opportunities. It is anticipated that about 200 business and government leaders attending next year's conference.
Arctic Ambitions III will concentrate on the theme of international trade and business opportunities that flow from resource development in the Arctic. While policy and research inform the discussion, the conference focuses on global markets, international trade and logistics. The previous two conferences brought together presenters from Canada, Finland, Norway, Russia, Korea and Alaska. USARC Chair Fran Ulmer will be a speaker.
Arctic 2050, March 12, 2014 (Brussels, Belgium). The 4th European Marine Board Forum will bring together Arctic stakeholders from multiple sectors (science, industry, policy & governance, NGOs, etc.) to: discuss current trends and patterns of change in Arctic Ocean ecosystems, including human activity; identify possible "2050" scenarios for Arctic Change and the corresponding implications for human health and well-being; highlight key research gaps, needs and challenges in support of understanding, mitigating against, or adapting to Arctic change; stimulate dialogue across sectors to aid common understanding, collaborative actions and sustainability targets; promote a vision for a sustainable ecosystem-based management of the Arctic Ocean by 2050.
New Vision for Sea Shipping Between Europe-Asia-USA, March 12-14, 2014 (Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, Kamchatka Region, Russia). The Tranzit-DV Group, with the participation of the Ministry for the Development of the Russian Far East, is holding a conference in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky. The conference theme is the creation of a logistics complex - MILC (Multimodal Industrial-Logistics Complex) in the Asia-Pacific Region with developed infrastructure and traffic network. Topics include: Seaports in the Primorsky and Kamchatka regions: experience, opportunities, prospects and development of sea transport; use of the Northern Sea Route in the global transport services market; state programs for investment support and development of the Russian Far East; analysis of the situation on the Russian and global container transport and bunkering markets; prospects for port hub development and multimodal carriage; and, maritime insurance issues.
44th Annual International Arctic Workshop, March 14-16, 2014 (Boulder, CO). The Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research of the University of Colorado will host the workshop. This year's theme is "Arctic's New Normal." The workshop will consider shifting environmental baselines over decades to millennia and comparisons with the Antarctic. Previous workshops have included presentations on Arctic and Antarctic climate, atmospheric chemistry, environmental geochemistry, paleoenvironment, archeology, geomorphology, hydrology, glaciology, soils, ecology, oceanography, Quaternary history and more.
Association of American Geographers Polar Geography Sessions, April 8-12, 2014 (Tampa, Florida). Polar Geography Sessions are being planned in areas such as Sustainable Development in the Arctic, Urbanization and Transportation in the Arctic, etc. Contact Scott Stephenson (stephenson@ucla.edu) for more information, and see attached flyer.
Arctic Science Summit Week April 5-8, 2014 and Arctic Observing Summit, April 9-11 (Helsinki, Finland). ASSW is a gathering for Arctic research organizations. Any organization engaged in supporting and facilitating arctic research is welcome to participate. The ASSW meeting in 2014 will be arranged during April 5-8 in Helsinki Kumpula Campus, in the facilities of FMI and Physics Department of the University of Helsinki. Second circular here.
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