July 9, 2014

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capital Today's Congressional Action:

The House will begin consideration of the Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies Appropriations Act. The Senate is expected to consider S. 2363, the Bipartisan Sportsmen's Act.

Media

Arctic Snowy Owl- Nesting Cam. Snowy Owls breed only in the Arctic. Adult males are almost pure white and females white with dark brown bars and spots (mottling). They build their nests on the ground, preferring high points such as mounds to watch for predators. Only females incubate eggs, care for and feed the young. Her color pattern enhances her camouflage, making her difficult to see on the nest. Males provide food to the female during the nest period. Males also defend the chicks from predators and researchers. Females occasionally engage in attacks, but their nest defense duties are different, more passive with screaming and distraction displays. Explore.org

Responding to Oil Spills in the US Arctic Marine Environment. A changing climate is increasing the accessibility of U.S. Arctic waters to commercial activities such as shipping, oil and gas development, and tourism, raising concern about the risk of oil spills. An April report from the National Research Council says that a full suite of proven oil response tools is needed to address potential oil spills in U.S. Arctic waters, but not all of them are readily available. While much is known about both oil behavior and response technologies in ice-covered environments, there are areas where additional research would enable more informed decisions about the most effective response strategies for different Arctic spill situations, the report adds. The National Academies

Responding to Oil Spills in the U.S. Arctic Marine Environment

National Geographic Remaps Melting Arctic. A new National Geographic Atlas of the World is coming out this fall, and it's already controversial. The tenth edition of the world atlas depicts Arctic sea ice during a record-low year. Some scientists say that's not representative. "The ice cover during the summer in 2012-this is the record-low ice cover-is less than 50 percent of what it was in the 1980s," says Josefino Comiso, lead researcher of the NASA satellite study. He says it is important to redraw the map, since the Arctic is changing so rapidly. Alaska Public Radio

Ticks Appearing in Finland's Arctic. Cases of tick-borne encephalitis were recorded in Espoo and elsewhere last year, with risk areas climbing as far north as Finland's Arctic Lapland region. City-dwellers with dogs should also consider getting the vaccine, says doctor Janne Castrén. Coastlines and islands are favorites for vacationing Finns, but also for potentially dangerous disease-bearing ticks. The tiny menace is traditionally considered a southern problem, but with the gradual warming of the climate, ticks have traveled north, says doctor Janne Castrén. Alaska Dispatch News

Scientists Studying Tiny Cloud-Forming Particles in Nunavut Air. In order to see your breath in winter, there have to be tiny particles floating in the air so the moisture in your breath will have something to cling to and form molecules visible to the human eye. Those tiny airborne particles, known as aerosols, come from naturally existing things such as plant pollen, dust and sea spray, and also from human made pollution such as black carbon. Nunatsiaq Online

Cruise Ships: If You Simplify It, They Will Come. Canada's North could be missing out on upwards of 20,000 cruise ship passengers a year due to cumbersome permitting requirements. According to statistics presented by Aeco, an industry group representing Arctic tour operators, about 1,000 cruise-ship tourists have travelled to the Canadian Arctic each year since 2006. In comparison, Greenland is visited by between 20,000 and 30,000 passengers annually. Svalbard, meanwhile, is called on by over 30,000 cruise ship tourists each year. Alaska Dispatch

Bear Hunt Quota Worries Reindeer Herders in Sweden's Arctic. The middle of August starts bear hunting season and the number of bears to be shot in northern Sweden is now public, and it is drastically fewer than last year. This has the region's reindeer herders worried and upset. The total number of bears to be shot this year in the so-called bear counties, is 272. Five of the six counties are seeing a decrease in the number of bears to be shot. In the northern county of Norrbotten, hunters are allowed to shoot 67 bears, instead of the 90 allowed last year. Alaska Dispatch News

MOL to Launch Arctic Ocean LNG Route. Japan's Mitsui OSK Lines Ltd (MOL) said on Wednesday that it will start transporting liquefied natural gas (LNG) through the Arctic Ocean in 2018 using icebreaker LNG tankers. MOL, with its joint venture partner China Shipping, has ordered three icebreaker LNG carriers from South Korea's Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering Co Ltd. MarineLink

Committee to Hear Evidence from Government Officials on Arctic Changes. The House of Lords Select Committee on the Arctic will this week hold their first evidence session when they question Foreign Office and Ministry of Defense officials. The Committee is inquiring into recent and expected changes in the Arctic and their possible impact on the UK and its international relations. Arctic Journal

North Slope Research Effort Will Bolster Science Worldwide. In the not too distant future, scientists around the globe will have a better grasp of the effects of our warming planet thanks to a massive, 10-year research project happening now on the North Slope. The Next-Generation Ecosystem Experiments Arctic project is funded by the Department of Energy's Office of Biological and Environmental Research and taken on by a plethora of scientists in a wide variety of fields. Alaska Dispatch News

Legislative Action

No Arctic legislation was formally considered yesterday.

Future Events

ICETECH 2014, July 28-31, 2014 (Banff, Alberta, Canada). The International Conference and Exhibition on Performance of Ships and Structures on Ice (ICETECH) is organized by the Arctic Section of the Society of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers. The theme of the conference is performance of ships and structures in ice (icebreaking ships, ice resistant structures, and operations in ice) with emphasis and special sessions on looking to the future in a warming world. The conference will cover topics including:Global warming implications to Arctic ships and structures; Icebreaking ships, Naval Architecture, construction, and marine operations; Structures in ice/iceberg populated waters; Construction and logistics in ice-covered areas; Ice management; New offshore developments in ice-covered areas; Subsea pipelines and facilities in ice; Marine systems for offshore drilling and production operations in ice; Codes, regulations and standards; Ice conditions, forecasting and remote sensing; Safety, risk and environmental protection; Escape, Evacuation and Rescue (EER); and Arctic Geopolitics.

Alaska Policy Commission. August 26-27, 2014 (Kotzebue-Nome, Alaska).

The Alaska Arctic Policy Commission (AAPC) has more important work to do in 2014. The Commission will strive to gather public input and engage with Alaskan communities, state agencies, federal partners, and the international organizations working in the Arctic. In order to meet our goals AAPC will convene three in-person meetings over the course of 2014 and focus on implementation and final recommendations.

World Trade Center Alaska: Arctic Ambitions Trade Mission to Northern Europe, September 4-14, 2014 (Finland-Norway-Iceland). The Trade Mission will visit Northern and Arctic Europe starting September 4th in Finland and ending September 14 in Iceland, with an intermediary stop in Norway. The itinerary includes three days in each country and features visits to Arctic communities. Familiarization with Northern Europe's economies, and in particular commercial development in the Arctic, is the main goal of this trade mission. The participants will gain useful networking opportunities and a wealth of information on these three countries. For registration and information, please contact WTCAK at (907) 278-7233.

Conference of Parliamentarians of the Arctic Region, September 9-11, 2014 (Whitehorse, Canada). The Conference of Parliamentarians of the Arctic Region is a biennial conference for parliamentarians representing the eight Arctic countries and the European Parliament. The biennial conference is attended by representatives from the national parliaments of the Arctic states and the European Parliament. The Arctic indigenous peoples are permanent participants to the cooperation. Observers participate from governments and inter-parliamentary organizations as well as from observer states and relevant international organizations.

AOOS Film Contest, Submission Deadline September 15, 2014.

In celebration of its 10th Anniversary, Alaska Ocean Observing System (AOOS) is seeking short films highlighting Alaska's coast or oceans. AOOS welcomes films of any genre relating to the ocean (i.e. people using the ocean and coast, marine research, marine wildlife, ocean-related policy issues, etc). You don't need to be a professional to submit a film!

102nd US Arctic Research Commission Meeting, September 15-16, 2014 (Anchorage, Alaska, USA). The 102nd USARC meeting will be held in Anchorage. Additional information and schedule to follow.

2014 Week of the Arctic, October 6-11, 2014 (Nome, Kotzebue and Barrow, Alaska, USA). The Institute of the North will host the 2014 Week of the Arctic. The 2014 Week of the Arctic is a platform for community leaders, subject matter experts and interested stakeholders to learn about the Arctic while contributing to a growing list of priorities and perspectives. Presentations, roundtable discussions and workshops will be held in Nome, Kotzebue and Barrow. Throughout the week, presentations and interviews will be captured on video for distribution through social media and web-based sharing.

2014 FAMOS School and Workshop #3, October 21-24, 2014 (Woods Hole, MA). The Forum for Arctic Ocean Modeling and Observational Synthesis (FAMOS) is an international effort to focus on enhancing collaboration and coordination among Arctic marine and sea ice modelers, theoreticians and observationalists synthesize major results from the field studies and coordinated numerical experiments. The major themes of workshop include but not limited by studies focused on: predictions; Arctic observational and modeling initiatives; fate of sea ice in models and observations; atmospheric, sea ice and ocean dynamics; process studies and parameterizations; model validation and calibration; numerical improvements and algorithms; ecosystems, biological issues, and geochemistry.

Transatlantic Science Week 2014, October 27-28, 2014 (Toronto, Canada). The purpose of the annual Transatlantic Science Week (TSW) is to promote enhanced cooperation between Canadian, American and Norwegian stakeholders in research, innovation and higher education. TSW is an arena where different stakeholders can meet with the purpose of developing long-term collaborations or partnerships. The conference also hopes to strengthen the linkages that currently exist between the research and education domains. Finally, TSW also provides an excellent arena for dialogue between the research communities and policymakers.

Arctic Circle, October 31-November 2, 2014 (Reyjavik, Iceland).

The Arctic Circle is nonprofit and nonpartisan. Organizations, forums, think tanks, corporations and public associations around the world are invited to hold meetings within the Arctic Circle platform to advance their own missions and the broader goal of increasing collaborative decision-making without surrendering their institutional independence. The Arctic Circle will organize sessions on a variety of issues, such as: Sea ice melt and extreme weather; Polar law: treaties and agreements; The role and rights of indigenous peoples; Security in the Arctic; Shipping and transportation infrastructure; The prospects and risks of oil and gas drilling; Clean energy achievements and sustainable development; Arctic resources; Business cooperation in the Arctic; The role of Asian and European countries in the Arctic; Greenland in the new Arctic; Fisheries and ecosystem management; The science of ice: global research cooperation; Arctic tourism; The ice-dependent world: the Arctic and the Himalayas.

US- Canada Northern Oil and Gas Research Forum, November 4-6, 2014 (Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, Canada). Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada and the Canadian Polar Commission in partnership with the U.S. Department of the Interior, are hosting the fourth Canada - United States Northern Oil and Gas Research Forum. The Northern Oil and Gas Research Forum is a biennial meeting with representation from government, industry, academia, Aboriginal groups and Northerners from both Canada and the United States. The Forum provides an opportunity to discuss current and future priorities for northern oil and gas research. The Forum will showcase the value of northern research in support of sound decision-making for oil and gas management.

Alaska Policy Commission. November 13-14, 2014 (Anchorage, Alaska). The Alaska Arctic Policy Commission (AAPC) has more important work to do in 2014. The Commission will strive to gather public input and engage with Alaskan communities, state agencies, federal partners, and the international organizations working in the Arctic. In order to meet our goals AAPC will convene three in-person meetings over the course of 2014 and focus on implementation and final recommendations.

The Arctic Biodiversity Congress, December 2-4, 2014 (Trondheim, Norway). The Arctic Biodiversity Congress will present and discuss the main scientific findings of the ABA; facilitate inter-disciplinary discussion, action and status updates on the policy recommendations in the ABA; provide scientific, policy, management, NGO, academia, Indigenous peoples and industry audiences the opportunity to collaborate around the themes of the ABA; advise CAFF on national and international implementation of the ABA recommendations and on the development of an ABA Implementation Plan for the Arctic Council; highlight the work of CAFF and the Arctic Council on circumpolar biodiversity conservation and sustainable development; and, contribute to mainstreaming of biodiversity and ecosystem services, ensuring that the recommendations of the ABA are implemented by not just governments, but many organizations and people across disciplines.

Arctic Change 2014, December 8-12, 2014 (Ottawa, Canada). The international Arctic Change 2014 conference aims to stimulate discussion and foster collaborations among people with a vested interest in the Arctic and its peoples. Coinciding with the pinnacle of Canada's chairmanship of the Arctic Council and marking ArcticNet's 10th anniversary, Arctic Change 2014 welcomes researchers, students, Northerners, policy makers, and stakeholders from all fields of Arctic research and all countries to address the numerous environmental, social, economical and political challenges and opportunities that are emerging from climate change and modernization in the Arctic. With over 1000 participants expected to attend, Arctic Change 2014 will be one of the largest trans-sectoral international Arctic research conferences ever held in Canada.

Arctic Frontiers: Climate and Energy, January 18-23, 2015. The earth is in the midst of major climate changes. The Arctic is experiencing the impact of these changes more and faster than other parts of the globe. Processes starting in the Arctic may have deep and profound impacts on other parts of the globe. At the same time the Earth's population is rising and with it the global energy demand. New and greener energy sources are gaining market shares, but still the energy mix of the foreseeable future will have a substantial fossil component. The Arctic is expected to hold major oil and gas resources, while the regions green energy potentials are less explored. The Arctic Frontiers conference is a central arena for discussions of Arctic issues. The conference brings together representatives from science, politics, and civil society to share perspectives on how upcoming challenges in the Arctic may be addressed to ensure sustainable development. Arctic Frontiers is composed of a policy section and a scientific section.

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