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 Photo Contest Winners. The US Arctic Research Commission announces the winners of its first Observing the Arctic Photo Contest. In addition to a Grand Prize winner, six First Place winners were chosen, one for each of several categories relating to Arctic Research. These photos are displayed on the USARC website.
Special Event...
National Petroleum Council Report Briefing, April 16, 2015 (Washington, DC).
On April 16, 2015, from 2:00 to 3:00 pm, there will be a summary briefing on the recently completed National Petroleum Council (NPC) report "Arctic Potential: Realizing the Promise of US Arctic Oil and Gas Resources" by Carol Lloyd, Chair of the study's Coordinating Subcommittee, and other study leaders. The briefing will be held at the NPC office, 1625 K Street, Suite 600, Washington, DC 20006-1656. Capacity is limited, and thus RSVP is required. Please RSVP by calling Laura Alvarez at 202-393-6100 or by emailing lalvarez@npc.org. The NPC is a federally chartered and privately funded advisory committee that advises the US Secretary of Energy.
Today's Congressional Action:  The House and Senate in session and expected to consider non-Arctic legislation. The President's UN Climate Pledge: Scientifically Justified or a New Tax on Americans? Today (Washington, DC). The House Science, Space and Technology Committee will host a hearing on the President's UN Climate Pledge. The hearing will examine the scientific justification and economic impact of the United States' submission to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. An Overview of the US Coast Guard's Missions, Today (Washington, DC). The Subcommittee on Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure will host this hearing. The witness is expected to be Vice Admiral Charles Michel, the US Coast Guard Deputy Commandant for Operations.
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Fininsh Business Push Arctic Onto Political Agenda. The Arctic is big business. In the Barents region alone, potential investments could add up to €140 billion ($150 billion) over the next decade or so, reckons EK, Finland's national chamber of commerce. The organisation, however, frets that the country is not doing enough to preen itself for potential investors. In order to make sure that Finland does not miss out in its fair share of investor cash, EK, in a report released last month, laid out 10 recommendations for what it considers a coherent Arctic economic policy. Arctic Journal
Canada's Arctic Council Chairmanship: At
the end of a long and winding road, a look ahead. With just two weeks until Canada's second chairmanship of the Arctic Council draws to a close, Leona Aglukkaq, who has headed the Canadian effort as the country's Arctic Council minister, is taking to the road to remind Canadians, and especially people living in the North, what the past two years have been all about. The selection of Ms Aglukkaq, observers say, epitomizes the Canadian chairmanship. Typically, countries place responsibility for the Arctic Council with their foreign minister. Such was the case with Sweden (the previous chair) and so it will be with the United States (the next). Arctic Journal
Hunger in the Arctic. Food insecurity rates in Nunavut are among the highest in the world for an indigenous population living in a developed country. In fact, over two-thirds of people in Nunavut have trouble finding enough affordable, nutritious food. This is not acceptable, and Canada must act. Food is a basic human need, a part of cultural identity, and an essential building block in the development of every stable, resilient, and productive society. A resilient Arctic needs a healthy population. World Policy Blog
[ Opinion] Alaska Could Help Thaw US-Russia Ice. No two nations on earth possess the global influence and nuclear capability to destroy the planet as the U.S. and Russia. So it was shocking a couple of weeks ago to hear a senior State Department official report that communications between the countries have eroded to virtual nonexistence. The occasion was a Washington, D.C., briefing for a delegation of American citizens headed to Moscow to spend a week with our Russian counterparts doing something our governments largely don't do - talk to each other. Fairbanks Daily News-Miner
Arctic, Barents Submarine Patrols Up 50 Percent Over Last Year. Many more nuclear powered submarines sail the Barents Sea and Arctic Oceans today than a year ago. And more will come, as both new subs enter service and the Soviet-built fleet is modernized. There is, at any time, at least one strategic missile submarine at sea from Russia's Northern Fleet, plus two more on alert. "For the period from January 2014 to March 2015 the intensity of patrols by submarines has risen by almost 50 percent as compared to 2013," says Navy Commander Admiral Viktor Chirkov. Alaska Dispatch News
Russia: Arctic Magapolluter Pays Record-high Dividends. The nickel industry in Siberia and on the Kola Peninsula is proving very profitable for investors. Norilsk Nickel is set to pay over $2.2 billion in dividends for 2014. Nickel mining in Zapolyarny, nickel matte production in Nikel and nickel and copper production in Monchegorsk, Norilsk Nickel's subsidiary Kolskaya GMK is not only the cornerstone in the three towns on the Kola Peninsula but also a major player in the regional economy in Murmansk Oblast. Alaska Dispatch News
 Gray Whale Breaks Mammal Migration Record. The western gray whale now holds the record as the mammal with the longest known migration, researchers say. A female western gray whale swam from Russia to Mexico and back again - a total of 13,988 miles (22,511 kilometers) - in 172 days, according to a new report.Until now, the title of the longest-migrating mammal belonged to the humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae), which migrates up to 10,190 miles (16,400 km) round trip as it travels between its breeding grounds near the equator and the food-rich waters of the Arctic and Antarctic, according to Guinness World Records. Discovery News
Coast Guard Commandant: Recapitalization Number One Priority. Recapitalizing the Coast Guard's fleet of aging vessels is the sea service's number one priority, said its commandant April 14. The Coast Guard currently sails some ships that are over four decades old and that often break down. As the service takes on more diverse missions around the globe, it will need an upgraded fleet of cutters, said Adm. Paul Zukunft. National Defense Magazine
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Legislative Action
H.R. 1791, To amend the patent law to promote basic research, to stimulate publication of scientific documents, to encourage collaboration in scientific endeavors, to improve the transfer of technology to the private sector, and for other purposes. (Introduced by Representative Sensenbrenner and referred to committee)
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Future Events
Arctic Matters: The Global Connection to Changes in the Arctic, April 17, 2015 (Webinar, EDT). Join a panel of Arctic experts for a webinar to explore a new booklet that introduces the threats and opportunities of the Arctic's rapidly changing environment and explains why the Arctic matters - to all of us.
Viewed in satellite images as a jagged white coat draped over the top of the globe, the high Arctic appears distant and isolated. But even if you don't live there, don't do business there, and will never travel there, you are closer to the Arctic than you think.
The Road to Iqaluit: The Arctic Agenda on the Eve of the US Chairmanship, April 17, 2015 (Washington, DC). On April 24-25, 2015, Secretary of State John Kerry, his fellow Arctic Council Foreign Ministers and indigenous representatives will gather in Iqaluit, Canada when, at the conclusion of the ministerial meeting, the United States will assume its two-year chairmanship of the Arctic Council. The United States has outlined an ambitious chairmanship agenda to include a strong focus on addressing the effects of climate change, particularly the impacts of pollutants; improving ocean stewardship and maritime safety; and improving the health and well-being for those who live in the Arctic region. With event sponsored by the Center for Strategic and International Studies will have keynote remarks by Senator Lisa Murkowski followed by a discussion on the future of offshore energy development in the American Arctic based on the recent release of the National Petroleum Council's Arctic Study as well as a discussion on developments in Arctic health and well-being upon the occasion of the release of a new CSIS policy report on Arctic Health and the U.S. Arctic Council Chairmanship.
Arctic States Symposium, April 17-19, 2015 (Charlottesville, VA, USA).
ARCTIC STATES, a three-day symposium at the University of Virginia School of Architecture, brings together an international consortium of leading designers and colleagues from allied disciplines to posit the role of design in the rapidly transforming region, and generate critical discussions by sharing recent work that will trace, critique and speculate on its past, present, and future.
Arctic Science Summit Week, April 23-30, 2015 (Toyama, Japan). The Arctic Science Summit Week (ASSW) is the annual gathering of the international organizations engaged in supporting and facilitating Arctic research. The purpose of the summit is to provide opportunities for coordination, collaboration and cooperation in all areas of Arctic science. The summit attracts scientists, students, policy makers and other professionals from all over the world.
The Polar Geography and Cryosphere, April 21-25, 2015 (Chicago, IL, USA). The Polar Geography and Cryosphere Specialty Groups of the Association of American Geographers will host its annual meeting in Chicago to consider: current topics in human-environment interactions; current topics in politics, resource geographies, and extractive industries; current topics in Antarctic research; advances in cryosphere research; high latitude environments in a changing climate; an mountain ice and snow.
The House of Sweden Conference, May 19-20, 2015 (Washington, DC, USA). A two day conference focusing on changes, adaptations and opportunities for a changing Arctic. The conference will be divided into separate, but intertwined thematic segments - policy, science, climate change and green technologies. The conference is organized by the Swedish Ministry for Foreign Affairs, the Swedish Polar Research Secretariat, the Embassy of Sweden in Washington, DC and the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), and is aimed at Arctic oriented policy-makers, researchers, business representatives and NGO's in the lead-up to the U.S. chairmanship of the Arctic Council.
The European Union and Arctic (2015 EU-Arctic Conference), May 29, 2015 (Dundee, UK). The School of Law, University of Dundee, UK and the K. G. Jebsen Centre for the Law of the Sea, University of Tromsø, Norway are pleased to announce the registration open for "The European Union and the Arctic" (2015 EU-Arctic Conference). This conference will bring together academics and practitioners from relevant disciplines such as international law, international relations, political science and marine biology, NGOs, representatives from EU institutions and international organizations to discuss the EU's potential contribution to enhance Arctic governance. A roadmap for increasing the effectiveness of the EU's action in the Arctic will be drawn at the end of the conference.
7th International Conference on Arctic Margins, June 2-5, 2015 (Trondheim, Norway). The next meeting, the 7th International Conference on Arctic Margins (ICAM VII), previously announced to be arranged in St. Petersburg, will be held in Norway. ICAM VII is hosted by the Geological Survey of Norway. The International Conference on Arctic Margins (ICAM) was founded by the U.S. Department of the Interior Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, formerly the Minerals Management Service, in 1991 with the underlying two-point theme of 1) Arctic understanding, 2) international cooperation in Arctic research. To these ends, ICAM has provided a successful forum for the exchange of information, collaboration in research, and presentation of results. ICAM is organized, hosted, and conducted by scientists for scientists which makes it a unique forum.
16th International Congress on Circumpolar Health: Focus on Future Health and Wellbeing, June 8-12, 2015 (Oulu, Finland). The congress will focus on human health and well-being in the Arctic and northern areas. It is open for everyone interested in Arctic issues, especially scientists, researchers, health care professionals, policy analysts, government agency representatives and community leaders. The congress is organized by the Thule Institute, University of Oulu in collaboration with the International Union of Circumpolar Health (IUCH), the Nordic Society for Circumpolar Health, the Society of Arctic Health and Biology, and the Rokua Health & Spa. The InternationaI Congress on Circumpolar Health (ICCH) series are arranged every three years in Arctic countries or countries related to Arctic issues. First congress of the series was arranged in 1967, and it was previously hosted by Oulu in 1971.
52nd Annual Conference of the Animal Behavior Society, June 10-14, 2015 (Anchorage, Alaska, USA). The Animal Behavior Society was founded in 1964 to promote the study of animal behavior in the broadest sense, including studies using descriptive and experimental methods under natural and controlled conditions. Current members' research activities span the invertebrates and vertebrates, both in the field and in the laboratory, and include experimental psychology, behavioral ecology, neuroscience, zoology, biology, applied ethology, and human ethology as well as many other specialized areas.
2015 ESSAS Annual Science Meeting, June 15-17, 2015 (Seattle, WA, USA). This symposium, to be held at the University of Washington, is intended for interdisciplinary scholars who will be prepared to discuss their research in the sub-arctic North Atlantic, sub-arctic North Pacific, and the Arctic Ocean that bears on the issue of how changes in sea ice are likely to affect these marine ecosystems. The symposium will also consider the people who depend upon these ecosystems and how they may be able to cope with the changes in the ecosystem goods and services that are coming. These goods and services include the availability of transportation corridors, the availability of subsistence foods, and the opportunity for commercial fishing. To put the present day in a longer perspective, the symposium will include a session on the paleo-ecology of people in sub-arctic and arctic regions that were forced to adjust to changing sea-ice conditions in the past.
6th Symposium on the Impacts of an Ice-Diminishing Arctic on Naval and Maritime Operations, July 14-16, 2015 (Washington, DC, USA). Program in development...check back soon. To see the programs from prior symposia, click here.
Polar Law Symposium (8th) will be held in Alaska ( Sept. 23-24, UAF; Sept. 25-26, UAA). It's sponsored by UAF, UAA (and ISER), UAA Justice Center, UW Law School. Abstracts due 3/15/15. This year's conference theme is, "The Science, Scholarship, and Practice of Polar Law: Strengthening Arctic Peoples and Places."
2015 Arctic Energy Summit, September 28-30, 2015 (Fairbanks, Alaska, USA).The Institute of the North's 2015 Arctic Energy Summit builds on our legacy efforts to address energy as a fundamental element of the sustainable development of the Arctic as a lasting frontier.Central to this concept is a focus on providing pathways for affordable energy development in the Arctic and for Arctic communities.
The Polar Oceans and Global Climate Change, November 3-6, 2015 (La Jolla, California USA.) The American Polar Society will host this Symposium at Scripps Institution of Oceanography. A flyer with a partial list of presenters is available on the Society's website (americanpolar.org) and from the Society's Membership Chairman by email.
Due North: Next Generation Arctic Research & Leadership, November 5-8, 2015 (Calgary, Alberta, Canada). The Association of Canadian Universities for Northern Studies (ACUNS) will convene an interdisciplinary conference of early career scientists working on Arctic issues. The organizers have issued a call for abstracts, due 5/31/15, on the following topics, full descriptions of where are available here, Arctic Communities, Arctic Sustainable Development, Arctic Wildlife, Ecosystem and Biodiversity, Arctic Food Security, Arctic Landscapes, Climate Change and Adaptation, Disaster Risk Management, Policy, Politics and Leadership, Arctic Environment (Data and Techniques), Arctic Resources, and Future of Arctic.
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External links in this publication, and on the USARC's World Wide Web site ( www.arctic.gov) do not constitute endorsement by the US Arctic Research Commission of external Web sites or the information, products or services contained therein. For other than authorized activities, the USARC does not exercise any editorial control over the information you may find at these locations. These links are provided consistent with the stated purpose of this newsletter and the USARC Web site.
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