Arctic Update Header
May 18, 2015

 

Effects of Oil on Wildlife, May 18-22, 2015 (Anchorage, Alaska, USA). This event is co-sponsored by International Bird Rescue and "Aiuka," which is a Brazilian conservation organization.  The event will focus on polar wildlife issues and integrating wildlife into oil response, etc.  Alaska Clean Seas is also a sponsor.  North Slope Borough will also be a part of this meeting. 

  

Beginning tomorrow! 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. Chair of the US Arctic Research Commission Fran Ulmer is scheduled to participate on a panel discussing the Next Steps of Arctic Cooperation. Meeting registration is free, and includes coffee breaks, light lunch, and a rooftop terrace reception (on the 20th). An updated program is now available. The agenda is available here.


 

Today's Congressional Action:   

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The House is expected to consider a number of legislative items including H.R. 1987, the Coast Guard Authorization Act of 2015; H.R. 1162, the Science Prize Competitions Act; H.R. 1156, the International Science and Technology Cooperation; and, H.R. 1561, the Weather Research and Forecasting Innovation Act. The Senate is expected to consider non-Arctic legislation.

 

 

Media  
 

beluga NOAA Seeks Public Comment on Beluga Whale Recovery Plan. NOAA Fisheries is seeking public comment on a draft recovery plan for Cook Inlet beluga whales. According to a release from NOAA, the plan will structure efforts to bring the whales back up to a healthy population size. Once there, the hope is to remove them from the federal endangered species list. Alaska Public Radio

 

IMO Completes Polar Code, Regulating Arctic and Antarctic Shipping. Starting in 2017, it will be illegal for shippers to dump oil, oily waste or noxious materials into Arctic or Antarctic waters. That prohibition is part of a set of environmental rules and standards approved on Friday by the International Maritime Organization. Friday's action, which followed the approval in November of a set of marine safety standards for ships sailing in polar waters, cements what is now a comprehensive International Code for Ships Operating in Polar Waters -- commonly known as the Polar Code. Alaska Dispatch News

 

Unanswered Housing, Suicide Questions Anger MPs. Should a cabinet member be able to cite publicly available statistics when challenged by the opposition? Not being able to do so brought Berard Valcourt, Canada's minister for aboriginal affairs and northern development, under heavy criticism last week as issues such as suicide and housing were debated in the House of Commons. One comment in particular, in which Valcourt skirted responsibility for high youth suicide rates, angered the opposition. Arctic Journal

 

[Opinion] Protecting Our Shared Arctic. Niila Inga, a Sami leader in that part of Sweden that is above the Arctic Circle, has this to say about the impact of climate change on the future of his reindeer herding society: "If this climate change keeps going at this rate, I'm pretty sure that the reindeer won't survive it. It goes too fast right now. And without the reindeer, the whole Sami culture will disappear, and the world will be an indigenous people poorer." Niila's message is one we should heed. Scientists predict disastrous developments for humanity if global warming continues on its current trajectory. The scientific data are clear. 2014 was the hottest year on record. Fourteen of the fifteen warmest years on record have occurred since the year 2000. We are potentially looking at an ice-free summer in the Arctic as early as 2040, just 25 years from now. Politico

 

russian flag Russia Plans New Floating Arctic Research Station. According to the Ministry, the floating research station "North Pole-41" is already in the making. "The station will be an important instrument in securing Russian presence in the Arctic, and will give Russia the opportunity to give new priorities to scientific research from the ice," the Ministry of Natural Resources says, according to RIA Novosti. Russia has had floating research stations in the Arctic since 1937. Normally a station was established on an ice floe in September-October, and some two dozens of scientists would spend the winter there, measuring climate and weather conditions. Barents Observer

 

Climate Change & Health Impact Assessment Reports: Climate Change in Bering Strait Communities. This book documents climate change impacts as described by residents of seven communities in the Bering Strait Region of Northwest Alaska. In addition to community impacts, the book provides an overview on the state of the knowledge about climate change in the region, examples of adaptation efforts that have been applied, and recommendations for future planning and coordination efforts. This project was funded by the Western Alaska LCC and EPA, with collaboration between tribal governments, the Norton Sound Health Corporation, Kawerak Inc., and ANTHC's Center for Climate and Health. Some of the described impacts include broad changes in the timing of seasons, marine and aquatic waters, terrestrial environment, ice, snow, river and lake conditions and the availability and health of plants and wildlife. Some important effects include threat and loss of infrastructure to flooding and erosion, changes in the quality of community source water resources, and new challenges related to traditional subsistence practices. Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium

 

Legislative Actionfutureevents  

 

No Arctic legislation was formally considered Friday.

 

Future Events  

 

IARPC webinar on outcomes from Arctic meetings in Japan (ASSW, ISAR & ICARPIII), May 19, 2015, 3pm EDT. Connect via WebEx or teleconference to learn highlights from Drs. Larry Hinzman (IASC VP) and David Hik (former IASC President) from Arctic Science Summit Week, in Toyama, Japan (April 23-30) that involved almost 700 international participants who helped plan future Arctic research. 

 

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. Chair of the US Arctic Research Commission Fran Ulmer is scheduled to participate on a panel discussing the Next Steps of Arctic Cooperation. Meeting registration is free, and includes coffee breaks, light lunch, and a rooftop terrace reception (on the 20th). An updated program is now available. The agenda is available here.
 

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 Tromsų, 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. 

 

Polar Research Board Spring Meeting, June 2-3, 2015 (Washington, DC, USA). The Polar Research Board is a part of the Division on Earth and Life Studies of the National Academies.  The Polar Research Board will host its spring meeting in Washington, D.C.  Please see the link for the agenda.

 

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.

 

ATTENTION RESEARCHERS IN THE NOME REGION: The US Arctic Research Commission (Fran Ulmer, Chair) invites you to share your Arctic research activities and/or suggestions on research when the Commission meets in Nome, Alaska, August 25-26, 2015. There will be limited opportunities for formal presentations to the Commission, as well as a community comment period. If you would like to share your research (or ideas on research) with the Commission and will be in the area during our visit, please contact USARC's Deputy Director, Cheryl Rosa, at crosa@arctic.gov by June 30th.

  

6th Symposium on the Impacts of an Ice-Diminishing Arctic on Naval and Maritime Operations, July 14-16, 2015 (Washington, DC, USA). This biennial symposium, co-hosted by the US National Ice Center and the US Arctic Research Commission, brings together nationally and internationally recognized experts on Arctic observations, climate change, and maritime operations. Past symposia expanded the discussion to include the impact of an ice-diminishing arctic on other nations and their maritime operations including commercial transportation, oil and gas exploration and exploitation, fisheries, and oceanographic research. The continuing reduction in Arctic sea ice extent remains a central focus. 


104th Meeting of the USARC, Nome, AK, Aug. 25-26, 2015.

Attention researchers in the Nome region: USARC (Fran Ulmer, Chair) invites you to share your Arctic research activities and/or suggestions on research when the Commission meets in Nome. There will be limited opportunities for formal presentations to the Commission, as well as a community comment period. If you would like to share your research (or ideas on research) with the Commission and will be in the area during our visit, please contact USARC's Deputy Director, Cheryl Rosa, at crosa@arctic.gov by June 30th.

 

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.

 

2015 Arctic Circle Assembly, October 16-18, 2015 (Reykjavik, Iceland). 

The Arctic Circle is the largest global gathering on the Arctic. It is attended by heads of state and governments, ministers, members of parliament, officials, experts, scientists, entrepreneurs, business leaders, indigenous representatives, environmentalists, students, activists, and others from the growing international community of partners and participants interested in the future of the Arctic. The Arctic Circle highlights issues and concerns, programs, policies and projects; it provides platforms for dynamic dialogue and constructive cooperation. While the plenary sessions are the responsibility of the Arctic Circle, the breakout sessions are organized by various participating partners in their own name and with full authority over the agenda and the choice of speakers.
 
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.

Forum for Arctic Modeling and Observational Synthesis Meeting, November 3-6, 2015 (Cape Cod, MA, USA). On November 3rd, the 2015 School for young scientists will consider "Regional Oceanography of the Arctic marginal seas" with lectures covering major features of atmospheric, sea ice and oceanographic regimes of the: Bering, Chukchi, Beaufort, East-Siberian, Laptev Sea, Kara, Barents and Nordic seas.  On November 4-6, the meeting portion will summarize project accomplishments for the last 3 years of activities and will focus on the formulation of scientific questions and directions for FAMOS future research (2016-2019) to: (a) improve Arctic modeling, employing very high resolution models; (b) develop and test new arctic monitoring/observing systems and (c) improve predictions of Arctic environmental parameters with reduced uncertainties.


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.

  

11th International Conference on Permafrost (ICOP 2016), June 20-24, 2016 (Potsdam, Germany). The Alfred Wegener Institute has teamed up with UP Transfer GmbH and the University of Potsdam to organize a great conference for you, permafrost researchers. The conference aims at covering all relevant aspects of permafrost research, engineering and outreach on a global and regional level.

  

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