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Today's Congressional Action:
The House and Senate are not in session.
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Alaska Disptach News
Media
Alaska Maps Released This Week are Most Precise Ever. From the Aleutian Islands to the North Slope, Alaska's massive and varied terrain has now been mapped in an unprecedented way, exactly a year after President Barack Obama announced the new Arctic mapping project during his visit to Alaska.
The first fruits of the mapping project were released Sept. 1, said Paul Morin, director of the Polar Geospatial Center at the University of Minnesota, a leading partner in the project. The topographical map shows detailed crevasses, mountain ranges, and riverbeds. Resources are available to help people explore the data. Alaska Dispatch News
With the Climate Changing, UAF Researchers Look to Spring Wheat as a Potential Crop. Could fields of wheat be Alaska's next big grain crop? With Alaska's growing season lengthening as a result of higher temperatures, researchers at the University of Alaska Fairbanks have been studying whether it's possible to develop a more resilient type of wheat that matures quickly and is suitable for Alaska climates. Last month, UAF professor Mingchu Zhang began harvesting spring wheat from a 1-acre plot at the university's Fairbanks experiment farm. This season, he tested 90 spring wheat varieties already developed at Washington State University and has been working to cross-breed some on his own to see which ones will thrive in Alaska. Alaska Dispatch News What to Expect From the Final Days of the 114th Congress. Congress is returning with its pre-election finish line, and just one immovable hurdle, already in sight just three weeks from now. After the longest summer break in modern times, lawmakers are required to accomplish a single legislative task before leaving again. But it's a job far more politically fraught than it is procedurally simple: Assuring normal government operations continue through the end of this budgetary year and into the new one. Roll Call Nunavik Communities Decry "Rogue" Hunters, Beluga "Mismanagement" Plan. The beluga hunt closed down along Nunavik's coasts much earlier than usual this year - on Aug. 17 - angering some hunters in communities that didn't catch their annual quota and will see no fall hunt. "That is so unfair, so wrong in every way. I'm heartbroken," said Sheila Ningiuruvik in a Facebook discussion on the end of the beluga season, which left Quaqtaq on Nunavik's Hudson Strait with less than half of its total allowable catch of 25. Nunatsiaq Online How a Fiber-Optic Cable Could Forever Change Life in Arctic Alaska. Summer construction on the first fiber-optic cable to cross the Arctic has rural Alaska telecom providers promising a huge market shift in a region that is on the underserved side of the digital divide. As two ships unspool cable onto the floor of the Bering and Chukchi seas, consumers in six coastal communities from Nome to Barrow anticipate cheaper, speedier internet and the ability to download more data without overage charges by the middle of next year. The economics of bringing internet to rural Alaska are lousy, which is why the federal government, through various programs, subsidizes connectivity. And even then, rural consumers pay high rates for plans with low data limits and download speeds. Alaska Dispatch News [Canada] Naval Officers Learn How to Handle Ice-Filled Waters in Anticipation of New Arctic Patrol Ships. The Royal Canadian Navy is preparing for the arrival of its first Arctic patrol ship by sending officers assigned to the vessel to the Antarctic and Canada's far north to learn how to operate in ice-filled waters, says the country's top sailor. The Chilean Navy and the Canadian Coast Guard are providing training for the difficult task of conducting such missions, Vice Admiral Ron Lloyd, head of the RCN, told Postmedia. National Post Whale Hunters of the Warming Arctic. Sikuliaq, too young and unreliable to bear a thirty-ton whale carcass. The hunters could do nothing but watch the shining black backs of bowheads, breathing calmly, almost close enough to touch. On a trip to the ice edge, Tariek Oviuk, a hunter from Point Hope, felt a strange sensation: the lift of ocean waves beneath his feet. The older men, nervous about the rising wind, hurried back toward shore, but the younger hunters remained, stripping blubber from a few small beluga whales. Then the crack of three warning shots came rolling across the ice, and the hunters scrambled for their snowmobiles. "As soon as we heard those shots, my heart started pounding," Oviuk recalled. The New Yorker Arctic Permafrost Carbon Study Predicts Imminent, 'Really Large' Methane Release. "Methane is a very potent greenhouse gas," University of Alaska Fairbanks ecology professor Katey Walter Anthony tells students during a field trip recorded on video by UAF. Walter Anthony has become something of YouTube phenom over the past few years, due to the many video clips showing her demonstrating how methane that's been captured by ice on a frozen lake can be released by poking a hole in the ice and then ignited by holding a lighter next to the puncture. "... A molecule of methane is 25 times stronger than carbon dioxide," she tells her class just before igniting methane gas released from the bubble, which draws cheers from the students. KUAC
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Legislative Action
No Arctic legislation was formally considered yesterday.
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Future Events
Hosted by Saint Petersburg State University, the UArctic Congress 2016 will feature Science and Meeting sections, including:
- Acclaimed keynote speakers and scientific experts presenting research.
- Parallel sessions on Arctic science, policy, and education topics.
- Meetings for reps of the Council of UArctic and UArctic Rectors' Forum.
- Pre-Meetings to foster contacts and enhance networking.
- Opportunities to promote and market your organization and activities.
- A UArctic Student Forum with workshops.
- A Cultural and Social program.
The 2016 UArctic Rectors' Forum and the 19th annual meeting of the Council of UArctic form an integral part of the congress.
Conference on Water Innovations for Healthy Arctic Homes: September 18-21, 2016, Anchorage, Alaska. This circumpolar conference will bring together engineers, health experts, researchers, community members, policymakers, and innovators to discuss health benefits, challenges and innovations associated with making running water and sewer in remote northern communities safe, affordable and sustainable. Information and an expression of interest in attending can be found here. (The full link is: http://wihah2016.com/) 13th International Conference on Gas in Marine Sediments: September 19-22, 2016 (Tromso, Norway). GIMS 13 promotes the study of natural gas and release systems on a global scale and facilitates interdisciplinary and international cooperation. The conference intends to bring together geologists, biologists, microbiologist, geophysicists, oceanographers, geochemists and scientists from modeling disciplines. The forum will provide a platform for current knowledge and future programs in gas inventories, fluxes and their role within the carbon cycle and biodiversity. Conference is organized by CAGE - Centre for Arctic Gas Hydrate, Environment and Climate at UiT The Arctic University of Norway. Abstract submission deadline is May 30th and registration deadline is June 20th. For more information: http://gims13.uit.no
Bridging the Future of Arctic Social Science Research, September 23-24, 2016 (Monticello, Virginia, USA). The event is sponsored by Arctic Horizons. The event will reassemble the members of the National Steering Committee and a small but diverse selection of representatives from the five regional workshops, to total about 15 people. The aim will be to identify and synthesize the core threads of the previous workshops and public contributions proffered between workshops. The target output for the workshop will be a final report draft and outline of steps leading to the final report release in June 2016. The Jefferson Institute will manage production of the publication.
The event will be a dialogue on one of the four themes of the ministerial: "Arctic Science as a Vehicle for STEM Education and Citizen Empowerment." The event also provides an opportunity to hear from ministerial participants before the closed meetings of the ministerial begin the next day.
Two 1-hour panel discussions by an international group of Arctic leaders, including USARC Chair Fran Ulmer, will explore opportunities for advancing the use of Arctic research and education activities to inform worldwide audiences about the changes happening in the Arctic and to help empower Arctic residents most impacted by the complex dynamics shaping the region. An introductory plenary by Mark Brzezinski, Executive Director of the U.S. Government's Arctic Executive Steering Committee will kick-off the conversation.
Second International Conference on Natural Resources and Integrated Development of Coastal Areas in the Arctic Zone, September 27-29, 2016 (Arkhangelsk, Russia). The Conference is organized by FASO of Russia, Russian Academy of Sciences, Government of Arkhangelsk region, Arkhangelsk Scientific Center and International Arctic Science Committee (IASC). Conference is aimed at elaboration of research-based practical measures and instruments for realization of human, natural and transport-logistical potential of the Arctic zone, including development of the Northern Sea Route and implementation of models of integrated coastal areas management. For additional information, please email.
National Academies of Sciences..."Scientific Priorities for a Changing Arctic(panel discussion)," September 29, 4:30 to 6:30pm (Washington, DC. The public is invited to a recap and discussion of the first-ever White House Arctic Science Ministerial taking place, in Washington, DC, on September 28. At that event, ministers of science, chief science advisors, and other senior officials from countries around the world, as well as representatives from indigenous groups, will
address the collective actions and innovative collaborations needed to enhance scientific understanding of the rapidly changing Arctic. This Academies' event and reception provides an opportunity to broaden the conversation to all those interested in the Arctic science and policy. Panelists will include officials from the White House, from the USARC, and others involved in the ministerial discussions.
As an exciting cultural addition to the program, producers of a new large format 3D film about Greenland will share their storytelling strategies and the process of using immersive cinema, virtual reality and the perspectives of climate scientists and extreme athletes to expand public understanding of the Arctic environment. Presenters will represent producing partners Giant Screen Films, Teton Gravity Research, and Golden Gate 3D. Support for this event is provided by USARC and the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. Please register
** New this week ** 106th Commission Meeting of the US Arctic Research Commission. September 29-30, 2016 (Washington, DC USA). The U.S. Arctic Research Commission will hold its 106th meeting in Washington, DC, on September 29-30, 2016. The business sessions, open to the public, will convene at 8:30 a.m. at the U.S. Global Change Research Program, 1800 G St. NW., #9100, Conf. Rm. A, Washington, DC 20006. The focus of this meeting will include reports and updates on programs and research projects affecting Alaska and the greater Arctic.
The daylong conference at the University of Southern Maine will address challenges and opportunities for Arctic science, business, shipping, security and governance. Speakers will include Sen. Angus S. King (I-Maine) and co-chair of U.S. Senate Arctic Caucus (Invited); Craig Fleener, Special Asst. on Arctic Policy, State of Alaska, Prof. Charles Norchi, Dir. Center for Oceans and Coastal Law, Univ. of Maine School of Law, Ambassador David Balton, Chair of the Senior Arctic Officials and Tara Sweeney, Arctic Economic Council Chair and Executive Vice President, External Affairs, Arctic Slope Regional Corporation. Event sponsored by Pierce Atwood LLP and Univ. of Southern Maine on behalf of the Maine and Alaska Arctic Council Host Committees.
Arctic Ambitions V: International Business Conference & Trade Show, October 4-5, 2016 (Anchorage, Alaska, USA). This once-a-year event uniquely focuses on business and investment opportunities flowing from developments in the Arctic. With interest in commercial development in the Arctic growing rapidly, WTC Anchorage initiated the Arctic Ambitions conference five years ago to address issues such as innovation, investment, infrastructure development, transportation, natural resources, and trade. At the event, corporate executives and senior government officials from across the Arctic, and around the world, make presentations and participate in panel discussions. This year's conference also includes a Trade Show and B2B Matchmaking Session. For more information, please contact Greg Wolf ( greg@wtcak.org) or call 907-278-7233.
Inuit traditions are a repository of Inuit culture and a primary expression of Inuit identity. The theme for the 2016 Inuit Studies Conference invites Elders, knowledge-bearers, researchers, artists, policy-makers, students and others to engage in conversations about the many ways in which traditions shape understanding, while registering social and cultural change. The institutional hosts of "Inuit Traditions," Memorial University of Newfoundland and the Nunatsiavut Government, invite you to contribute to an exchange of knowledge to be held in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, October 7-10, 2016. Presentations on all aspects of Inuit studies will be welcome.
** New this week ** Arctic Circle Assembly. October 7-9, 2016 (ReykjavÃk, Iceland). The Arctic Circle is the largest network of international dialogue and cooperation on the future of the Arctic. It is an open democratic platform with participation from governments, organizations, corporations, universities, think tanks, environmental associations, indigenous communities, concerned citizens, and others interested in the development of the Arctic and its consequences for the future of the globe. It is a nonprofit and nonpartisan organization.In addition to the annual Assemblies, the Arctic Circle organizes Forums on specific areas of Arctic cooperation.
Arctic Technology Conference, October 24-26, 2016 (St. John's, Canada). Founded in 1969, the Offshore Technology Conference (OTC) is the world's foremost event for the development of offshore resources in the fields of drilling, exploration, production and environmental protection. The Arctic Technology Conference (ATC) is built upon OTC's successful multidisciplinary approach, with 14 technical societies and organizations working together to deliver the world's most comprehensive Arctic event.
** New this week** Annual Scientific Meeting 2016, December 5-9, 2016 (Winnipeg, MP Canada). ArcticNet will host its 12th Annual Scientific Meeting. The ASM2016 will welcome researchers, students, Inuit, Northerners, policy makers and stakeholders to address the numerous environmental, social, economical and political challenges and opportunities that are emerging from climate change and modernization in the Arctic. As the largest annual Arctic research gathering held in Canada, ArcticNet's ASM is the ideal venue to showcase results from all fields of Arctic research, stimulate discussion and foster collaborations among those with a vested interest in the Arctic and its peoples.
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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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