UK House of Lords Report on 'Responding to a Changing Arctic': A More Confident Statement of British Interest? Duncan Depledge, March 9, 2015  Photo: TAI Last week, the House of Lords published it's first-ever report on the Arctic.[i] The headline recommendation from the report is that the UK should follow other non-Arctic states in appointing an 'Arctic Ambassador' to ensure greater focus on and co-ordination of UK Arctic affairs.[ii] The report lays out a significant body of evidence to show that the UK has good reasons to be interested and engaged in Arctic affairs, and calls on the UK government to take a more self-confident and proactive approach to Arctic policy development, describing its attitude to date as "too hesitant and cautious" (p. 6). Lacking in self-confidence is, of course, certainly not a description that could have been applied to events at last year's Arctic Circle Assembly in Reykjavik, Iceland where a 60-strong British delegation (comprised of parliamentarians, scientists, business leaders, and academics and a video message from the Foreign Secretary) caused quite the stir.[iii] The performance in Reykjavik came in reaction to the claim made a year earlier by the long-standing President of Iceland, Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson, that the UK had shown a lack of political and economic interest in the Arctic. However, as the report from the House of Lords suggests, there remains real concern about how effectively the UK is engaging with potential Arctic partners. Arctic credentials The crux of the issue is that UK government officials still seem unsure about how best to negotiate access to the Arctic for British stakeholders (including scientists, businesses, environmental NGOs, among others). The emergence of the circumpolar bloc of Arctic states in the 1980s and 1990s has forced UK government officials to be more sensitive about how they express UK interest in the region.[iv] In the UK, this concern was evident in the adoption of an Arctic 'Policy Framework' rather than a 'Strategy' in 2013: the latter having been deemed too provocative by Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) officials.[v] Related to this is the question that was raised in 2014 by the British geographer, Richard Powell, when he asked whether the Arctic actually needs the UK to show an interest in the region. Powell rightly warned that if politicians were simply responding to a modern-day "call of the Arctic", then the UK ran the risk of being perceived as a neo-colonial power in the Arctic.[vi] Claims that the UK's interests should be privileged over other 'less Arctic' states on the basis that the UK is the most proximate to the region – as the Arctic's 'nearest neighbour'– also risk a backlash.[vii] As other geographers such as Stuart Elden have observed, rooting geopolitical claims in the naturalness of the ‘Earth’ has often been partnered by a more unpleasant politics of geographical determinism.[viii] Undoubtedly then, the answer is ‘no’, the Arctic does not need the UK. The peoples and states of the Arctic are perfectly capable of charting their own course towards the future development or conservation of the Arctic. Yet what happens in the Arctic does not stay in the Arctic, and the UK, along with many other countries, will increasingly feel the ramifications of both the changing materiality and geopolitics of the region in the coming years (whether through shifting weather patterns, economic geographies, scientific discoveries or international tensions). However, it is only by actually being present as ‘partners’ in the Arctic that British stakeholders are likely to add value to Arctic affairs, and be welcome north of the Arctic Circle. At the same time, Arctic states and peoples cannot expect the UK government to increase its investment in Arctic affairs without fair expectation of tangible rewards in terms of participation and representation. This theme is clearly visible throughout the House of Lords report. Another new round of parliamentary scrutiny This latest round of parliamentary scrutiny of UK Arctic policy was led by a House of Lords Ad-Hoc Select Committee, established in 2014 with a remit to complete its investigations before the end of the current Parliament.[ix] The main aim of this 'Committee' was to: “consider recent and expected changes in the Arctic and their implications for the UK and its international relations, and to make recommendations” (p. 9). In total, the Committee called on 61 witnesses to provide oral evidence at hearings which have taken place in Westminster over the last year. A further 68 pieces of evidence were taken in writing. Witnesses included government officials, foreign dignitaries, Arctic scientists, representatives of Arctic indigenous peoples organisations (including the Arctic Athabaskan Council, the Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami and representatives of the Sámi Parliament of Norway), policy analysts, business leaders, environmental NGOs and academics. In addition to these hearings, members of the Committee visited Svalbard and Tromsø in northern Norway, attended the 2014 Conference of Parliamentarians of the Arctic Region in Whitehorse, Canada, and also participated in the Arctic Circle Assembly meeting in Reykjavik, Iceland. Recognising that Arctic issues are likely to remain important to future generations, the Committee also hosted a debate in London to hear the views of British schoolchildren. The title of the Committee’s report, “Responding to a changing Arctic”, immediately strikes a different chord to that of the last Parliamentary committee to scrutinise UK Arctic policy. In 2013, the House of Commons Environmental Audit Committee issued a report titled “Protecting the Arctic” which was explicitly concerned with the question of what more the UK should be doing in the Arctic to help protect it from oil and gas development.[x] In contrast, the House of Lords Committee has been wide-ranging in its engagement with Arctic issues. Rather than treating the Arctic as something to be ‘saved’ or otherwise ‘protected’, the Committee appears to have been more interested in how changes in the Arctic region might serve as a provocation to the UK to rethink its relationships with the region. Also noticeable is the Committee's willingness to challenge more or less established UK government policy towards the Arctic, especially in the areas of energy security and diplomatic relations with Russia. With respect to the former, it has been the long-held position of the UK government to support all hydrocarbon development on a non-discriminatory basis as this would help to stabilise global energy markets and increase the UK's security of supply. In light of the recent crash in the global oil price, however, the Committee has seen fit to call for Arctic stakeholders to take some time to reflect on whether Arctic hydrocarbon development can be done sustainably and, even more starkly, where it is necessary at all. With respect to relations with Russia, the UK has joined the EU and US in adopting a tough position on Russia's actions in relation to the ongoing crisis in the Ukraine. This includes supporting sanctions targeting Russian oil development in the Arctic. While the Committee has not dwelled extensively on these sanctions, it has called for the UK government to do everything possible to insulate the Arctic from the fallout of the Ukraine crisis. One reading of this is that the Committee is suggesting the UK government might need to reconsider the sanctions regime as it currently relates to Russia's Arctic interests. Key recommendations In line with the Committee’s criticism of UK Arctic policy as being “more reactive than proactive” (p. 94), it is unsurprising that the headline recommendations from their report are all concerned with increasing the UK’s engagement with Arctic issues. The following sums up these key recommendations:
Connecting the UK to the Arctic The Committee has grounded its recommendations in a considered assessment of the various ways the UK is connected – or indeed, could be further connected – to the Arctic. Some of these connections will be familiar to those that have tracked UK Arctic policy, especially those relating UK Arctic science and technology, the UK’s observer status at the Arctic Council, and the economic opportunities for UK-based oil, gas and mining companies, as well as the maritime financial services sector in London. However, other connections are also made which have generally received less attention in the past, most notably the UK’s military and defence interests, the UK’s concern about the issue of fisheries management in the international waters of the Central Arctic Ocean, the UK’s contribution to Arctic search and rescue, and the UK’s strong support for the EU to be granted observer status at the Arctic Council. There is also an extensive discussion (running to six pages) of the UK’s relationship with Arctic indigenous peoples’ – a relationship which, historically, has tended to be assumed rather than interrogated. The House of Lords report helps bring about a different way of thinking about the UK’s geographical relationship with the Arctic (compared to those, for example, who might focus on geography or history to legitimise the UK's Arctic 'actor-ness'). Instead of focussing on the so-called natural topography, the report helps us to consider how the UK as a near-Arctic state is constructed topologically. In other words, attention is devoted to better understanding how a complex web of connections draw together and/or exclude various kinds of relationships between the UK and the Arctic (rooted, for example, in science, commerce or international law). Arctic-related activity in hubs and sites such as the British Antarctic Survey in Cambridge, the Met Office in Exeter, the Hydrographic Office in Taunton, and the financial services sector in the City of London are the real facilitators of contemporary UK-Arctic relations, not natural geography. All this is not to say the geographical location of the British Isles does not matter at all. Indeed, the Committee has, in its report, also asserted the UK’s natural proximity to the Arctic. Yet crucially, the Committee recognises that this proximity alone is not enough. The last paragraph of the report captures this with the simple message, reinforced by the report as a whole, that the UK also has to invest in its relationship with the Arctic, “if it is to reap benefits for the UK and for international common interests” (p. 103). Where next for UK Arctic Policy? Ultimately, it is the Committee’s ambition to see the UK position itself as a "premier partner" of the Arctic states and other Arctic actors (p. 106). While such ambition will be regarded as a laudable one from many in the UK, achieving it will demand a far greater input of resources than the UK government currently seems prepared to commit to a region which still faces an incredibly uncertain future (whether one thinks in terms of its environmental, economic or even geostrategic importance). A best case scenario would be for the UK government to take seriously the Committee’s recommendation to restructure the way in which the Government engages with the region. An Arctic Ambassador or a Special Representative is a good place to start as it would provide a focal point for coordinating the varied interests of the British Arctic stakeholders. Likewise, the next Government (following the General Election in May 2015) would do well to revisit the UK’s Arctic Policy Framework. It remains to be seen whether the Committee’s report will give the Government the confidence to openly discuss more contentious issues around the feasibility of hydrocarbon development, fisheries management and defence (as the Lords have done), however, this should not prevent the Government from trying to position the UK as a more self-assured actor in the Arctic region. Similarly we might also watch for a reaction from Scotland as there is a view that Scotland's voice has not been sufficiently listened to during the development of UK Arctic policy to date.[xi] The Committee is expecting a response from the Government within two months, and a debate in the House of Lords will follow shortly after. Duncan Depledge was recently awarded his PhD from Royal Holloway University of London for his research investigating contemporary developments in UK policy towards the Arctic. He is also an Associate Fellow at the Royal United Services Institute. You can read more about him here. [i] The report is available form: http://www.parliament.uk/arcticcom. [ii] I made the case for this recommendation in the evidence paper that I submitted to this enquiry: http://data.parliament.uk/writtenevidence/committeeevidence.svc/evidencedocument/arctic-committee/arctic/written/12233.html. [iii] D. Depledge, 'You're only supposed to blow the bloody doors off', 3 November 2014, RHUL Geopolitics & Security, https://rhulgeopolitics.wordpress.com/2014/11/03/youre-only-supposed-to-blow-the-bloody-doors-off/. [iv] C. Keskitalo (2007). 'International Region-Building: Development of the Arctic as an International Region', Cooperation and Conflict, 42 (2), pp. 187-205. [v] D. Depledge (2013). 'What's in a name? A UK Arctic policy framework in 2013', The Geographical Journal, 179 (4), pp. 369-372. [vi] R. C. Powell (2013). 'Subarctic Backyards? Britain, Scotland, and the Paradoxical Politics of the European High North', The Northern Review, 37, pp. 87-100. [vii] H. Exner-Pirot, 'The British Invasion – The Arctic Circle and observer states', 10 November 2014, Eye on the Arctic, http://www.rcinet.ca/eye-on-the-arctic/2014/11/10/blog-the-british-invasion-the-arctic-circle-and-observer-states/. [viii] S. Elden, 'Re-thinking geopolitics', 17 January 2013, Progressive Geographies, http://progressivegeographies.com/2013/01/17/earth-rethinking-geopolitics/. [ix] Arctic issues have previously been debated by the House of Lords in 2007 and 2010. See K. Dodds, ‘UK and the Arctic: House of Lords Select Committee on the Arctic’, 13 June 2014, RHUL Geopolitics & Security, https://rhulgeopolitics.wordpress.com/2014/06/13/uk-and-the-arctic-house-of-lords-select-committee-on-the-arctic/. [x] For more information , see the Environmental Audit Committee website, http://www.parliament.uk/business/committees/committees-a-z/commons-select/environmental-audit-committee/inquiries/parliament-2010/protecting-the-arctic/. [xi] A. Bailes, 'The UK and the Arctic – Where is Scotland?', 2 February 2014, Scottish Global Forum, http://www.scottishglobalforum.net/uk-arctic-strategy-jan-2014.html. |
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UK House of Lords Report on 'Responding to a Changing Arctic': A More Confident Statement of British Interest?
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‘Western’ Sanctions will not create a Chinese-Russian Alliance
‘Western’ Sanctions will not create a Chinese-Russian Alliance Jonas Kassow, March 17, 2015 Economic sanctions imposed by the US, EU, Norway, Canada, Switzerland, Japan, and Australia on Russia will boost the already visible energy diversification into Asian markets as well as business cooperation between Russian and Chinese companies. In May 2014 Gazprom and China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC) reached a deal worth $400 billion for example. As another illustration, CNPC bought a 10% stake in Rosneft’s Vankor oil fields in November 2014.[1] However, this does not entail an automatic strategic rapprochement between China and Russia, as hawkish politicians and media outlets often argue.[2] The melting of the Arctic sea ice has spurred the hopes of companies and states for increased resource extraction in the Arctic region. Well-developed onshore oil and gas production capacities in western Siberia are mature and some already in decline.[3] The introduction of new oil and gas production technologies and projects might offset declining outputs for some years,[4] but in the long run offshore projects seem to offer new chances to uphold or even to increase outputs again. Russian ambiguity in its Arctic region Russia is the biggest Arctic littoral state and is expected to hold the biggest share of undiscovered resources in the Arctic.[5] National security interests do not dominate today’s Russian Arctic policy as much as during the Cold War – they still matter though. Instead national economic interests and “the interests of companies closely associated with the Russian state”[6] play a bigger role than during the Cold War. Yet, it would be too limited to analyze Russia’s Arctic policy with just economic lenses. In fact, Russia’s Arctic policy is pending between the desires to treat the Arctic as an area of domestic politics and the need to open up the Arctic to outsiders. In 2008 Russian authorities have passed a legal framework regarding the placing of new offshore licenses. Due to, this legal framework, new offshore licenses could only be granted to companies “with a state majority holding and at least five years’ experience of working on the Russian continental shelf”.[7] As only Gazprom and Rosneft did fulfill these new criteria Russian authorities had effectively ensured that Arctic offshore exploration activities by smaller private companies, as well as from foreign companies, were not possible without a joint venture with either Gazprom or Rosneft.[8] So, there is a conflict of interest between the need to open the Arctic to outsiders within the economic realm that collides with security driven ambitions to close the Arctic – security not only in the military sense, but also in the sense of securing the revenues generated in the Arctic for the maintenance of power of the Russian political elite. While Russian companies need international cooperation, as they lack the expertise, capital, and technology to conduct and maintain offshore and deep-sea drilling activities,[9] Russian political leaders would rather keep the Arctic closed.[10] The sanctions hamper Russian ambitions to exploit its Arctic region The US, EU, Norway, Canada, Switzerland, Japan, and Australia imposed sanctions on Russia as a punishment for Russia’s destabilizing activities in Crimea and Eastern Ukraine. With the downing of the MH17 passenger flight (July 17, 2014), European leaders even tightened their sanctions on Russia. German Chancellor Angela Merkel in particular invested a lot of energy to convince her European counterparts on this move. The resulting third set of sanctions, which was implemented in September 2014, is heavily affecting Russian ambitions for the exploitation of oil resources and reserves in its Arctic region. The sanctions impose bans on the deliveries of technology, financial assistance, and material for projects destined for oil extracting activities in Russia. Nonetheless, US and EU sanctions are not alike. The US for example compelled US based companies to stop all activities affected by the sanctions by September 26, 2014, whereas the EU exempts existing contracts from the new restrictions.[11] In reaction to criticism about this discrepancy, the EU harmonized European sanctions with those of the US and amended its sanctions on 4 December 2014.[12] For example, Article 3 now covers bans on the delivery of "items suited to oil exploration and production in waters deeper than 150 metres" instead of "technologies suited to the oil industry for use in deep water oil exploration”.[13] It is interesting that only the oil sector is targeted by the sanctions while the extraction of gas is excluded. This reflects especially European member states’ intention to leave the Russian gas sector untouched in order to protect themselves from supply shortages. In other words: it was less costly to target the Russian oil sector than its gas sector. Russian-Chinese relations are mainly business oriented Many commentators portrayed Chinese-Russian deals on gas deliveries from May and November 2014 as a sign of rapprochement between the two countries. Some even saw the emergence of a new alliance that is gaining strength due to western sanctions.[14] For several reasons, this is an overestimation at the very least. Yes, Russian companies have already announced that they would buy equipment from Chinese or South Korean companies in order to replace those products of European and US companies that are currently unavailable.[15] But these statements, which are meant to portray the strength and independence of Russia, are merely empty words. New players in the Arctic offshore market will need some years in order to adapt to the Arctic environment and to update their technology. In addition, Asian (especially Chinese) companies are thus far themselves dependent on western technology for oil and gas development. Therefore, financial contributions from Asia seem like an option for Russia but on the technology/know-how side, there is no way getting around Western companies.[16] Yes, there have been major deals and joint ventures between Russian and Chinese companies in the last years and also after the implementation of the sanctions. However, a closer look reveals that the Russian Energy Ministry has published plans for the eastward diversification of its energy exports before the sanctions were in place.[17] Also the spectacular gas deal that has been finalized in May 2014 has been the subject of negotiation since 10 years.[18] From a business perspective, Russian energy companies need the connection to Asian and especially to the Chinese market, as the European markets are stagnant and thus rising profits are not easy to obtain on Russia’s traditional markets in Europe. Moreover, the shale gas boom in the US has undermined Russian plans to export natural gas into the USA – yet ever since the crisis in Ukraine began, these plans appear to have been developed in a fantasy world anyway. Furthermore, Russian energy companies are reliant on foreign direct investment not only since the beginning of the sanctions but already since their plans to dig into the highly challenging and cost-intensive Arctic offshore area. In sum, the imposition of sanctions on Russia cannot automatically be seen as a trigger for an intensified Russian-Chinese business cooperation but rather as a catalyzer. Russia wants to limit the footprint of non-Arctic players in Arctic governance Nonetheless, Russia is generally not in favor of giving outsiders – i.e. non-Arctic players – a say or crucial role in Arctic issues. Russia was a strong supporter of the Ilulissat declaration in 2008, which affirms the dominant role of the five Arctic littoral states in both territorial issues as well as resource development in the Arctic. Russia is skeptical on letting new players into the Arctic arena. Regarding China, Russia has been especially cautious, due to its proximity and its economic and military power. Additionally, military clashes between the Soviet Union and China during the period of the 1960’s and 1980’s, and border disputes that have been settled only in 2004, have contributed to the aloof Russian posture towards China.[19] Thus, it comes as no surprise that Russia has blocked Chinese attempts to become an observer to the Arctic Council (AC).[20] Russia was most certainly not cheering when China was finally granted observer status in 2013 still it agreed to this move in the end. The Chinese observer status had become acceptable to Russia after an update of the criteria for admitting new observers to the AC had been adopted in 2011. Ever since this change, new observers are required to recognize Arctic states sovereignty, sovereign rights, and jurisdiction in the Arctic.[21] A window of opportunity for China? The sanctions have created a window of opportunity for China. Since the initiation of the sanctions the Russian bargaining position vis-à-vis China has altered for the worse, even though Russian energy diversification into Asian markets was initiated years ago. Russia is now acting out of a position of weakness, as the sanctions have exposed its heavy dependency on foreign capital and technology to implement its ambitious plans for resource extraction in the Arctic. Since western capital, technology and expertise are unavailable for Russia for an unknown period of time, Russia has no planning horizon on when to expect regular business cooperation with western companies again. Therefore Russia does not have the leverage in negotiations it used to have. China will surely make use of the current possibility to sign favorable deals, in order to make Arctic resources a piece of the puzzle to safeguard its energy supplies for the next decades. In sum, the sanctions regime will speed up and intensify Russian orientation to Asian and especially to Chinese markets and companies. But it is questionable to which extent Chinese companies are able to substitute both western capital and technology. An intensification of business cooperation between Russia and China is likely but this will not necessarily go hand in hand with intensified political collaboration as well. As pointed out, Russia is trying to deny non-Arctic players too much influence in the Arctic, thus it will try to limit China’s footprint in Arctic governance.[22] In conclusion this means that we most likely do not (yet) see the emergence of a new alliance but rather two actors that share some mutual interests economically trying to reap benefits from Arctic resource development. [1] Elena Shadrina (2014) Russia׳s natural gas policy toward Northeast Asia: Rationales, objectives and institutions. Energy Policy, Volume 74, November 2014, 60f.; Rosneft Information Division (2014) Rosneft and CNPC Signed a Framework Agreement on the Purchase of 10% Share Stake of Vankorneft. Rosneft:http://www.rosneft.com/news/pressrelease/09112014.html; Tomas Hirst (2014) The Russians Have Persuaded The Chinese To Bail Out Their Oil Industry. Business Insider UK:http://uk.businessinsider.com/russia-china-oil-and-debt-deal-2014-11?r=US;http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/0/d9a8b800-e09a-11e3-9534-00144feabdc0.html#axzz3RcbSbSRa last accessed 24 February 2015. [2] Mark Adomanis (2014) A Russia-China Alliance Is Emerging, And It Will Be A Disaster For The West. Forbes:http://www.forbes.com/sites/markadomanis/2014/05/20/a-russia-china-alliance-is-emerging-and-it-will-be-a-disaster-for-the-west/ last accessed 24 February 2015. [3] Claes Dag Harald, Arild Moe (2014) Arctic Petroleum Resources in a Regional and Global Perspective. In Rolf Tamnes, Kristine Offerdal (eds), Geopolitics and Security in the Arctic. London, Routledge, 107ff. [4] U.S. Energy Information Administration (2013) Russia. http://www.eia.gov/countries/analysisbriefs/Russia/russia.pdf last accessed 13 February 2015. [5]Kenneth J. Bird, Ronald R. Charpentier, Donald L. Gautier, David W. Houseknecht, Timothy R. Klett, Janet K. Pitman, Thomas E. Moore, Christopher J. Schenk, Marilyn E. Tennyson, , Craig J. Wandrey (2008), “Circum-Arctic Resource Appraisal: Estimates of Undiscovered Oil and Gas North of the Arctic Circle,” U.S. Department of the Interior, U.S. Geological Survey,http://pubs.usgs.gov/fs/2008/3049/fs2008-3049.pdf; Ernst & Young (2013) Arctic Oil and Gas.http://www.ey.com/Publication/vwLUAssets/Arctic_oil_and_gas/$FILE/Arctic_oil_and_gas.pdf last accessed 13 January 2015. [6] Kristian Åtland (2011) Russia’s Armed Forces and the Arctic: All Quiet on the Northern Front?, Contemporary Security Policy, 32/2, 269. [7] Claes Dag Harald, Arild Moe (2014) Arctic Petroleum Resources in a Regional and Global Perspective. In Rolf Tamnes, Kristine Offerdal (eds), Geopolitics and Security in the Arctic. London, Routledge, 111. [8] Ibid., 111f. [9] Ibid., 110ff. [10] Elana Wilson Rowe (2011) Russia’s northern Policy: Balancing an ‘open’ and ‘closed’ north. RUSSIAN ANALYTICAL DIGEST No. 96, 12 May 2011; Elana Wilson Rowe, Helge Blakkisrud (2014) A New Kind of Arctic Power? Russia's Policy Discourses and Diplomatic Practices in the Circumpolar North, Geopolitics, 19:1, 77f. [11] Doug Maag (2014) The US Significantly Expands Ukraine-related Sanctions. Clyde&Co: http://www.clydeco.com/insight/updates/view/the-us-significantly-expands-ukraine-related-sanctions; Siân Fellows et al. (2014) EU Clarifies Russian Sanctions. Reed Smith:http://www.reedsmith.com/EU-clarifies-Russian-sanctions-12-12-2014/?utm_source=Mondaq&utm_medium=syndication&utm_campaign=View-Original; Stanley Reed; Clifford Krauss (2014) New Sanctions to Stall Exxon’s Arctic Oil Plans. New York Times:http://www.nytimes.com/2014/09/13/business/energy-environment/new-sanctions-to-stall-exxons-arctic-oil-plans.html last accessed 24 February 2015. [12] Council Regulation (EU) No 1290/2014 of 4 December 2014 amending Regulation (EU) No 833/2014 concerning restrictive measures in view of Russia's actions destabilising the situation in Ukraine, and amending Regulation (EU) No 960/2014 amending Regulation (EU) No 833/2014. [13] Siân Fellows et al. (2014) EU Clarifies Russian Sanctions. Reed Smith:http://www.reedsmith.com/EU-clarifies-Russian-sanctions-12-12-2014/?utm_source=Mondaq&utm_medium=syndication&utm_campaign=View-Original last accessed 24 February 2015 (emphasis added). [14] Mark Adomanis (2014) A Russia-China Alliance Is Emerging, And It Will Be A Disaster For The West. Forbes:http://www.forbes.com/sites/markadomanis/2014/05/20/a-russia-china-alliance-is-emerging-and-it-will-be-a-disaster-for-the-west/; Neil MacFarquhar, David M. Herszenhorn (2014) Ukraine Crisis Pushing Putin Toward China. New York Times:http://www.nytimes.com/2014/05/20/world/europe/ukraine-crisis-pushing-putin-toward-china.html?hpw&rref=world&_r=0; last accessed 24 February 2015. [15] Guy Chazan, Jack Farchy (2014) Russia Arctic energy ambitions jeopardised by western sanctions. Financial Times:www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/2/41d19b16-31c9-11e4-a19b-00144feabdc0.html#slide0 last accessed 24 February 2015. [16] Claes Dag Harald, Arild Moe (2014) Arctic Petroleum Resources in a Regional and Global Perspective. In Rolf Tamnes, Kristine Offerdal (eds), Geopolitics and Security in the Arctic. London, Routledge, 111; Paddy Harris (2014) Does China’s offshore oil and gas industry still need Western technology? Oil & Gas Technology:http://www.oilandgastechnology.net/upstream-news/does-china%E2%80%99s-offshore-oil-gas-industry-still-need-western-technology last accessed 24 February 2015. [17] Tom Røseth (2014) Russia’s China Policy in the Arctic, Strategic Analysis, 38:6, 848f. [18] Elena SHADRINA, (2014) Russia’s Dilemmas about China’s Gas Market. The Northeast Asian Economic Review, Volume 2, October 2014, 64f. [19] Derek J. Mitchell (2007) China and Russia. In, The China Balance Sheet in 2007 and Beyond. Center for Strategic and International Studies and Peterson Institute for International Economics, Washington D.C., 134. [20] Lincoln E. Flake (2013) Russia and China in the Arctic: A Team of Rivals, Strategic Analysis, 37:6, 681 [21] Lincoln E. Flake (2013) Russia and China in the Arctic: A Team of Rivals, Strategic Analysis, 37:6, 681; Olav Schram Stokke (2013) The Promise of Involvement: Asia in the Arctic, Strategic Analysis, 37:4, 476; Shinji Hyodo (2014) Russia’s Strategic Concerns in the Arctic and Its Impact on Japan–Russia Relations, Strategic Analysis, 38:6, 863ff. [22] Lincoln E. Flake (2013) Russia and China in the Arctic: A Team of Rivals, Strategic Analysis, 37:6, 681ff.; Shinji Hyodo (2014) Russia’s Strategic Concerns in the Arctic and Its Impact on Japan–Russia Relations, Strategic Analysis, 38:6, 863ff. |
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Arctic News: The Arctic This Week March 25
The Arctic This Week March 16 - 22, 2015  courtesy: Eric Sonstroem Welcome and thanks for joining us this week! We hope that you find TATW interesting and entertaining to read. If you’re not a subscriber yet, you can sign up here. As always, all editorial choices, opinions and any mistakes are the authors’ own. Anything that we missed? Please feel free to share material with us if you think it deserves inclusion in TATW. THIS WEEK’S TOP STORIES Highlights from Yukon First Nations Resource Conference The sixth annual Yukon First Nations Resource Conference was held on March 17-18 Whitehorse. At the conference, representatives from the Kluane First Nation, which is already invested in the Wellgreen Platinum project, stated that mineral exploration projects are their best development option (YN). Meanwhile, the director of Sepro Mineral Systems indicated that while there are promising mineral opportunities in Yukon, several ongoing legal battles between First Nations and the Yukon government are scaring potential mineral investors away (YN). Lower fuel prices lead many to rethink Nunavut’s energy equation The lower fuel prices this year are proving to be a boon for remote communities in Nunavut, most of which rely on expensive, imported diesel fuel for electricity generation. Instead of wasting the surplus gained from low fuel prices, some are calling on the Nunavut government to invest it in alternative energy projects that will save communities from having to buy as much diesel when prices increase again, as they are bound to do (NN). In spite of the push for alternatives, Nunavut must still invest heavily to maintain and replace aging generators. CND 200 million has been borrowed for this fiscal year along to upgrade 17 power stations throughout Nunavut (NN). Wrapping up the 2015 Iditarod First place finisher Dallas Seavey completed the over 1,000-mile-long Iditarod sled dog race in Nome early on March 18 while the last musher crossed the finish line four days later on March 22 (NM). As per usual the famous race produced a number of storylines, including 61-year-old musher DeeDee Jonrowe completing her 30th Iditarod (ADN). Fellow female musher and fifth-place finisher Aliy Zirkle was the talk of the town in Nome for ending her race with a bang (ADN). All told, the 2015 Iditarod will likely be remembered as one of the coldest in recent years (Arctic Sounder). Attempts to clone woolly mammoth Cells from a very well-preserved mammoth found in Siberia in 2013 have been used in an attempt to clone the animal and perhaps bring the species back. Scientists at Harvard managed to insert the mammoth’s DNA into an elephant’s DNA (Sputnik). Meanwhile, researchers at North-Eastern Federal University (NEFU) in Yakutsk, Russia, were not so lucky and so far have failed to find well-preserved cells (Siberian Times andSiberian Times). THE POLITICAL SCENE United States Russia Lavrov claims Norwegian leader will attend May 9 celebration in Moscow – Oslo says no decision made (BO). Anna, a Foreign Agent (BO). Europe Greenland and Denmark have learned from Thule case (KNR, in Danish). Heated debate about Pituffik (KNR, in Danish). Canada ENERGY Alaska Canada Norway Statoil makes plans for the “extreme” Arctic (AB, in Norwegian). New areas in the Barents Sea are a challenge for security (AB, in Norwegian). Statoil uses 1.5 billion on oil lubrication research (AB, in Norwegian). Billions in claims against Statoil (AB, in Norwegian). Russia SCIENCE, ENVIRONMENT AND WILDLIFE Another Arctic sea ice record According to NSIDC, the Arctic sea ice has likely reached its annual maximum extent on 25 February. In addition to being early, it is also the lowest maximum extent in the satellite record (NSIDC). Protein produced by ticks against frostbite A protein acting as an antifreeze found in ticks has been successfully placed in mice, which then showed increased resistance to frostbite (CBC). The scientific article on the experiments and the study can be found onPLOS ONE. Mercury contamination in endangered Arctic gulls Biologist Alex Bond of the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds in the United Kingdom found that the dramatic decline in population numbers of the endangered Arctic gull might be caused by rapidly rising rates of mercury contamination (EOTA). Weather & climate Methane's great Arctic escape (Nature). Total Solar Eclipse in Ny-Ålesund (Helmholtz Blog, in German). The Fletcher Warming Arctic Conference, April 13-14 (Tufts University). Hot Alaska (Al Jazeera). Cryology & geology IceBridge - Arctic 2015 (AJ). Arctic Geology and Geodynamics: Workshop on the Norwegian-Russian collaboration: 24-25 March (UArctic). Flora and fauna, wildlife and ecology Polar bear attack on Svalbard: mourning the dead of the bear (NRK, in Norwegian). Environmental management Dig in or bug out? (Peel watershed, Yukon) (YN). Call for papers: research and PhD seminar "Responsive and Deliberative Governance in Natural Resources Management and Policy", 16-17 April 2015. Deadline: 27 March (UArctic). University & research news UAS Expanding to Wrangell (APM). MILITARY / SEARCH & RESCUE United States Russia Russia is gearing up by Norwegian border (Aftenbladet, in Norwegian). Europe Sweden to Invest in Two A26 Next Generation Subs (Naval Today). MINING Unlike in neighboring Nunavut, the total amount of money mining companies will spend on mineral explorations project in NWT is expected to drop significantly in 2015 (NORJ). TMAC Resources has indicated it plans to reopen at least part of the mothballed Hope Bay gold mine in western Nunavut, which was previously owned by Newmont Mining, by 2020 (NN). The Greenland government is holding a series of public meetings in South Greenland to discuss the pros and cons of uranium exploration (KNR, in Danish). Lapland municipal decision-makers: It's time to adjust the mining tax (LK, in Finnish). FISHERIES, SHIPPING AND OTHER BUSINESS NEWS Fisheries New Faroese whaling website (NORA). Norway debates fishing quotas (NORA). Print-and-go fishing licenses (Capital City Weekly). Shipping Tourism Polar Cruising - The New Explorers (MarEx). New amendment will ensure more tourists (KNR, in Danish). Other business and economic news United States Canada Russia Q&A: How to Make Foreign Business Love Russia (Moscow Times). Nordics Making 3D printing affordable (NORA). The number of registered jobseekers has fallen– Greenland (KNR, in Danish). Nuuk Imeq’s revenue growth (KNR, in Danish). Inussuk - Bearing towards Greenland (Arctic Business Network, in Danish). Brain-drain costly for Greenland (NORA). Rovio's earnings plummeted (LK, in Finnish). Lapland timber trade will continue at last year's level (LK, in Finnish). HEALTH, YOUTH, SOCIETY AND CULTURE Nunavut health budget to increase Nunavut Minister Leona Aglukkaq recently announced a three-year, $32 million investment in the territory’s health services (AJ). The investment is intended to improve the areas of mental health, chronic disease, and pediatric oral health while reducing the need for residents to travel out-of-territory for services (NN). As part of the plan, Nunavut’s pediatric dental health initiative will receive almost $7 million (CBC). In addition, Nunavut’s overall 2015-2016 health budget is expected to rise significantly, with new money being funneled towards programs to increase the number of staff, broaden the range of specialized services offered in-territory, and reduce tuberculosis rates in the territory (NN). Health Alaska Governor Bill Walker formerly introduced new legislation aimed at reforming and expanding Medicaid coverage in the state (AJC, ADN). Mine closures could delay Tumbler Ridge health clinic upgrades (Alaska Highway News). Collaborative Arctic Summer School in Epidemiology, 3-7 August 2015 in Yellowknife, Canada (UArctic). Youth An Alaska state senator introduced a bill that would encourage Native language immersion in charter schools by making it easier for teachers to become certified in Native language instruction (APM). Youth offer creative artwork on subject of subsistence (Arctic Sounder). Little house on the Peace a place of learning (Alaska Highway News). Society Alaska Public Media’s Alaska Edition hosted a roundtable discussion on cultural diversity in the city of Anchorage (APM). An internal report prepared by Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada indicates that the federal government needs to invest more heavily in the Nutrition North food subsidy program (APTN). Meanwhile, the author of a CBC opinion piece on the Nutrition North program stressed that input from Northerns is needed in order to solve the region’s food insecurity problems (CBC). Soup kitchen grant restored after pressure (Alaska Highway News). Culture A joint bid by Hay River, NWT and Fort Smith, NWT to host the 2018 Arctic Games beat out a bid by Inuvik, NWT (CBC). Meanwhile, preparations in Nuuk to host the 2016 Arctic Games are progressing well (AJ). Keeping Norwegian Culture Trendy among Young Generation (The Nordic Page). Arctic Sounds Festival Announced (NRK, in Danish) 'Ballad of Greenland' is published in English (NRK, in Danish) Sámi life in an exhibition opened in Brussels (LK, in Finnish). Meet the man who swims under ice in the Arctic (Red Bull). INFRASTRUCTURE United States Canada Abbreviation Key Aboriginal Peoples Television Network (APTN) Aftenbladet (AB) Alaska Business Monthly (ABM) Alaska Dispatch (AD) Alaska Journal of Commerce (AJC) Alaska Native News (ANN) Alaska Public Media (APM) Anchorage Daily News (ADN) Arctic Info (Russian) (AIR) Arctic Institute (TAI) Barents Nova (BN) Barents Observer (BO) Bristol Bay Times (BBT) BusinessWeek (BW) Canadian Mining Journal (CMJ) Christian Science Monitor (CSM) Eye on the Arctic (EOTA) Fairbanks Daily News-Miner (FNM) Financial Times (FT) Globe and Mail (G&M) Government of Canada (GOC) Government of the Northwest Territories (GNWT) Huffington Post (HP) Indian Country Today Media Network (ICTMN) Johnson’s Russia List (JRL) Kalaallit Nunaata Radioa (KNR) Lapin Kansa (LK) Moscow Times (MT) National Geographic (NG) Natural Gas Europe (NGE) Naval Today (NT) New York Times (NYT) Northern Journal (NJ) Northern News Service Online (NNSO) Northern Public Affairs (NPA) Norwegian Polar Institute (NPI) Nunatsiaq News (NN) Oil & Gas Journal (OGJ) Ottawa Citizen (OC) Petroleum News (PN) RIA Novosti (RIAN) Russia Beyond the Headlines (RBTH) Russia Today (RT) Voice of Russia (VOR) Wall Street Journal (WSJ) Washington Post (WP) Whitehorse Star (WS) Winnipeg Free Press (WFP) Yukon News (YN) |
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High North Dialogue 2015 - Arctic Business & Security
High North Dialogue 2015 - Arctic Business & Security  High North Dialogue Photo: TAI In an abundance of Arctic conferences, it takes something special to stand out. The High North Dialogue conference in Bodø undoubtedly adds new substance to the Arctic conference table. Going forward, it would benefit from further cultivating its strong features, making use of the participation of students, the emphasis on dialogue, and the location of the conference itself. Set in Bodø, the second largest city in North Norway located just above the Arctic Circle, the High North Dialogue celebrated its 10th anniversary this year, but it is only in recent years that it has grown to rival the other annual Arctic conferences held at various locations around the world. However, one should not assume that it is aiming to compete with Arctic Frontiers – held in Tromsø in January – or Arctic Circle – held in Iceland in October – based on size or glamour. Instead, the High North Dialogue focuses on exactly what the title implies, namely the aspect of dialogue. Whether you like it or not, cooperation within the Arctic community is needed to tackle some of the arising (security) challenges in the region. In today’s current political climate, including all Arctic states and actors, with an emphasis on Russia, in the process is integral to avoiding the emergence of mistrust and potential deterioration of regional relationships in the north. As highlighted by the Norwegian deputy foreign minister, Glad Pedersen, Norway maintains a strong overarching response to Russian actions in Ukraine, adhering to the EU’s sanction regime and disbanding military-to-military contact in general. However, dialogue on low-level practical issues, like search and rescue, environmental protection and border guards, has not been disbanded with Norway’s Arctic neighbor. This was also the mantra repeated by the Russian Consul General to Kirkenes (Norway) and by several other speakers from both academia and the industry. Regardless of high-level politics and sanctions, cooperation between industry, scientists and students has to be sheltered from broader political concerns in order to avoid unraveling decades of meticulous relationship building.  Aki Tonami presenting on Asian interests in the Arctic. Photo: Andreas Østhagen Apart from the introductory statements obligatory at conferences like this, the main weight was on panels dedicated to the various dimensions of the conference’s theme “Arctic Business and Security”. However, there are limitations to how much there is to say on Arctic development – ranging from maritime to land-based industry – from year to year. Although development has by no means halted in the north, the drop in natural resource prices is bound to affect development in the region. The panels were therefore dedicated to inform on the Arctic’s status quo: where are we now and how do we see the future? For anyone just joining the Arctic conference circle, such introductions and descriptions are welcomed. Particularly the students, many of whom come from the north but do not deal with Arctic topics on a daily basis, highlighted the value of learning about Arctic issues. For those more accustomed to Arctic conferences, on the other hand, the most interesting aspect was not the panels themselves – although there were exceptions in every panel – but the interaction with fellow Arctic practitioners, and in particular the participating students. The distinct setting and focus of the High North Dialogue undoubtedly allows for close collaboration between the various attendees. The key to a successful conference is to capture both crowds. It is at this point that the dialogue aspect comes into play. With 150-200 students coming from the Nordics, North America, Russia, Ukraine and Europe at large, the conference may further benefit from including the voices of the attending Master- and PhD-students. These participants will define the future of the region. Giving them the floor, either through presentations in specifically student-oriented panels or through in-depth Q&A sessions, can be an additional value of the High North Dialogue in the future. The High North Dialogue is not organized – like most Arctic conferences – by a company looking to earn money or an interest group promoting themselves or a specific topic. Instead, the organizer is the High North Center at the Bodø Graduate School of Business, under the umbrella of the University of Nordland. With a venue driven less by profit and interests, involvement of the students can take priority. This would not only add value to the conference itself, but also help relieve some of the growing tension between Russia and the ‘West’ in the north, due to the University’s multiple collaboration agreements with renowned Russian universities. Finally, even those who are not Arctic enthusiasts could agree that there are not many places in the world that can rival Bodø on surrounding scenery. The conference is strongly encouraged to further make use of this, by organizing adjacent excursions, cutting back on the long days spent inside the University auditorium, and maybe even move the conference further into spring (and closer to the midnight sun). For the whole conference visit www.highnorthdialogue.no |
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Spreading Oil, Spreading Conflict? Institutions Regulating Arctic Oil and Gas Activities
Spreading Oil, Spreading Conflict? Institutions Regulating Arctic Oil and Gas Activities Kathrin Keil, March 31, 2015  Svalbard (courtesy of Ida Jahr) In order to assess whether the Arctic region is evolving into a region of cooperation or one of confrontation, a thorough understanding of the existing (and evolving) bilateral, regional and international institutional frameworks with relevant regulations for the Arctic and their adequacy for solving possible controversies is paramount. Disputes can flare up over various issues, as the Arctic has aptly demonstrated in recent years. Whether these disputes erupt into conflict or are handled cooperatively depends significantly on the rules and regulations that parties have put in place. While most of the literature deals with resource ownership, it is argued here that the more significant potential sources of controversy between Arctic states are issues of responsibility, liability, precaution and preparedness concerning possible transboundary environmental risks and dangers and, generally, protection of the fragile Arctic ecosystem. The full article was published in Volume 50, Issue 1 pp. 85-110 of The International Spectator. The Arctic Institute is excited to be able to provide access to the full article to the first 50 readers. To read the full version click here. |
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Arctic News April 15
The Arctic This Week April 6 - April 12, 2015  Photo: Flickr/blmiers2 Welcome and thanks for joining us this week! We hope that you find TATW interesting and entertaining to read. If you’re not a subscriber yet, you can sign up here. As always, all editorial choices, opinions and any mistakes are the authors’ own. Anything that we missed? Please feel free to share material with us if you think it deserves inclusion in TATW. TAI’s UPCOMING AND RECENT ACTIVITIES Kathrin Keil and Andreas Østhagen will present at a joint seminar by the Norwegian Embassy and the Institute for Advanced Sustainability Studies (IASS) titled “Geopolitics and Sustainability in the Arctic - Norwegian and German Views”. The seminar will take place on the 7th May in Berlin. You can find the program here. In her article “Spreading Oil, Spreading Conflict?” recently published in The International Spectator, TAI’s Kathrin Keil writes about Arctic oil and gas institutions and their role in potential disputes. She further explores transboundary environmental risks and dangers as significant potential sources of controversy between Arctic states (The International Spectator). THIS WEEK’S TOP STORIES Shell may reconsider long-term Alaska drilling plans despite tentative U.S. approval As expected, the Obama administration lifted the suspension of drilling in the Chukchi Sea on March 31. The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) now has until May 10 to rule on the specifics of Shell’s plan, with a public comment period open until April 20 (MarEx). However, Shell has now made a bid to acquire British energy conglomerate BG Group, which caused Shell’s leadership to state that the Arctic may be less of a priority for the company in the coming years (APM). Still, the company appears on track to resume drilling in the Chukchi Sea should the BOEM approve its plan. In protest of the plans moving forward, Greenpeace activists took up residence aboard Shell’s Arctic-bound Polar Pioneer rig while it transited through the Pacific Ocean. The protesters abandoned their activities on April 11 due to bad weather (APM). Baffinland mine expansion plan nixed by regulator over icebreaking concerns In the first ruling of its kind, the Nunavut Planning Commission, the territory’s land use regulator, denied plans for an expansion of the Baffinland Iron Mine project in the Mary River area of Baffin Island (CBC). Baffinland’s plan called for the Mary River project to be tripled in size. The plan also proposed shipping iron ore from the mine 10 months of the year, rather than just during the summer months as it does now. Nunavut regulators took issue with the expanded shipping plans, as the extended shipping season would necessitate the use of icebreakers in an area that the Nunavut Planning Commission deemed ‘essential’ (NN). The Arctic sea ice’s unusual melt pattern this March This year’s melt season of the Arctic sea ice experienced an unusual pattern in the form of a “double dip”. While the sea ice extent usually grows at the beginning of March and then declines, this year the melt season was interspersed by periods of ice growth. What is more, the monthly average of the sea ice extent was the lowest in the satellite record (NSIDC). Norway leads Social Progress Index Norway was ranked first overall in Social Progress Imperative’s 2015 Social Progress Index, an annual ranking of 133 countries according to economic, social, and environmental factors indicators (NORA). Norway was followed by fellow Arctic states Sweden in second and Iceland in fourth (mbl). No more free shipping to “remote locations” in the Canadian Arctic Amazon Canada informed its customers last week that many communities will no longer benefit from free shipping. Instead, a flat fee of $29 plus an additional $22 per kilogram will be charged. While this is understandable from the company’s point of view, considering the “economic and shipping complexities in remote locations”, for many people in the Canadian North this means that they have lost one of the last options to receive products relatively cheaply (CBC). THE POLITICAL SCENE United States Russia RIA Novosti: Lavrov sees U.S. trying but failing to curb “every nation” in ties with Russia (Johnson’s Russia List). Russia Cannot Become a Democracy in Its Current Borders, Walesa Says (Window on Eurasia). Canada Europe 65% want EU referendum (mbl). ENERGY Rosneft undertakes research expedition while looking for solutions to effects of sanctions Rosneft undertook the third iteration of an expedition to study Arctic Ocean ice surfaces in order to increase knowledge about how the ice would affect potential future drilling operations. The expedition is expected to last until June (Sputnik). The company continues to be hampered by Western sanctions, however, as it looks for a foreign partner to help it resume operations in the Kara Sea (Reuters). On a more significant note, Rosneft may also have to delay development of an LNG plant on Sakhalin for at least two years due to the sanctions as well as falling energy prices. The plant, originally scheduled to open in 2018, was seen as a Russian gateway to increased LNG demand in Asia (Reuters). Statoil faces labor cuts, makes Gulf of Mexico find Falling global oil prices have taken their toll on the Norwegian giant as media reports claim that the company will cut 10% of its personnel in May. A labor representative has stated that administrative personnel and engineering personnel working on drilling activities will be particularly affected (The Local). On a positive note, the company has announced that it discovered oil at the Yeti prospect in the Gulf of Mexico. The extent of the finding is currently under investigation (UPI). Canada Low oil prices are not just hurting the Canadian energy sector, but are also beginning to take a toll on the country’s overall economy (CNN). Downturn could aid LNG (PN). Norway As discussed in this week’s top stories, Greenpeace activists staged a protest aboard an Arctic-bound Shell oil rig. A Norwegian oil worker-turned-activist joined the protest and discussed his experiences. (AB, in Norwegian) Rig employees fear new Statoil cuts (AB, in Norwegian). Left sharpens claws against oil (AB, in Norwegian). Ethical problem, economic risk (AB, in Norwegian). Where does the state end, and where does Statoil begin? (AB, in Norwegian). Russia Despite pressure on energy production as a result of Western sanctions, energy minister Alexander Novak has stated that Russian oil exports will increase in 2015. This is due to the diversion of supplies from refineries undergoing modernization (TASS). United States Alaska Gov. Bill Walker has ordered a 45-day review in the state’s participation in the Alaska LNG project as a heated dispute with the state legislature continues (AJOC). Following up on his January proposal to protect additional areas of the Alaska National Wildlife Refuge from drilling activities, U.S. President Barack Obama wrote to Congress this week to formally request that the body provide these areas with a wilderness designation (PN). US leads global oil and gas production for third year (Climate Central). Miscellaneous Is Arctic energy resource development oversold given the costs and complexities of operating in the region? Check out this study for more on the issue. SCIENCE, ENVIRONMENT AND WILDLIFE Thawing permafrost gradually releases greenhouse gases An international team of researchers found out that the gases stored in the Arctic and sub-Arctic permafrost would be released gradually over decades as global warming thaws the soil, not abruptly as was assumed until now (AWI). Thestudy was published in Nature last week. Climate & weather New book focuses on climate change and Inuit (KNR, in Danish). North Siberian Arctic Permafrost Methane Eruption Vents (Arctic News). Ferromanganese Crusts Record Past Arctic Climate (Reporting Climate Science). Flora and fauna Mild weather is making bears awake early from hibernation (Siberian Times). Polar bears have started to eat eggs to survive (NRK, in Norwegian). Radio collars collect information about the wolves’ life (LK, in Finnish). Expeditions & research blogs Environmental management Environmental projects rewarded with prize (KNR, in Danish). Authorities have hope in the decline of reindeer numbers (NRK, in Norwegian). Komi Decries Largest Killing of Reindeer in Decade (Moscow Times). University & research news Research - Open Isaaffik (AJ). History & archaeology Oil workers make mammoth find (Siberian Times). Canadian Archaeologists Prepare to Dive on HMS Erebus (Archaeology). MILITARY / SEARCH & RESCUE Russia Russian paratroopers to take dogsled ride in Arctic (Russia & India Report). Baltic Fleet Vessels Practice Artillery Firing (Naval Today). Canada Europe NATO airspace patrols resume (mbl). MINING Long-term success vs. short-term survival in Nunavut The CEO of Aginco Eagle Mines is confident that Nunavut has vast mineral potential in the long-term, but believes that potential isn’t being reached because small mining firms are more concerned about short-term survival (NN). Plans were revealed for a large-scale rare earth mineral project in the far north of Russia’s Sakha Republic, over 50 years after the deposit was initially discovered (ST). The president of the Klondike Placer Miners’ Association believes that reality TV shows are ruining the reputation of Yukon miners by depicting them flouting regulations (YN). NunaMinerals have continued to weather (KNR, in Danish). FISHERIES, SHIPPING AND OTHER BUSINESS NEWS Arctic yacht race, anyone? Apparently, enough Arctic sea ice melted to organize a yacht race from New York to Vancouver Island in British Columbia, Canada. The race is planned for fall 2017 and is calledSailing The Arctic Race (STAR). All competitors will sail on specially designed yachts made from volcanic fibre (EOTA). Increase in shipping losses in the Arctic TheSafety and Shipping Review 2015 by Allianz Global Corporate & Specialty indicates that contrary to the global downward trend, shipping losses in the Arctic increased. In 2014, 55 shipping casualties were recorded in waters above the Arctic Circle. Considering the expansion of Arctic shipping, this is not surprising. It nevertheless points to the need for increased attention to safety and a continuous update and improvement of the Polar Code, which was introduced last year (NN). Fisheries Research - Institutional challenges for effective governance of consumptive wildlife tourism: case studies of marine angling tourism in Iceland and Norway (Maritime Studies). Shipping The nuclear submarine Oryol, which is currently being repaired at Zvezdochka shipyard 620 miles north of Moscow, caught fire last week on April 7. There were no substantial damages and no injuries (MT,AD). No ahoy in Murmansk Port (BO). Lockheed Martin Canada receives subcontract from Irving for Arctic ships (Naval Technology). Other business and economic news U.S. & Canada Russia Nordics Green light for Aluu Airlines and Greenland Express Group (KNR, in Danish). HEALTH, YOUTH, SOCIETY AND CULTURE Arctic Man cancelled due to poor weather The Arctic Man Ski and Sno-Go Classic--an extreme sports event that features a 5.5-mile race involving skiers towed waterski-style by snowmobiles--was cancelled last weekend due to poor weather and visibility (NM). After being delayed 24 hours, the race was called off mid-race for the first time in the event’s 30-year history (ADN). The event was cancelled one other time, in 2001, but in that instance the festival never got underway. Arctic Man typically attracts 10,000-15,000 spectators to the Hoodoo Mountains near Paxson, Alaska (APM). Western Greenland town suffers from rare genetic disease The western Greenland town of Uummannaq is suffering from high rates of a rare genetic disease called CADASIL syndrome (AJ). Researchers suspect that 50-100 people in the town have the hereditary disorder, which causes migraines, strokes, and dementia and typically presents itself in individuals around 50 years old. Local doctors are pushing for increased funding to carry out testing programs and better pre-natal screening. Health Life expectancy in Norway increased from 2013 to 2014 by roughly 0.5 years for women and 0.4 years for men (The Nordic Page). Psychiatric disorders have become less taboo (KNR, in Danish). Youth Listening for More (Hi)Stories from the Arctic’s Dispersed and Diverse Educational Past (Historical Studies in Education). Society This long-form narrative article, “What It Really Means to Eat a Big Mac at the Arctic Circle”, examines the role of McDonald’s Arctic Alaska (Eater). Is There Such a Thing as Norwegian Drinking Culture? (The Nordic Page). When Russia declared war on Greenpeace (Independent). Culture Writer explores 'Life on the Ice’ (Poughkeepsie Journal). Nuka Eskimo Diva will premiere on the big screen (KNR, in Danish). INFRASTRUCTURE United States Canada Abbreviation Key Aboriginal Peoples Television Network (APTN) Aftenbladet (AB) Alaska Business Monthly (ABM) Alaska Dispatch (AD) Alaska Journal of Commerce (AJC) Alaska Native News (ANN) Alaska Public Media (APM) Anchorage Daily News (ADN) Arctic Info (Russian) (AIR) Arctic Institute (TAI) Barents Nova (BN) Barents Observer (BO) Bristol Bay Times (BBT) BusinessWeek (BW) Canadian Mining Journal (CMJ) Christian Science Monitor (CSM) Eye on the Arctic (EOTA) Fairbanks Daily News-Miner (FNM) Financial Times (FT) Globe and Mail (G&M) Government of Canada (GOC) Government of the Northwest Territories (GNWT) Huffington Post (HP) Indian Country Today Media Network (ICTMN) Johnson’s Russia List (JRL) Kalaallit Nunaata Radioa (KNR) Lapin Kansa (LK) Moscow Times (MT) National Geographic (NG) Natural Gas Europe (NGE) Naval Today (NT) New York Times (NYT) Northern Journal (NJ) Northern News Service Online (NNSO) Northern Public Affairs (NPA) Norwegian Polar Institute (NPI) Nunatsiaq News (NN) Oil & Gas Journal (OGJ) Ottawa Citizen (OC) Petroleum News (PN) RIA Novosti (RIAN) Russia Beyond the Headlines (RBTH) Russia Today (RT) Voice of Russia (VOR) Wall Street Journal (WSJ) Washington Post (WP) Whitehorse Star (WS) Winnipeg Free Press (WFP) Yukon News (YN) |
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Arctic Melt – Turning Resource Extraction Into Human Development
Report: Arctic Melt – Turning Resource Extraction Into Human Development  Photo: Flickr/Jill Clardy Globalization, urbanization, and demographic shifts present Arctic policy makers and residents with the opportunity to reinvent circumpolar development for the 21st Century. This Report offers an analysis of that opportunity in the context of Alaska ahead of the US Arctic Council Chairmanship. Globalization, urbanization, and population shifts provide a chance to redefine how we conceptualize, and realize, Arctic investment – a chance to turn economic growth into human development. Executive Summary The Arctic is changing at a rapid pace, and with it, the framework for northern development. No longer can leaders and inhabitants of the circumpolar north predominantly depend on natural resource production for economic growth. The effects of climate change and the volatile nature of commodity prices demand sustainable, flexible, and human-centered investments. The Arctic of today requires a development structure capable of promoting a diversified local economy, while simultaneously empowering communities to be climate resilient. While the European Arctic is effectively transitioning towards human development, Alaska’s socio-economic advancement is still heavily reliant on resource extraction. Residents, planners, financiers, and policymakers from all levels of government must work together to ensure Alaska’s well being for generations to come. The Makings of a Crisis in the New Arctic of the Anthropocene Human development is an approach for advancing human wellbeing that focuses on the richness of human life rather than just the wealth of the economy. It measures human progress in terms of opportunities – giving people more freedom to live lives they values – and choices – providing people with opportunities, not insisting they make use of them.1 The state of human development is the result of a complex set of interactions among economic, social, cultural, political, and environmental forces. Climate change and demographic trends are shifting the ground on which those socioeconomic interactions take place, and in turn are challenging the well being of individuals and communities in the Arctic.
How Governments Can Develop Sustainable Investment Solutions The US Chairmanship of the Arctic Council provides the American government an opportunity to reverse its neglect of the circumpolar region. Through investments in place, innovation, and community in Alaska, America can help to redefine northern development for the 21st Century. Improve infrastructure selection and development schemes to invest in place over petroleum. Harnessing the political decentralization, economic connectivity, and international information sharing benefits of globalization can help transform Arctic settlements into livable communities independent of the extraction of a single resource. Smart growth, a type of community planning that encourages compact, walkable, and sustainable development, should guide the investment priorities of Alaska’s built environment. Establish local business opportunities and entrepreneurship support systems that generate investment in local innovation over multinational industry. Creating a strong reputation for commitment to investment in research development, creativity, and design can provide incentives for entrepreneurship and the efficient use of existing and new knowledge. The agglomeration effects of urbanization can be capitalized on to facilitate the spillover of expertise across different sectors to build the fixed capital for a knowledge-based, localized economy instead of infrastructure that supports extractive industries. Augment Alaska’s human capital and capacity by constructing schools that build inclusive communities for long-term resiliency. Revamping schools offers an opportunity to build a sense of community amongst Alaska’s various demographic groups and nurture the education and creativity needed for an innovative economy. Complete schools promote intergenerational social cohesion; foster healthier living environments with localized safety nets; and strengthen support system for the development of students. Investing in education design can secure Alaska’s current and future wellbeing during a period of intense economic, social, and demographic change. Include stakeholders from all levels of government and different sectors in decision-making. Southern policymakers at the national level cannot be the only actors involved in reformulating Arctic investment. The past four decades have seen a continual increase in re-allocating economic and political decision-making to northern stakeholders. Admiral Papp, Secretary Kerry, and others in Washington must work together with a multi-level, multi-disciplinary team in order to make meaningful decisions on how to best support human development. |
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New Observers Queuing Up: Why the Arctic Council should expand - and expel
New Observers Queuing Up: Why the Arctic Council should expand - and expel Sebastian Knecht, April 14, 2015  Senior Arctic Officials’ Meeting in Whitehorse in October 2013, Photo: Arctic Council Secretariat When government representatives will gather for the 9th Ministerial Meeting of the Arctic Council in Iqaluit in the Canadian territory of Nunavut on 24 and 25 April this year, they will again have to decide on a number of applications by non-Arctic states, intergovernmental organizations (IGOs) and advocacy groups for the non-prestigious, though all the more sought-after status of observer in the Council. Greece, Turkey, Mongolia and Switzerland are reportedly among the applicants this year, together with the six non-state entities (the Association of Oil and Gas Producers, the Association of Polar Early Career Scientists, Greenpeace, the International Hydrographic Organization, Oceana, the OSPAR Commission, the World Meteorological Organization, and the European Union) that were left out in the cold at the last Ministerial Meeting in May 2013 in Swedish Kiruna. More interested parties may well follow suit. If approved, the current list of 32 observers in the Council would be expanded considerably. However, there is little chance that this is going to happen, mainly due to a mixture of three factors: agenda overload, political discord about individual applications, and a general sense of hesitancy in widening the quantity of observers without having improved the quality of their commitment to the work of the Council first. The observer question has in the past been the primary focus of the media coverage of Ministerial Meetings, inside and outside the Arctic region [1]. Yet, it has not necessarily been the primary focus of Ministers and state delegations themselves. This year’s Ministerial Meeting will see the Chairmanship of the Arctic Council handed over from Canada to the United States, which means first and foremost a lot will be talked about what has been achieved during the past two years and what shall be achieved in the next two years. The US has announced to set impacts of climate change in the Arctic, Arctic Ocean stewardship, and improving economic and living conditions for indigenous peoples as top priorities of their Chairmanship [2]. The topic of observer applications will occupy limited space on the two-day agenda in Iqaluit. Experiences of the last Ministerial Meeting in 2013 may also lower expectations for some applicants to be approved. In Kiruna, only state candidacies were discussed – and finally accepted – after hours-long and exhausting deliberations leaving little additional passion and time for non-state actors to be considered [3]. When asked about the growing international attention in the work of the Council, member state delegations partly wonder about the degree of ever new observer applications, and are partly baffled what their role and rights are and should be. A certain degree of tiredness, even discomfort with the eternal observer question, is hard to ignore. What adds to all this is that some applications are more contentious than others. For instance, Arctic Council member states have been reluctant to grant Greenpeace any access to Council meetings in the past, not even on an ad hoc basis. Many member states have serious reservations about the organization’s aims and means to protect the Arctic from any sort of offshore energy exploration and production entirely, which have in the past included protests on Gazprom’s Prirazlomnaya platform in the Pechora Sea in September 2013 and more recently against the Russian oil tanker ‘Mikhail Ulyanov’ in the ports of Rotterdam and Hamburg [4]. Likewise, the application by the European Union is likely to be deferred a fourth time after 2009, 2011 and 2013, even though previous disputes with Canada about the EU’s import ban of commercial seal products have been resolved. Opposition is likely to come from Russia in response to Western economic sanctions imposed over the Ukraine crisis, which have for now thwarted a joint venture for exploratory drillings between ExxonMobil and Rosneft in the Kara Sea [5]. The case of the EU remains a politicized issue in Arctic affairs, ignoring the many voices that see the EU as the one applicant being able to make a distinct contribution to Northern governance. For long, EU experts have participated regularly as temporary observers or invited guests, but this has become more complicated since the Arctic Council has in 2013 abandoned the flexible mechanism of granting ad hoc observer status in exchange for a more static list of criteria that conditions access to Council meetings. Observers in the Arctic Council: Participation, not Status matters From speculation to politics: No doubt, observers have a role to play in the Arctic Council. They can propose and partly fund new projects, disseminate information and contribute relevant expertise and input to subsidiary body meetings. That way, they contribute to the production of public goods like knowledge about the state and development of the Arctic environment. Observers further serve as multipliers for Arctic Council initiatives and can distribute results of environmental assessments and policy recommendations into the public sphere and other national and international venues with political authority. For a long time, the Arctic Council has actively sought involvement of ever more observers as ‘the work of the Arctic Council gains a global scale thanks to the wide range of its observers’ [6] . The 2013 Minimata Convention to reduce mercury pollution worldwide is a case in point. Negotiations on the convention were informed by a longstanding cooperation between the Council’s Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Programme (AMAP) and the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), an observer to the Arctic Council since 1998, after the Arctic Council had in the 2000 Barrow Declaration called upon ‘the United Nations Environment Program to initiate a global assessment of mercury that could form the basis for appropriate international action in which the Arctic States would participate actively’ [7] (Arctic Council, 2000: 5). They pointed in joint reports to the adverse effects of mercury pollution on Arctic inhabitants and wildlife, and reinforced calls for an international treaty [8]. Taken together, observers may help to make the Council more effective and raise its profile in international governance. Apart from positive effects, a growing density of observer participants also has consequences on how the Arctic Council is run. Transaction costs of international cooperation in the Arctic increase, from bureaucratic and coordination costs in the Arctic Council Secretariat to the logistics and financial burdens of gathering in Working Groups, Task Forces and Expert Groups several times a year, in Senior Arctic Officials (SAO) Meetings biannually and in Ministerial Meetings every two years. As long as Arctic Council meetings take place in prestigious, symbolic, ‘truly Arctic’ places like Iqaluit, Nuuk, Inari or Tórshavn (and there is little indication member states tend to change this practice), ‘holding meetings in Arctic hamlets, as has been done in the past, becomes complicated – in fact, eye-wateringly expensive’ [9]. To tackle this problem, the Council has so far reacted with restrictions in the delegation size allowed to attend certain meetings. While there is indeed a lot of ‘hoopla around the new observers’ [10], there is little talk about actual participation by observers and how they can help the Council to accomplish its goals. Not all actors theoretically eligible to attend also do so on all occasions. And one might argue that a non-attending observer does not cost a penny. And if some observers would attend some meetings of some subsidiary bodies on a regular basis, the benefits of their participation would fairly outweigh the costs. But the reality looks a lot different: If one takes a look into the meeting protocols of Arctic Council sessions, one will be puzzled to see that observers on average gather in Ministerial and SAO meetings where the only chance to have a say is in the corridors and coffee breaks. Only parts of the meetings are open to observers and in those discussions that are, the protocol forces them to literally ‘observe’. In many instances, there simply is not enough time to consult observer delegations. In Working Group meetings, however, where the Council member states ideally would like to see active participation by observers [11] and where they in fact have the right to contribute and interact with member states and indigenous peoples’ organizations (Permanent Participants, PP), many observers seldom show up and those who do, attend very irregularly. Figure 1 below summarizes attendance rates among member states, Permanent Participants and observers (since granted status of PP and observer) for the case of the Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Programme (AMAP), which to some experts constitute ‘the core activity of Arctic cooperation’ [12]. This example is based on meeting protocols publicly available on the AMAP webpage and meant to be illustrative; it is not in all instances representative of general participation patterns. The Council has six Working Groups and most observers concentrate their expertise and resources in the work of one or two, with the notable exception of the almost omnipresent World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF).  There is no Permanency in Observer Status Access to the Arctic Council is not of indeterminate duration once observer status has been granted. The status persists only as long as none of the Arctic states objects [13]. Observers themselves further have to renew their interest in maintaining the status every four years, and will have their performance reviewed [14]. Having said that, in its almost twenty-year history, the Arctic Council has to date never revoked an observer status. In the light of ever more interested parties willing to join the Council, it is high time for the Arctic Council to reconsider this practice. The Council would be ill-advised to restrict observer status to certain actors already at the stage of application. The forum may lose authority and legitimacy as the primary institution for Arctic governance, if it applies its admission criteria inconsistently or if it continues its Kiruna approach of discriminating between different kinds of applicants [15]. The Rules of Procedure are clear about which conditions have to be met for an interested actor to be considered a suitable candidate: - a) accepts and supports the objectives of the Arctic Council defined in the Ottawa declaration; - b) recognizes Arctic States’ sovereignty, sovereign rights and jurisdiction in the Arctic; - c) recognizes that an extensive legal framework applies to the Arctic Ocean including, notably, the Law of the Sea, and that this framework provides a solid foundation for responsible management of this ocean; - d) respects the values, interests, culture and traditions of Arctic indigenous peoples and other Arctic inhabitants; - e) has demonstrated a political willingness as well as financial ability to contribute to the work of the Permanent Participants and other Arctic indigenous peoples; - f) has demonstrated their Arctic interests and expertise relevant to the work of the Arctic Council; and - g) has demonstrated a concrete interest and ability to support the work of the Arctic Council, including through partnerships with member states and Permanent Participants bringing Arctic concerns to global decision-making bodies [16]. As long as these criteria are fulfilled by new applicants, they all deserve a chance. Arctic Council member states cannot prima facie know whether, how and with which continuity observers will later contribute to Expert and Working Groups. Whether Turkey and Greece, for instance, are suitable candidates to demonstrate ‘their Arctic interests and expertise relevant to the work of the Arctic Council’ remains to be seen. Statement of interest is one thing, substantial commitment another. There are indeed good reasons to expand the list of observers, also at the upcoming Ministerial Meeting in Iqaluit. Yet, what is less understandable is the permanence with which established observers are waved through at Ministerial Meetings. There should be no Permanency in Observer Status One possible solution to the problem of a bloated Arctic Council is to validate the readmission of established observers more carefully. The yardstick for observers to keep their status should be past commitment based on rigid performance reviews carried out in regular intervals by the Working Group Chairmanships, with involvement of the Arctic Council Secretariat, and discussed by Senior Arctic Officials. Commitment would thereby mean the active and continuous contribution of scientific input, knowledge or material resources to at least one Working Group. Recommendations which observers to readmit for another period should then be forwarded to the Arctic states for approval at the next Ministerial Meeting. If the review reveals insufficient or irregular activity over a longer period of time, observer status should be suspended. As Figure 1 indicates, several observers only exist on paper. This is true also when all six Working Groups are taken into account. A limited number of observers have over past years never or only sporadically attended any Working Group meeting. It is hence questionable whether they still fulfil the provisions laid out in the Rules of Procedure at all. In any case, their expulsion would come at little costs. Quite the contrary, a stricter review system could have a number of positive ramifications. A systematic and coherent application of the Rules of Procedure would lend the Arctic Council more credibility in its policy towards international stakeholders. The threat of expulsion could also serve as an incentive to raise awareness among established observers which role they are able and willing to play in the body, which lays the groundwork for stepping up their efforts in contributing to Arctic Council governance. Finally, a review and reporting system would show prospective applicants that observer status in the Arctic Council has a price tag, and requires sustained interest, capacity and relevant expertise to contribute to Arctic science and knowledge production. As then-Norwegian foreign minister Espen Barth Eide put it crudely after six non-Arctic states were accredited in 2013, ‘there is no such thing as a free lunch’ [17]. As new applicants queue up, it may be the right time to demand more participation on behalf of the observers. And if necessary, to separate the wheat from the chaff. References [1] Steinberg, P.E., Bruun, J.M., & Medby, I.A. (2014). Covering Kiruna: A Natural Experiment in Arctic Awareness. Polar Geography, 37(4): 273-297. [2] ACSAO (2015). Arctic Council SAO Meeting, Yellowknife, Canada, 22-23 October 2014. Final Draft Report, p. 6, 7 January 2015. Available online:www.arctic-council.org/index.php/en/document-archive/category/561-report?download=2479:final-report-plenary-sao-meeting-yellowknife-october-2014 [last accessed 06 April 2015]. [3] Steinberg, P.E., & Dodds, K. (2015). The Arctic Council after Kiruna. Polar Record, 51(1): 109. [4] Staalesen, A. (2015). Greenpeace stages new Protest against Prirazlomnaya oil. Barentsobserver, 30 March 2015. Available online:http://barentsobserver.com/en/nature/2015/03/greenpeace-stages-new-protest-against-prirazlomnaya-oil-30-03 [last accessed 06 April 2015]. [5] Gallucci, M. (2015). Russian Oil Giant Rosneft is Delaying Arctic Drilling Plans amid Western Sanctions against Moscow. International Business Times, 30 January 2015. Available online:http://www.ibtimes.com/russian-oil-giant-rosneft-delaying-arctic-drilling-plans-amid-western-sanctions-1800476 [last accessed 06 April 2015]. [6] ACSAO (2006). Report of Senior Arctic Officials to Ministers at the Fifth Arctic Council Ministerial Meeting, p. 3, Salekhard, 26 October 2006. Available online:www.arctic-council.org/index.php/en/document-archive/category/382-reports?download=1376:sao-report-2006 [last accessed 06 April 2015]. [7] Arctic Council (2000). Barrow Declaration on the Occasion of the Second Ministerial Meeting of the Arctic Council, p. 5. Inari, Finland, 10 October 2002. [8] AMAP/UNEP (2008, 2013). Technical Background Report to the Global Atmospheric Mercury Assessment. Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Programme/UNEP Chemicals Branch. Available online:http://www.unep.org/chemicalsandwaste/Mercury/Informationmaterials/ReportsandPublications/tabid/3593/Default.aspx [last accessed 06 April 2015]. [9] Charron, A. (2014). Has the Arctic Council become too big? International Relations and Security network (ISN), ETH Zurich, 15 August 2014. Available online:http://www.isn.ethz.ch/Digital-Library/Articles/Detail/?id=182827 [last accessed 11 March 2015]. [10] Exner-Pirot, H. (2015). The Third Wheels: Observers at the Arctic Council. Alaska Dispatch News, 25 March 2015. Available online:http://www.adn.com/article/20150325/third-wheels-observers-arctic-council [last accessed 12 April 2015]. [11] Arctic Council (2013). Arctic Council Rules of Procedure as revised by the Arctic Council at the Eighth Arctic Council Ministerial Meeting, # 38. Kiruna, Sweden, 15 May 2013. Available online:http://www.arctic-council.org/index.php/en/document-archive/category/425-main-documents-from-kiruna-ministerial-Meeting?download=1781:rules-of-procedure [last accessed 08 March 2015]. [12] Koivurova, T., & VanderZwaag, D.L. (2007). The Arctic Council at Ten Years: Retrospect and Prospects. University of British Columbia Law Review, 40(1): 138. [13] Arctic Council (2013). Arctic Council Rules of Procedure as revised by the Arctic Council at the Eighth Arctic Council Ministerial Meeting, # 37. Kiruna, Sweden, 15 May 2013. Available online:http://www.arctic-council.org/index.php/en/document-archive/category/425-main-documents-from-kiruna-ministerial-Meeting?download=1781:rules-of-procedure [last accessed 08 March 2015]. [14] ibid.: Annex 2, # 5 [15] Molenaar, E. (2012). Current and Prospective Roles of the Arctic Council System within the Context of the Law of the Sea. The International Journal of Marine and Coastal Law, 27(3): 586. [16] Arctic Council (2013). Arctic Council Rules of Procedure as revised by the Arctic Council at the Eighth Arctic Council Ministerial Meeting, Annex 2, # 6. Kiruna, Sweden, 15 May 2013. Available online:http://www.arctic-council.org/index.php/en/document-archive/category/425-main-documents-from-kiruna-ministerial-Meeting?download=1781:rules-of-procedure [last accessed 08 March 2015]. [17] Milne, R. (2013). China wins Observer Status in Arctic Council. Financial Times, 15 May 2013. Available online:http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/0/b665723c-bd3e-11e2-890a-00144feab7de.html#axzz3WZQPUfuj [last accessed 07 April 2015]. |
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The EU’s Arctic Policy: Eventually Getting Somewhere?
The EU’s Arctic Policy: Eventually Getting Somewhere? Illustration: Juan M. Sarabia The city of Bodø, North Norway’s second largest community, recently saw a number of relatively unfamiliar visitors: Members of the European Parliament (MEP). Several MEPs ventured to North Norway to familiarize themselves with the European Arctic, its challenges and opportunities and the people living in it. Although the Arctic has indisputably not been a foreign policy priority of the European Union (EU), it is not the first time the EU looks beyond its northern frontier. However, one of the MEPs ‘exploring’ Bodø, Jørn Dohrmann from Denmark,announced that it is now time for a renewed EU engagement in the north, explicitly based on the premises of the people living in the region. And indeed, after a new College of Commissioners has taken over the European ship and the MEPs (old as well as new) have settled in Brussels again, the Arctic returns to the EU’s policy agenda. There are undoubtedly other foreign policy issues that rank higher; nonetheless 2015 could become a seminal year for the EU’s Arctic engagement. As the European Commission (hereinafter ‘Commission’) and the European External Action Service (EEAS) aim to produce their third communication on a EU policy for the Arctic, two essential questions remain to be answered:
After two policy documents without a clear direction, one could impatiently argue that it is time for the EU to carve out its own role in the Arctic.[i] This could, for instance, be accomplished by emphasizing those policy areas where the EU carries a high degree of relevance for the Arctic, like in the maritime or environmental domain, and by focusing on the parts of the Arctic closest to the European home. Karmenu Vella, the new Commissioner in charge of both the environment and maritime affairs and fisheries, will undoubtedly have his hands full. Yet, he should not neglect the importance of a clear EU policy for the Arctic. For years nowThe Arctic Institute has covered the EU’s Arctic endeavor and extensively debated not only the EU’s role in the Arctic, but also the Arctic’s role in Brussels. As a matter of fact, the EU’s Arctic policy making process serves as a striking example of the prevailing EU-dichotomy of what is essentially internal or external, domestic or foreign policy. On top of that and as extensively argued by Kobza, we have seen an actor whose classic foreign policy approach was the “externalization of its internal policies”: initiatives and strategies based on reciprocity, contractual relations and the engagement of regional partners. However, the Arctic picture was slightly different. The EU was eventually constricted in the regional concert of Arctic powers where a straightforward promotion of its internal policies remains a naïve approach.[ii] Furthermore, Arctic realpolitik seems to have made the EU behave like a deer caught in the headlights. The official positions have been a combination of caution and reluctance, mixed with a certain portion of regional inexperience and ignorance. Internally, debates in Brussels have often beentrapped in polarity, for instance, between the environmental interests located in European capitals like Berlin, Paris and London, and the interests of those living in, and developing, the northern areas. It is the role of the Commission and the EEAS to embark on a balancing act between these varied interests, as they are set to release the third communication on the Arctic sometime in late 2015. 2008, 2012 and… The EU policy-making system is, without exaggerating, complicated – a structure sui generis. This is especially the case when dealing with multi-policy areas like the Arctic, where ‘foreign’ policy demands meet those of ‘domestic’ ones, such as energy, environment, regional affairs, fisheries, industry and trade. Consequently, many voices want to be heard and find a seat around the Commission’s Arctic table. The Commission has therefore established so-called interagency working groups where officials from the various Directorates-General (DG) meet to make sure that all their interests are considered and incorporated, before eventually releasing a communication. The alternative, which was the case in the formative years (2006-2008) of the EU’s Arctic policy development, is a process dominated by specific interests groups. At that time, disagreement prevailed between those few working on Arctic issues in the Commission who understood the foreign (and sectoral) policy sensitivities of the region, and those politicians in the European Parliament with a specific interest group to defend. Consequently, this mixture led to a Brussels-based Arctic debate that touched upon relatively delicate topics such as the ‘need’ for an Arctic treaty, a potential moratorium on resource extraction, Russia as the great Arctic antagonizer, and a ban on importing seal products. The geopolitics of the Arctic in the 21st century had arrived in Brussels, but Brussels did not really know what to do with it. After the Commission’s first communication in 2008, some of the Arctic coastal states consequently started to question the need for a EU Arctic policy. The new communication in 2012 emphasized neutrality in some of the more delicate matters outlined above, and watered down potential policy goals and the overarching strategies. The debates in Brussels have sobered, using the same language as in the Arctic countries themselves. Now focus is on sustainable development, local concerns and resilience, combined with the three new European keywords knowledge, responsibility and engagement. …2015 The Arctic in 2015 entails a number of sensitive issues for the EU, such as an eventual resolution of the Arctic Council (AC) observer status and how to maintain cooperation with Russia, while still acting firm over actions in Ukraine. The EU’s member states (MS) have to take first steps concerning the legal implementation of the Polar Code. In addition, long-term Arctic considerations should not be neglected and at least be debated internally. This includes, inter alia, the following questions:
Specific questions on how to engage Russia in an Arctic dialogue is not the job of the EU but rather the various Arctic states. It still remains to be seen how much the Ukrainian house of cards – the adversarial nexus of Ukraine-EU-Russia – will actually impact the EU’s cooperation efforts with Russia in the various European Arctic regions, e.g. through existing mechanisms in the Barents Euro Arctic Region (BEAR) and the Northern Dimension (ND). The Arctic Council Observer Status Since the Arctic’s geopolitical re-appearance almost a decade ago, observer status to the region’s institutional umbrella - the Arctic Council - has dominated international discussions and public Arctic coverage. There has been much debate over this issue, either emphasizing the absolute necessity for non-Arctic states to become observers, or stating that the status is not much more than asymbolic gesture. After a lengthy row between Canada and the EU over the EU’s import ban on seal products, Canada is assumedly in favor of accepting the EU’s bid, since adeal was struck on assistance to indigenous communities in the Canadian north. The process has been tedious. As once stated by an official in Brussels: “Canada has been waiting for the EU to show what they can do in the Arctic, while the EU has been waiting to be told what to do in the Arctic”. Yet, another problem has arisen. Would the current situation with Russia impact EU’s chances of finally getting permitted as an observer? Does Russia aim to ‘punish’ the EU for the sanctions put in place after the invasion of Crimea? Or does Russia aim to shelter Arctic cooperation from outside noises and problems? Canada – during its chairmanship – has managed to shelter work done together with Russia under the umbrella of the Arctic Council. Asstated in January 2015 by Canadian Foreign Affairs spokesman Francois Lasalle: “For the time being, the multilateral work of the Arctic Council continues”. The real litmus test, however, will be how questions like the EU’s observer bid will be handled at the upcoming Ministerial Meeting in Iqaluit (Canada), April 24-25. Actually with Russia’s foreign minister Lavrov not attending the Ministerial, the never-ending issue of observer status might not even be discussed, far less resolved, in the upcoming meeting. Shipping, Fisheries and Regional Development Beyond the Arctic Council, of particular relevance to the EU and the Arctic alike is the implementation of thePolar Code. The International Code for Ships Operating in Polar Waters, which is expected to enter into force on 1 January 2017, will set out mandatory regulations for shipping-related matters relevant to navigation in waters surrounding the two poles. The code itself is a positive step forward, facing necessary challenges of Arctic environmental concerns; however critical voicesremain concerning the code’s eventual efficiency. As the code enters into force the EU (including the European Economic Area countries Iceland and Norway) – controlling more than40% of world gross tonnage– can play a role making sure its MS adhere to the new regime. Consequently, the EU could assist its MS in their respective Polar Code implementation and ensure the correct execution therefore - if, however, the Polar Code is transposed into EU legislation. Similarly,one third of the fish caught in the Arctic are sold on the European market, while the EU and its member states also hold approximately 4% of Arcticfisheries quotas. When wielding this leverage, the EU has a chance to actively pursue a fisheries policy that is aimed at a sustainable yield of the stocks. Related, in the discussions over how to deal with potential fisheries in the High Arctic Ocean, the EU has a role to play. Although the Arctic coastal states themselves do not agree on how to approach this topic (should they implement a moratorium or take a research-based approach?), the EU has the power to take a policy position according to its own “precautionary principle”. Finally, as some of the Arctic regions of Europe have beendemanding for a long time, the EU could wield its regional development tools in the Arctic more efficiently. As theCommission itself argues, €1.98 billion went to funding of regional development in the Arctic through EU-led programs, in the period 2007-2013.[iii] These programs are focused on the parts of the Arctic that are closest to home, where the EU also has a natural legitimacy by virtue of its Arctic member states (Finland and Sweden) or economic agreements (Greenland, Iceland and Norway). Streamlining these funding mechanisms, and amplifying them towards achieving some of the lofty European ambitions in the north, is a step forward for the EU’s Arctic engagement. Conclusions 2015 is going to be a revealing year for the EU in the Arctic. Dependent on the outcome of the Iqaluit Ministerial Meeting, it needs to decide whether or not to hinge its Arctic engagement on an arguably symbolic title as an observer. Active engagement, or reputation and recognition only, is the question. At the same time, international attention to the Arctic has decreased, with a low oil price, fewer trans-Arctic shipments, and tensions between ‘the West’ and Russia over Ukraine.[iv] Yet, this should have relatively little impact on the EU’s Arctic engagement. Commercial interests might not be in the driving seat anymore, but the climatic conditions are nonetheless changing, and regional development still takes primacy. Similarly, diplomatic efforts to include Russia in any collaborative scheme for the Arctic are integral to success in developing the region while also tackling arising challenges. In this respect, the EU plays a detrimental role, wielding a multitude of sticks and carrots. Finally, with a mandate to implementing and improving policy areas that reach beyond each MS, the EU’s role in environmental regulation with regards to shipping and fisheries should not be underestimated. This could also be highlighted to the benefit of the Arctic, as the EU sets somewhat loftier goals in its Arctic policy engagement. [i] The first Communication, COM(2008) 763 final, was published in November 2008; the second, JOIN(2012) 19 final, in June 2012. [ii] See Kobza, Piotr (2015): Civilian Power Europe in the Arctic: How Far Can the European Union Go North? EU Diplomacy Papers 1/2015, College of Europe, Department of EU International Relations and Diplomacy Studies [iii] It has to be noted, however, that the budget is substantially backed by Finland and Sweden. [iv] See for instance an article in The Economist, entitled ”The Arctic: Not so cool” from January 31, 2015:http://www.economist.com/news/international/21641240-hype-over-arctic-recedes-along-summer-ice-not-so-cool |
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Arctic News The Arctic This Week April 22
The Arctic This Week April 13 - April 19, 2015  courtesy: Flickr/Mads Phil Welcome and thanks for joining us this week! We hope that you find TATW interesting and entertaining to read. If you’re not a subscriber yet, you can sign up here. As always, all editorial choices, opinions and any mistakes are the authors’ own. Anything that we missed? Please feel free to share material with us if you think it deserves inclusion in TATW. We would like to take this opportunity to say farewell to another member of the TATW team, Kevin Casey. Kevin has been with TATW since January 2013. He took over as lead author and editor in summer 2013 and the next summer became contributing author. In total, he contributed to over 100 issues! He will be sorely missed by our staff, and we wish him all the best in his new endeavors and thank him for his long and dedicated commitment to making this newsletter a success. Kevin’s section has been taken over byMike McCormack, who is a doctoral candidate in International Relations at Florida International University. His dissertation is focused on the development of Arctic security policy in Canada and Russia. He has previously interned at the US Department of State and US Southern Command. TAI’s RECENT ACTIVITIES Victoria Herrmann’sreport on resource extraction and human development in the Arctic was published last week. Globalization, urbanization, and demographic shifts present Arctic policy makers and residents with the opportunity to reinvent circumpolar development for the 21st Century. The report offers an analysis of that opportunity in the context of Alaska ahead of the US Arctic Council Chairmanship. Globalization, urbanization, and population shifts provide a chance to redefine how we conceptualize, and realize, Arctic investment – a chance to turn economic growth into human development (TAI). THIS WEEK’S TOP STORIES Blacklisted Russian politician Rogozin travels to Svalbard, calls for increased Russian presence in Arctic Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin – currently on an EU sanctions list blacklisting him from entering the EU over his open support for and direct participation in Russia’s 2014 illegal annexation of Crimea – surprised observers by openly tweeting from Svalbard, Norway, en route to the North Pole. While Norway is not part of the EU, it is a member of the sanctions regime and the sanctions “entry restrictions also apply to Norway’s territory” (BO andTASS). Due to the Svalbard’s highly unique political status, Rogozin may not have technically violated any rules in his visit, and “the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that Mr. Rogozin’s visit…was not illegal…” However, it has elicited a strong response in Norway, with the MFA informing Russia “that blacklisted persons are not wanted at the archipelago. Norway’s Foreign Minister Børge Brende has signaled that Norway plans to establish stricter rules for entering Svalbard…” (BO). Russia issued its own predictably blustery response (BO). Rogozin was travelling en route to the North Pole as part of a delegation calling for an expansion of Russia’s foothold in the Arctic (BO,BO, andTASS). Novatek seeking new options in Yamal LNG financing Looking to get around the pressure of Western sanctions, Russian natural gas producer Novatek is currently seeking out foreign investors for its Yamal LNG project. The firm is seeking $5 billion from global export agencies, while talks with Chinese creditors may yield another $10-15 billion investment (Reuters). Novatek is also looking to accelerate the sale of 9 of its overall 60 percent stake in the project by mid-2015 in order to raise additional funds (Bloomberg). An overview of the potential of the Yamal LNG can be found here. Separately, the company announced that Arcticgas, a joint venture with GazpromNeft, has launched the project’s third field at Yaro-Yakhinskoye (Novatek). Ups and downs in Greenland’s mining industry Greenland-based mineral explorer NunaMinerals announced that it is forced to file for bankruptcy after months of attempting to restructure (Nunaminerals, see also KNR, in Danish). In a bit of good news for the mining industry, construction has begun on Greenland’s first ruby mine (NORA). The construction began in earnest at True North Gems’ Aappaluttoq Project after nearly eight years spent acquiring licenses and funding (KNR, in Danish). Ten recommendations for the new Finnish government to make the most of the Arctic’s economic potential Ahead of the elections last week, EK, Finland’s national chamber of commerce, published a list of 10 recommendations for a favorable business climate in Finland, with a strong focus on the Arctic. EK’s aim is to provide politicians, especially “incoming lawmakers”, a comprehensive guideline that is easy to follow (AJ). Climate change in the Arctic Last week saw the publication of a report by the National Research Council titled “Arctic Matters: The Global Connection to Changes in the Arctic.” It gives a comprehensive overview of the climate change in the Arctic, its global impact, as well as the opportunities and risks associated with it (NAS). THE POLITICAL SCENE United States Walker calls off joint session (AJOC). Canada Europe Focus on men’s status in Greenland (KNR, in Danish). Sipilä sees several options for a government (Lapin Kansa, in Finnish). Russia ENERGY Alaska Gov. Walker vetoes LNG bill as state legislature nears session completion As expected, Alaska Gov. Bill Walker vetoed legislation that would have temporarily restricted the state-backed Alaska LNG corporation from participating in an alternative LNG pipeline project (AD). Walker gave further explanation to his decision in an interview here. The state constitution requires that the legislature meet immediately to consider an override vote, which added additional pressure to a body that failed to meet its goal of closing its annual session on April 19. Canada Norway Here comes the giant (NRK, in Norwegian). Gas discovery near Aasta Hansteen (HNN, in Norwegian). Secure with a bitter aftertaste: Two years late, over budget and costing lives (AB, in Norwegian). Russia The liberalization of Russian shelf energy development regulations will cause Gazprom and Rosneft to lose some exclusive production rights as foreign competitors will be allowed to develop new projects (BO). Total reaffirms commitment to Russia (MarEx). United States The Obama administration has proposed new rules for offshore drilling equipment in order to prevent a repeat of the 2010 Deepwater Horizon disaster. Separate standards for Arctic drilling are expected to follow (Bloomberg). Shell releases summer plans for Arctic (Arctic Sounder). Greenpeace’s midlife crisis (Bloomberg). SCIENCE, ENVIRONMENT AND WILDLIFE Earthworms in Alaska and Yukon Even though earthworms are generally overlooked in Alaska, there actually exist 17 different species, most of which appear to be exotic types that were brought to Alaska with the help of humans. They include species such as the red wigglers, who can only survive in compost bins in Alaska (ANN). Inauguration of a new scientific drifting station A new Russian scientific drifting station, called North Pole-2015, has been inaugurated. Artur Chilingarov, the Russian president’s special representative for international cooperation in the Arctic, expressed his hopes for an international scientific crew (RT). Climate and weather, cryology Arctic Research Vessel Set Adrift to Study Sea Ice Decline(RV Lance) (CC). Wildlife and ecology Herders have started using video and photography to document predators killed reindeer (NRK, in Norwegian). Environmental management Research and university news AP Møller Foundation donates 25 million kroner to ice core research (KNR, in Danish). Call for Abstracts: Interdisciplinary Polar Studies in Svalbard (IPSiS), 18-24 September 2015 (UArctic). Focusing on unmanned aircraft in the Arctic (ASUF, Svalbard) (NRK, in Norwegian). Other science and environment news MILITARY / SEARCH & RESCUE Russia Europe Canada MINING Nuclear-powered mines in Nunavut? Mining firms in the Nunavut face high fuel and energy costs that are often prohibitive. To address the issue, a Canadian consulting firm has come up with a novel solution: floating nuclear power plants (NN). The proposed system, which is sure to fire up environmentalists, would entail a ship docked offshore that houses a nuclear reactor, not unlike nuclear-powered aircraft carriers or icebreakers. The mobile reactors would act as a power generators for various mining projects and communities. The idea was pitched by Dunedin Energy Systems, a nuclear energy consulting firm, at the recent Nunavut Mining Symposium in Iqaluit. According to the firm, a Russian engineering company is already pursuing a similar system in order to provide energy for communities in the Russian Arctic. Yukon Zinc gets financial relief, deadline extension Financially-beleaguered Yukon Zinc received good news from the British Colombia Supreme Court last week when it was granted financial relief and a deadline extension (CBC). Under the ruling, Yukon Zinc will have until June 12 to come up with a restructuring plan or sell off assets. The court also increased the company’s borrowing limit, in part so that it can maintain its facilities at Wolverine Mine. The mine, which has been shuttered since January, has largely filled with water as the company has been unable to afford to keep the pumps running. Quebec Government’s Nunavik nickel loan criticized The Quebec Government is ready to make a $100 million loan to keep Canadian Royalties’ Nunavik nickel project, located near the communities of Salluit and Kangiqsujuaq, financially afloat (NN). However, the deal has drawn criticism as Quebec Premier Philippe Couillard once held a position on the board of Canadian Royalties. FISHERIES, SHIPPING AND OTHER BUSINESS NEWS Workers ask Putin for help on delayed wages More than 500 workers involved in the construction of the prestigious Vostochny spaceport project claim they have not received their wages for the past four months. Out of desperation of being overlooked, they wrote a message for Russia’s president on the roofs of the buildings in the workers’ village of Uglegorsk, pleading for help (Siberian Times). Reindeer meat instead of marine mammals in northwest Alaska After a catastrophic sea mammal harvest in 2013, the communities of Gambell and Savoonga in northwest Alaska decided to diversify their economic base and make use of the reindeer herd roaming the region. Greg Finstad of the University of Alaska Fairbanks developed a certificate program aimed at supporting animal herders in the region. For example, one course is on how to process reindeer meat in accordance with state and federal standards. A mobile processing unit from the Department of Agriculture might also help the villagers, by giving them access to a broader range of customers (EOTA). Fisheries WWF apologizes to KNAPK (KNR, in Danish). Shipping Aviation Nostalgic sound over Nuuk (Air Greenland) (KNR, in Danish). The summer competition (ABN, in Danish). Other business and economic news U.S. Canada Russia Nordics No danger of fall in ISK(mbl). Greenland Aqqaluaq B. Egede: Greenland should itself invest in commodities(KNR, in Danish). Newspaper: Mineral Water Project is a failure(KNR, in Danish). The hunt for talents to Greenland(ABN, in Danish). HEALTH, YOUTH, SOCIETY AND CULTURE Health Outcry over 'terrible and cruel' health care for children in Khabarovsk (Siberian Times). Sharply criticized plans to downgrade health centers (KNR, in Danish). Youth Senate reinstates funds for Kivalina school (Arctic Sounder). Society The United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues opens this week in New York and two major themes will be youth issues and suicide, two topics important to indigenous communities in the Arctic (NRK, in Norwegian). A plan to change the name of a tourist restaurant in Reykjavik to English is stirring some feelings of linguistic nationalism in Iceland (mbl). Family, community motivate Ubben to persevere (Arctic Sounder). Ambler residents look forward to new homes, jobs (Arctic Sounder). Culture Keeping tradition alive in Noorvik (Arctic Sounder). Collective monograph "Culture of the Arctic" (UArctic). "Ark of Taste" Food Contest at the International Exhibition "Treasures of the North 2015" (UArctic). Arctic Sounds Festival - a festival with growing pains (KNR, in Danish). An Arctic Man 2015 recap (NM). INFRASTRUCTURE Canada Russia Europe Iceland scores high in ICT (mbl). Abbreviation Key Aboriginal Peoples Television Network (APTN) Aftenbladet (AB) Alaska Business Monthly (ABM) Alaska Dispatch (AD) Alaska Journal of Commerce (AJC) Alaska Native News (ANN) Alaska Public Media (APM) Anchorage Daily News (ADN) Arctic Info (Russian) (AIR) Arctic Institute (TAI) Barents Nova (BN) Barents Observer (BO) Bristol Bay Times (BBT) BusinessWeek (BW) Canadian Mining Journal (CMJ) Christian Science Monitor (CSM) Eye on the Arctic (EOTA) Fairbanks Daily News-Miner (FNM) Financial Times (FT) Globe and Mail (G&M) Government of Canada (GOC) Government of the Northwest Territories (GNWT) Huffington Post (HP) Indian Country Today Media Network (ICTMN) Johnson’s Russia List (JRL) Kalaallit Nunaata Radioa (KNR) Lapin Kansa (LK) Moscow Times (MT) National Geographic (NG) Natural Gas Europe (NGE) Naval Today (NT) New York Times (NYT) Northern Journal (NJ) Northern News Service Online (NNSO) Northern Public Affairs (NPA) Norwegian Polar Institute (NPI) Nunatsiaq News (NN) Oil & Gas Journal (OGJ) Ottawa Citizen (OC) Petroleum News (PN) RIA Novosti (RIAN) Russia Beyond the Headlines (RBTH) Russia Today (RT) Voice of Russia (VOR) Wall Street Journal (WSJ) Washington Post (WP) Whitehorse Star (WS) Winnipeg Free Press (WFP) Yukon News (YN) |
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Report on the IASC Social and Human Sciences Working Group (SHWG) Meeting
Report on the IASC Social and Human Sciences Working Group (SHWG) Meeting at the Arctic Sciences Summit Week (ASSW) April 5, 2014, Helsinki, Finland SOCIAL AND HUMAN SCIENCES IN THE ARCTIC – THOUGHTS FROM THE ASSW AND CURRENT & POTENTIAL INITIATIVES Social and human sciences are often overlooked in Arctic research. However, it is crucial to look at the social and human perspective, especially when it comes to issues of climate and environmental change. Not only does human behavior have an enormous influence on the environment, people are also directly and indirectly affected by their changing natural environments. What impact does climate change have on communities in the North and elsewhere? What are people's and communities' abilities and their strategies to cope with the changes? How do the environment and people interact with each other and what are the consequences? How can we potentially improve the status quo and create a situation which benefits us, but also supports the conservation of the Arctic environment? Examples of current research areas related to the relations between humans, society and the Arctic environment include Arctic anthropology, human development, permafrost and indigenous land use, the integration of Arctic archeology and environmental sciences, and governance for sustainable development. In addition to current research activities, work on a research agenda for Arctic social and human sciences in the 21st century is well underway (ICARP III). This report on the meeting of the IASC social and human sciences working group (SHWG) at the ASSW in April will give a brief overview of the topics and projects discussed, as well as point to future meetings and potential activities in the field of Arctic social and human sciences. REPORTS ON SHWG ACTIVITIES PETER SCHWEITZER – RUSSIA AND ARCTIC ANTHROPOLOGY The workshop titled “Russia and Arctic Anthropology: Toward an Agenda for the 21st Century” was held in St. Petersburg in May 2013. Participants included ten Arctic social scientists from eight countries. The discussion revolved around the current state of Arctic anthropology and other social sciences and the future of the research and aimed at accessing important funding opportunities through establishing a substantial research project. The participants developed a framework for a new large-scale research initiative, emphasizing key elements of change in the Russian Arctic. The workshop was organized by Nikolai Vakhtin and Peter Schweitzer and supported by the European University St. Petersburg and the IASC SHWG. JOAN NYMAND LARSEN – ARCTIC HUMAN DEVELOPMENT REPORT II (AHDR II) The AHDR II builds on the AHDR I and the subsequent Arctic Social Indicators projects. The final report including conclusions will be published later this year. The AHDR II examines Regional Processes and Global Linkages, contrasting cultural, economic, political, and social conditions in the eight Arctic countries and globally. Some of the focus areas are Arctic populations, migration cultures and identities; human health and well-being; political systems and global governance. The report is financially supported by the SHWG and its review process is coordinated by the IASC Executive Secretary. Project leader Joan Nymand Larsen of the Stefansson Arctic Institute, Iceland, stated the importance of the academic character of the AHDR, in particular in discussions with governmental or inter-governmental organizations, such as the Sustainable Working Group of the Arctic Council. UPDATES ON RECENT ACTIVITIES GAIL FONDAHL, PETER SKÖLD & PETER SCHWEITZER - ICARP III HELD AT ICASS VIII In the lead up to ICARP III, the 3rd International Conference on Arctic Research Planning, working groups convened at the 8th International Congress of Arctic Social Sciences (ICASS), which took place from 22nd to 26th May in Prince George, Canada. The townhall meeting on 23rd May became much bigger than initially anticipated and was “live-streamed” in order to enable all stakeholders to contribute to the planning process, the identification of shared objectives and research priorities for the next decade. The ICARP III process will end in April 2015 with the final ICARP III Conference at theArctic Science Summit Week 2015 in Toyama, Japan. PETER SKÖLD – UMEÅ WORKSHOP The workshop “Exploitation and Natural Resources in the Arctic: Past, Present and Future” will be held on 1st and 2nd October at the Arctic Research Centre at Umeå University, Sweden. It will address the social and human sciences dimensions of large-scale (non-renewable) resource use systems and their interactions with large-scale international projects. PETER SCHWEITZER & GAIL FONDAHL – 54TH CONGRESS OF THE EUROPEAN REGIONAL SCIENCE ASSOCIATION In August 2014 at the 54th Congress of the European Regional Science Association in St. Petersburg, the SHWG will be present with ICARP III related outreach activities in Russia. Special topic sessions include “Sustainability in the Arctic” by Gail Fondahl and Andrey Petrov and “Arctic as the last frontier in Regional Science” by Lassi Heininen. OTHER SOCIAL AND HUMAN ACTIVITIES EXTERNAL TO IASC PETER SKÖLD - NEW GOVERNANCE FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT IN THE EUROPEAN ARCTIC The 4-year program “New governance for sustainable development in the European Arctic” is funded by the Mistra Arctic Sustainable Development initiative. Special attention is given to the governance of the European Arctic mainland and the challenges for sustainable development in this vulnerable part of the world. Similarly, in the EU’s Horizon 2020 program, cross-cutting issues and sustainability in the Arctic are highlighted. There could thus be an opportunity for several spin-off research projects. Please mail the IASC Secretariat for a detailed description of the project on “New governance for sustainable development in the European Arctic”. ANDREY PETROV – NETWORK ARCTIC-FROST: RESOURCES, ENVIRONMENTS AND DEVELOPMENT IN THE CHANGING NORTH – A NEW U.S. NSF ARCTIC SOCIAL SCIENCES RESEARCH COORDINATION NETWORK The Network Arctic-FROST (Arctic FRontiers of SusTainability - uni.edu/arctic/frost) establishes an international interdisciplinary network that brings together social and environmental scientists, local educators and community members from all circumpolar countries. Its aim is to support research on sustainable development in the Arctic, in particular human health, development and well-being of Arctic communities, while at the same time conserving the environment several affected by climate change. Cross-cutting issues are examined by looking at four knowledge domains: sustainable environments, sustainable economies, sustainable cultures, and sustainable regions. Arctic-FROST is coordinated by Andrey Petrov. The principal investigators of the network are Peter Schweitzer, Jessica Graybill and Timothy Heleniak. The membership in the network organization is open to everyone. Later this year, from September 18 to 21, Anchorage will host the next annual network meeting and an early career scholars workshop. THIRD INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON ARCTIC RESEARCH PLANNING (ICARP III) ICARP III, the 3rd international Conference on Arctic Research Planning (icarp.arcticportal.org), seeks to develop a roadmap for the future by integrating Arctic research plans instead of creating new ones. The IASC working groups are expected to play an important role in the process. 1. Climate System and Transformations 2. Observing, Technology, Logistics, Services 3. Societies and Ecosystems 4. Outreach and Capacity Building The sections outlined in the following will present ICARP III activities spearheaded by Arctic social scientists. JOACHIM OTTO HABECK & HIKORI TAKAKURA – PERMAFROST: INDIGENOUS LAND USE WORKSHOP The workshop on permafrost dynamics and indigenous land use took place on April 6 and 7 at the ASSW in Helsinki. Its focus was on the Central Yakutian Lowlands, cyclical processes of thermokarst and permafrost build-up, and historical and contemporary forms of land use in alaas landscapes. Even though communities and indigenous populations are increasingly considered in scientific research, there are rarely viewed as agents of change. Furthermore, it is essential to combine studies on the life of indigenous people with natural sciences research. Permafrost, for instance, can be seen as a cultural landscape (“Cryocult”). In order to foster this kind of interdisciplinary research, the Alfred-Wegener-Institute intends to establish strategic cooperations with social scientists. PETER JORDAN – CULTURE AND ARCTIC CLIMATE CHANGE: INTEGRATING LONG-TERM PERSPECTIVES FROM ARCHAEOLOGY AND THE ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES Environmental and archeological sciences (Polar Archeology Network PAN, endorsed by IASC) provide evidence for human activity in the last 10,000 years and clues about humans’ response to past climate change. The workshop “Culture and Arctic Climate Change” took place in May 2014 at Yale University and brought together researchers across the full range of ‘target’ disciplines to stimulate new collaborations. The main goal was to identify key factors structuring the relationships between culture and Arctic environmental change. On a related matter, there is a need to improve the integration of Arctic archeological records and evidence for past climate and environmental change. A session on culture and climate change is further planned for the AGU December Meeting in San Francisco. In addition, two to three workshops might still be eligible for funding this year. NEW PROPOSED ACTIVITIES ARJA RAUTIO – HEALTH Arja Rautio, medical doctor and director of the Centre for Arctic Medicine - Thule Institute at the University of Oulu, suggests giving more attention to human health in the Arctic and emphasized the need to promote health programs. Health disparities still exist. Residents in the North have to deal with a lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality, and a higher rate of infections, as well as problems such as accidents and violence, mental health and suicides, and the effects of climate change. Climate and environmental change not only affects living conditions and health but also subjective well-being and quality of life. One example is contamination. The project ArcRisk (Arctic Health Risks) ran from 2009 to 2013 and investigated if increased temperatures due to climate change would affect the transport of contaminants to the Arctic. It concluded that there is a climate change-induced change in contaminant cycles. As the permafrost is disappearing, many contaminants in the soil are released. One of the major challenges of the future and number one priority for the improvement of health in the Arctic is education. In addition, since health is affected by climate change, society, politics, industry, economy and various other areas, there is a need for interdisciplinary research. Another challenge is the lack of data, in particular data related to indigenous people. The Arctic Health Declaration (Nuuk 2011) had a special focus on indigenous people. Next year in 2015 from June 7 to 15, the 16th International Congress on Circumpolar Health will be held in Oulu and Rokua, Finland, and highlight a shift in priorities. The preliminary program themes include among others Environmental and occupational health (mining, tourism and health), smart technology and health (e.g. eHealth), food and water security, and climate change and changes of disease profiles. NEXT MEETINGS 2014
2015
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As Arctic Council chair, US can redefine the DEW Line for the 21st CenturyVictoria Herrmann, April 25, 2015  Photo: Dual Freq on Wikipedia In 1958, the U.S. Army released an educational film on the Distant Early Warning System. The system, known as the DEW line, was built as a series of radar sites along the North American Arctic to alert Washington of an impending Soviet attack. In its opening lines, the documentary describes the North as “desolate, savage, remote. A wilderness of unending barren distance … Not too bad for caribou, but no place for human beings.” Fifty-seven years later, America’s perception of the Arctic hasn’t changed much. Through maps of melting ice and stranded polar bears, we have sustained a narrative that paints the circumpolar region as a pristine and unpopulated tundra. Instead of using military outposts to detect incoming nuclear missiles, America today has retooled its northern communities to function as a distant early warning system for climate change. Like America of the Cold War, Washington today looks to the North as an indicator of things to come south -- with the intent of taking action before any effect is felt in the streets of New York or Los Angeles. Although reactionary policy may help Americans in the Lower 48 adapt to a warmer world, such views neglect the 700,000 American citizens who live in the Arctic and sub-Arctic. Far from the photographs of endless snow, people live, work, and thrive at the top of the world. Young couples raise families, entrepreneurs start ventures, and future leaders receive education in the same picture frame as melting glaciers and starving seals. Just as polar bears on icebergs are troubled by a hotter Arctic, so too are communities whose very homes face inundation and destruction. Today, northern residents require American policymakers to move beyond the dominant image of the Arctic as a remote wilderness functioning as a climate litmus test. Alaskans need federal policy and funding that not only reduces carbon emissions by 2050, but also protects families and local businesses in 2015. Secretary of State John Kerry has the opportunity to realize those needs on Thursday, as he becomes chair of the Arctic Council. For the next two years, Kerry will guide northern governance and development decisions through his leadership of the council, a high-level intergovernmental forum that addresses issues faced by Arctic governments and indigenous peoples. Although climate change adaptation has been listed as a priority of the U.S. State Department’s Arctic Office, it has been grossly overshadowed by the call to build icebreakers and strengthen international cooperation. Addressing transportation concerns for shipping and buttressing global dialogue are both profound and urgent issues. But as northern communities face deteriorating public safety and economic instability from climate change, Kerry must not forget those 700,000 Americans that call the North home. Much can and should be done over the next two years to safeguard Alaskans against a changing environment. As a first step toward a more comprehensive Arctic adaptation strategy, Kerry should set up a federal relief program to help those most in need today. Thirty-one villages in Alaska face imminent threat of destruction from shoreline erosion and flooding. Many of these villages have 10 to 20 years of livability before their streets, schools, and homes become uninhabitable. At least 12 have decided to relocate – in part or entirely – to safer ground. Moving an entire community not only takes sustainable town planning and land negotiation; it also takes hundreds of millions of dollars. Despite these high costs, current federal programs for disaster assistance are limited, and oftentimes unavailable to village relocation projects. Kerry can prioritize America’s Arctic residents in need early in his chairmanship by bolstering federal funding and technical support for Alaska villages facing relocation. He can work with President Barack Obama to express the need for federal funds for Arctic climate relocation through the presidential budget request, and with Alaska's U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski to allocate part of the national budget to assist emergency Arctic relocation plans through the newly established Arctic Caucus. Acting in line with his priority for international cooperation, Kerry could even create a regional Arctic Council fund for climate disaster assistance for endangered communities throughout the circumpolar region. By establishing such financial assistance programs nationally and internationally, Kerry can ensure the safety of not only America’s Arctic residents, but also show American leadership in both Arctic security and climate change policy. The Arctic is inevitably the world’s distant early warning system for climate change. The North Pole will be the first and potentially hardest hit by ecological shifts and weather pattern variations. But unlike the original DEW line, America as chair of the Arctic Council today must think beyond providing security to the Lower 48 to include those Arctic villages that face serious and immediate danger from climate change. It must invest in local adaptation infrastructure – like relocation plans – that foster economically, environmentally, and culturally thriving communities for its citizens at the top of the world. |
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The Arctic Institute’s Reaction to the Ministerial Meeting of the Arctic Council in Iqaluit, Canada
The Arctic Institute’s Reaction to the Ministerial Meeting of the Arctic Council in Iqaluit, Canada
Washington D.C., 25 April 2014 - In response to the 9th Ministerial Meeting of the Arctic Council in Iqaluit, Canada, on 24 April 2015The Arctic Institute’s Europe Director Dr. Kathrin Keil said:
“Next to the hand-over of the chairmanship from Canada to the US, the adoption of the Iqaluit Declaration was at the centre of the Ministerial Meeting of the Arctic Council in Iqaluit on 24 April 2015 in Iqaluit, Nunavut, Canada. The Declaration takes stock of the Canadian chairmanship over the past two years and gives an outlook of the Council’s work for the coming two years of the US chairmanship.”
“At the top of the Iqaluit Declaration is the Arctic states and Permanent Participants’ reaffirmed commitment “to maintain peace, stability and constructive cooperation in the Arctic”, which is a point worth noting in these days of heightened geopolitical tension between Russia and the West. This may also be a sign of hope that the Arctic Council can continue to work as a place of continued contact and communication between all Arctic countries, including Russia, which could possibly also work as a continued line of communication while other contacts between Russia and NATO countries have been discontinued.”
“Three goals are in the centre of the Declaration: Sustaining Arctic Communities, Protecting the Unique Arctic Environment, and Building a Stronger Arctic Council.”
“The focus of the results of the Canadian chairmanship is on economic and social development opportunities in the Arctic, in line with the theme of the Canadian chairmanship over the last two years: “Development for the People of the North”.”
“This is also obvious in the emphasis in the document, stating that sustainable development in the Arctic region includes economic and social development next to the protection of the Arctic environment (which is mentioned in one sentence with the responsible use of natural resources, reverting again to economic development).”
“The first goal to be mentioned is thus also “Sustaining Arctic Communities” through responsible economic development in the region as well as initiatives for improving health, mental wellness and resilience, traditional and local knowledge, and telecommunications and community infrastructure, among many others.”
“Concerning the environmental protection of the Arctic, the Declaration first and foremost emphasises the need to achieve an “effective, ambitious, durable international climate agreement in Paris in December 2015” to keep global warming within the two degree target. The reduction of greenhouse gases is identified as the most important contribution to limiting global and Arctic climate change, and thus also for the preservation of the unique Arctic environment.”
“Also the reduction of short-lived climate pollutants (SLCPs) such as black carbon, ozone and methane is pointed out as an urgent task to improve climate and health conditions in the Arctic. This is a task for Arctic and non-Arctic countries alike, since the majority of black carbon in the Arctic originates outside the Arctic in industrialized, densely populated areas.”
“No decision has been taken on any of the pending observer applications, including the one of the European Union, on which a final decision has already been postponed two years ago at the Ministerial Meeting in Kiruna, Sweden, because of a dispute between the EU and Canada on the EU’s ban on the import of commercial seal products. The Iqaluit Declaration thus defers decisions on the observer applications to the next Ministerial Meeting in 2017.”
“The fact that Russia was represented by Sergei Donskoi, Minister of Natural Resources and Environment, and not by Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has in the run-up to the Iqaluit meeting been interpreted as a “frosty” signal to the Council and a possible threat to Arctic cooperation. However, also Sweden was not represented by their foreign minister in Iqaluit but by Kristina Persson, Minister for Nordic Cooperation. Also, we shall recall that in Kiruna two years ago it was not the Canadian foreign minister who put his signature underneath the Kiruna Declaration, but Leona Aglukkaq, Minister for the Arctic Council (although this was the Ministerial meeting when Canada took over the chairmanship!). Thus, the absence of Minister Lavrov should not be over-interpreted.”
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The Arctic This Week April 20 - 26, 2015  photo: Tromsø, Norway by Malte Humpert Welcome and thanks for joining us this week! We hope that you find TATW interesting and entertaining to read. If you’re not a subscriber yet, you cansign up here. As always, all editorial choices, opinions and any mistakes are the authors’ own. Anything that we missed? Please feel free to share material with us if you think it deserves inclusion in TATW. TAI’s RECENT ACTIVITIES Kathrin Keil was interviewed by the German Press Agency (dpa, Deutsche Presse-Agentur) on the Arctic Council meeting in Iqaluit, the main challenges lying ahead, expectations of the U.S. as it is taking over the chair, and the effects of the Russia-conflict on international cooperation in the Arctic (Ad Hoc News, in German). Malte Humpert was quoted on climate change in the Arctic, its implications for the Arctic Council and the importance of the Arctic for the Arctic nations: THIS WEEK’S TOP STORIES United States Begins Term as Arctic Council Chairman The United States has begun its two-year chairmanship of the Arctic Council with, despite rising tensions with Russia (including a provocative trip by Russian Deputy PM Dmitry Rogozin – who is not allowed to enter Europe under sanctions imposed as a result of actions in Ukraine – to the region via Svalbard, last week), a policy poised to largely focus on climate change, environmental protection, and indigenous communities (CSMonitor,FP,Al Jazeera,DW). Indeed, whereas outgoing chairman Canada used the forum as a platform to question Russian actions in Ukraine,CBC writes that, “the United States is starting its term…by adamantly steering clear of geopolitical and military issues, in favour of focusing on social and environmental stewardship of the North.” While Canada remained critical of Russia up to the end of its tenure as chair, the United States “is expected to pressure Canada to back off on Russia. ‘The Obama administration has been very clear that Arctic co-operation must continue,’ said Michael Byers, international affairs professor at the University of British Columbia, ‘that the issues of climate change in the Arctic are simply too important to be caught up in the tensions in Ukraine and eastern Europe’” (CBC). This approach has won some praise in both countries, with theNYTimespublishing an editorial expressing the adamant need for cooperation in the region, and former Canadian MFA Lloyd Axworthy writing inThe Globe and Mail that the Arctic Council is “the wrong place” to deal with sending Russia “tough messages.” Environmentalists were likewise heartened by the approach, with Trip Van Noppen of Earthjustice writing inThe Huffington Post that the Arctic promises to be an area of potentially meaningful action on climate change, if the United States is “willing to lead at home,” and the WWF similarly welcomed the focus on environmental protection (CBJ). For those interested, theState Department has a full transcript of Secretary Kerry’s remarks. Additional coverage and commentary may be found at, among others:CBC andAlaska Dispatch News. Classroom violence an increasingly big problem in Yukon According to teachers in Yukon, the biggest challenge they face is violence directed at them in the classroom (CBC). The incoming President-elect of the Yukon Teachers’ Association says that children are attacking and injuring teachers on an increasingly frequent basis, and she intends to make the issue the focus of her tenure as president of the association. The territory’s Minister of Education recently spoke on the issue and admitted that classroom violence is an increasingly big problem. According to the minister there were eight violent incidents reported to the Department of Education in 2012-13, while in 2013-2014 there were 85 (CBC). Statoil bucks global price-cutting trend, bets on oil price recovery in new investments Hoping to see an eventual increase in oil prices, Statoil has cut less investments than other companies in the industry as of late. The company is hoping that continuing to put money into long-term investments will pay off in the future (Reuters). This has not stopped the company from being attuned to economic realities, however. The company announced that it will partner with competitors on upcoming Barents exploration projects as a cost-saving measure (Reuters). Separately, Statoil also announced that it will begin a joint drilling partnership with Rosneft in the Sea of Okhotsk in 2016 (Sputnik). Meanwhile, the Norwegian government is working with European competition regulators to determine if it can offer subsidies to Statoil (BO). Phytoplankton drives Arctic warming The effect of phytoplankton, also known as plant plankton, on Arctic warming is a serious factor to consider in any scenario on future climate change. Instead of lessening Arctic warming by removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, the growth of phytoplankton is accelerated through the melting Arctic sea ice, which might further raise sea surface temperature and therefore amplify Arctic warming by 20% (RCS). A new study on the issue was published in Proceedings of National Academy of Science last week (PNAS). $5.7 million fund to support Inuit sealers in Canada The Canadian government on April 21 announced a $5.7 million fund to support Inuit sealers in gaining access to the European Union market. While the fund is welcomed by some Inuit representatives, such as Nunavut MP Leona Aglukkaq and Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami president Terry Audla, some say the effort should be directed towards better uses for the sealing industry. The Canadian Sealers Association, which represents non-indigenous sealers, even views the deal as a threat to the industry (NN). THE POLITICAL SCENE United States Canada ENERGY Floating Arctic nuclear power station will be finished next year: Russian Deputy PM Russia will complete construction of a long-anticipated floating nuclear power station for use in the Arctic next year, according to Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin. The station, the world’s first major platform of its kind, will be able to dock with coastal infrastructure to provide energy for communities along Russia’s Arctic coastline (BO). Although critics of the project have raised questions about the station’s environmental impact and even the possibility of it becoming a target for terrorist groups, the idea has caught on elsewhere: an Ontario company has proposed the construction of several small floating nuclear power stations for use in the Canadian Arctic to power communities and mining projects (AD). Canada The Canadian government has permitted the Northwest Territories to up its spending cap, allowing it to fund much-needed infrastructure projects needed to access new sources of oil and gas (Reuters). Greenland Nunaoil director: The profit will come when we find oil (KNR, in Danish). Iceland Norway Russia More information has emerged about plans to liberalize the offshore Arctic licensing regime, as noted in last week’s edition of The Arctic This Week (BO). United States Interior Secretary Sally Jewell says that Shell “learned some very painful and expensive lessons” in 2012, in an apparent move to assuage concerns over the company’s plans to resume drilling in the Alaskan Arctic (Bloomberg). SCIENCE, ENVIRONMENT AND WILDLIFE Arctic beetles as markers of climate change Beetles might be ideal markers of climate change and biodiversity in the Arctic. A team of researchers working with Chris Buddle and Crystal Ernst (McGill) found that the beetles are not only very sensitive to climate, but the occurrence of different species also varies with latitude. Depending on the latitude, the beetles fulfill different ecological roles. As the climate changes, so do beetle communities. Hence their activities might be used as indicators of change (Phys.org). Climate, weather, earth sciences Oil Friendly ice edge report from government under fire (AB, in Norwegian). High resolution Greenland ice sheet inter-annual mass variations combining GRACE gravimetry and Envisat altimetry (Earth and Planetary Science Letters). Climate Change Exhibition in Murmansk (Barents Euro-Arctic Council). 30 percent risk of ice south of "ice edge" (NRK, in Norwegian). Wildlife & ecology The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) proposes delisting most of the world’s humpback whales from the endangered species list, as they have recovered after being protected for 45 years (AJOC,Juneau Empire). Expeditions & research blogs Last week, the kids of the project “Expedition Nansen” arrived at the North Pole (BO andNRK, in Norwegian). Environmental management Greenpeace: Denmark should renegotiate Dundas agreement (KNR, in Danish). University & research news While waiting for the reports from this year’s Arctic Sciences Summit Week, check out the report on the social and human sciences activities from last year’s conferencehere (TAI). Scholars Announced for Inaugural Fulbright Arctic Initiative (U.S. Department of State). Archaeology Miscellaneous Guardian Live: Freeing the Arctic 30 (The Guardian). MILITARY / SEARCH & RESCUE Russia Russia Conducts Military Drills on Disputed Kuril Islands (Moscow Times). United States MINING Struggle to maintain abandoned Yukon mines Veris Gold Corp. abandoned all operations at its Ketza mine project in Yukon on April 10 due to a lack of funds (CBC). The Yukon government has since been forced to assume responsibilities for the care and maintenance of the site, which is located approximately 80 kilometers south of Ross River. Meanwhile, Yukon Zinc continues to struggle to maintain its Wolverine Mine site, which was abandoned in February 2015 (YN). Alaska Kensington’s new plan (PN). Canada Nordics NORA Region Trends details why NunaMinerals was forced to declare bankruptcy (NORA). Meanwhile, some NunaMinerals investors are still scrambling to find a solution that will keep the Greenlandic gold exploration company alive (KNR, in Danish). 100 must leave LKAB (BO). Environmental Organizations Continue Struggle against Norway Government (The Nordic Page). FISHERIES, SHIPPING AND OTHER BUSINESS NEWS Yellowknife granted exemption from temporary worker hiring ban Yellowknife, NWT applied for an exemption to the ban on hiring temporary workers, which aims at reducing the high unemployment rates in parts of Canada. However, whereas the Northwest Territories have an unemployment rate of approximately 7%, Yellowknife’s rate stands at 2%. Foreign workers are crucial for many businesses, in particular those depending on tourism. The number of Asian tourists grows, but many need translation services, which is where the overseas staff comes in and offers specialized tours, marketing, promotions and interpreting (CBC). Fisheries The Ideology and Practice of Pacific Herring Cultivation among the Tlingit and Haida (Human Ecology). GUEST COMMENTARY: Equal voice for personal use and sport anglers is key on Board of Fisheries (AJOC). Sablefish pots lost in Prince William Sound (Arctic Sounder). Shipping Governing Maritime Transportation in the Arctic (master thesis) (Duke University). Titanic Threats Still Lurk Today (MarEx). Tourism Nordic Slow Adventure: Explorations in Time and Nature (Scandinavian Journal of Hospitality and Tourism). Number of Chinese Tourists in Russia More Than Doubles (Moscow Times). Other business and economic news ASRC Executive Unanimously Selected Chair of Arctic Economic Council (Alaska Business). Conference "The perspectives of socio-economic development of border regions", 10 June 2015, Petrozavodsk, Russia. Registration deadline is May 25th (UArctic). U.S. & Canada Russia Nordics Young Entrepreneur of Lapland: Julius Oförsagd (LK, in Finnish). Arctic power takes to the world (Lappish berry powders) (LK, in Finnish). HEALTH, YOUTH, SOCIETY AND CULTURE Literacy coaches in Nunavut classrooms next school year Over 40 ‘literacy coaches’ have been hired to work in classrooms across Nunavut during the 2015-2016 school year. The coaches will work with both students and teachers to help improve literacy rates in all three of the territory’s languages of instruction: Inuit, English, and French (CBC). Health A new study published in the Social Science & Medicine journal examines Inuit perspectives on drinking water, wastewater treatment, and public health in the Nunavut community of Coral Harbour (Social Science & Medicine). Northern Rockies Regional Municipality covering rent to attract doctors (Alaska Highway News). Youth The recently released 2015 Arctic Human Development Report calls on the Arctic Council to focus more of its attention on youth issues in the coming decade (NN). Students protest education cuts (Arctic Sounder). Arctic delegation offers insight at Maine college (Arctic Sounder). Valcourt says over $1 billion available for education, but Ottawa now seeking separate deals (APTN). Society Alaska Governor Bill Walker was adopted by the Kaagwaantaan clan at the 80th assembly of Central Council Tlingit and Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska (ANN). Passing on traditions through overland travel (Arctic Sounder). Release of Arctic public opinion poll (UArctic). Culture A private art reception was held in Iqaluit for ministers and officials attending the 2015 Arctic Council Ministerial Meeting, which showcased Nunavut fashion designers and artists (NN). Acoustic Accents celebrates two decades on the air (Arctic Sounder). Artist workshops fuse tradition, innovation (Arctic Sounder). Kayaks, built at the Museum of Nature, soon to float on Arctic waters (Ottawa Citizen). The film Nuka Eskimo Diva touring on the west coast (KNR, in Danish). Geyser ‘vandal’ flees (mbl). INFRASTRUCTURE United States Europe Complex road renovation project completed ahead of schedule (Lapin Kansa, in Finnish). Canada Abbreviation Key Aboriginal Peoples Television Network (APTN) Aftenbladet (AB) Alaska Business Monthly (ABM) Alaska Dispatch (AD) Alaska Journal of Commerce (AJC) Alaska Native News (ANN) Alaska Public Media (APM) Anchorage Daily News (ADN) Arctic Info (Russian) (AIR) Arctic Institute (TAI) Barents Nova (BN) Barents Observer (BO) Bristol Bay Times (BBT) BusinessWeek (BW) Canadian Mining Journal (CMJ) Christian Science Monitor (CSM) Eye on the Arctic (EOTA) Fairbanks Daily News-Miner (FNM) Financial Times (FT) Globe and Mail (G&M) Government of Canada (GOC) Government of the Northwest Territories (GNWT) Huffington Post (HP) Indian Country Today Media Network (ICTMN) Johnson’s Russia List (JRL) Kalaallit Nunaata Radioa (KNR) Lapin Kansa (LK) Moscow Times (MT) National Geographic (NG) Natural Gas Europe (NGE) Naval Today (NT) New York Times (NYT) Northern Journal (NJ) Northern News Service Online (NNSO) Northern Public Affairs (NPA) Norwegian Polar Institute (NPI) Nunatsiaq News (NN) Oil & Gas Journal (OGJ) Ottawa Citizen (OC) Petroleum News (PN) RIA Novosti (RIAN) Russia Beyond the Headlines (RBTH) Russia Today (RT) Voice of Russia (VOR) Wall Street Journal (WSJ) Washington Post (WP) Whitehorse Star (WS) Winnipeg Free Press (WFP) Yukon News (YN) |
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Arctic News May 6 2015
The Arctic This Week April 21 - May 3, 2015  courtesy: Deutsch Roemer Welcome and thanks for joining us this week! We hope that you find TATW interesting and entertaining to read. If you’re not a subscriber yet, you can sign up here. As always, all editorial choices, opinions and any mistakes are the authors’ own. Anything that we missed? Please feel free to share material with us if you think it deserves inclusion in TATW. TAI’s RECENT ACTIVITIES This article by Andreas Østhagen, Norway director at The Arctic Institute, on Arctic defense collaboration was recently published in the journal Defence Studies. Arctic coastal states are facing heightened risks, and their various coast guard structures have to provide extended capacities for a number of tasks. Simultaneously, most Arctic coast guards are experiencing a stretch in capabilities, as demand grows. The article asks whether it is purposeful – or even possible – to conduct defense collaboration on coast guard tasks in the Arctic (Defence Studies). In addition, you can read Andreas Østhagen’s report from the seminar on the same topic, “Coast Guard Co-operation in a Changing Arctic”, held in Toronto (October 2014) (Gordon Foundation). Eilís Quinn of Eye on the Arctic interviewed Kathrin Keil, Europe director at The Arctic Institute, on Canada’s term as chair of the Arctic Council, as well as on U.S. priorities over the next two years. You can listen to the interviewhere (EOTA). THIS WEEK’S TOP STORIES Shell prepares for Arctic drilling despite earnings decline Shell is reportedly preparing to send an “armada” of 25 vessels to begin exploration activities in the Chukchi Sea. Although Shell is still waiting on final regulatory approval before proceeding, the U.S. government is not expected to derail the company’s plans (Reuters). Shell has also sought a judge’s approval to enact safety zones around its Arctic vessels to prevent disruption from Greenpeace protesters. Attorneys for Greenpeace argued that Shell’s safety zone request exceeds the level that can be issued by the U.S. Coast Guard (AD). Environmental groups have also petitioned the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission to investigate whether Shell properly disclosed the risks of Arctic drilling to investors (Reuters). The recent attention on the Arctic project comes despite the fact that Shell saw its earnings drop 56% in 1Q 2015 compared to 1Q 2014 (OGJ). Alaskan North Slope confirmed as homeland of Inuit populations A study analyzing genetic data of modern Iñupiat, an Alaskan indigenous group, confirms genetic ties between the Iñupiat and Inuit populations in Canada and Greenland. This seems to confirm long-held theories that the Alaskan North Slope was the first site to be settled and served as a starting point for migrations to the east (AJ). Decline in Iceland’s press freedom rating noted Iceland tied for seventh place in Freedom House’s 2015 Freedom of the Press report with a score of 16 (Freedom House). The report ranks 199 countries on a scale of 0 (best) to 100 (worst) and in 2014 Iceland earned a score of 12. The four point decrease in Iceland’s press freedom rating between 2014 and 2015 was one of the largest decreases recorded by Freedom House this year. Fellow Arctic nations Norway and Sweden tied for first place in the 2015 report, with each earning a score of 10 (mbl). Putin speaks in favour of an open Russian economy Speaking at the Russian Popular Front’s press conference last week, President Putin argued for the establishment of an open economy as one of the main pillars for Russian economic development. According to Putin, private investment, both domestic and foreign, should be secured, even for companies in the defense industry (JRL). THE POLITICAL SCENE Canada Future Arctic Leaders Meet in Ottawa (Arctic Council). Russia Indigenous leaders warn international community, continued tensions with Russia will harm Arctic (BO). Europe Whistleblower introduced in the PA (KNR, in Danish). United States Lessons from Iqaluit: American leadership in the Arctic (Seacoast Online). ENERGY Rosneft to continue mapping activities but faces foreign partner loss Rosneft has said that it will go ahead with plans to map a portion of the Kara Sea despite previously announcing that it does not plan to engage in Arctic well drilling in 2015 (BO). The company has also announced that it is calling off plans to develop a joint trading company with Italian refiner Saras due to ongoing sanctions against Russia. This deal may have otherwise resulted in a strategic gain for Rosneft, who would have gained a larger presence in the Mediterranean (MT). Canada Norway Statoil reported a $4.67 billion loss in 1Q 2015, citing a drop in global energy prices, increased operating costs, and infrastructure depreciation (OGJ). Russia protests against oil drilling near Svalbard (NRK, in Norwegian). Wintershall discovers oil near Kristin (AB, in Norwegian). Saipem Norway facing investigation over February incident (AB, in Norwegian). Russia Rosatom has signed a deal for a new icebreaker to be used in concert with the Yamal LNG project (BO). United States Alaska state legislators may have secured a victory in the battle with Gov. Bill Walker over the Alaska LNG pipeline as they diverted money away from a second project that Walker was attempting to back with state funds (AJ). SCIENCE, ENVIRONMENT AND WILDLIFE New report on climate change effects in Alaskan communities The Alaska Tribal Health Consortium last month released a report of the impact on climate change on seven communities in the Bering Strait Region. The report shows commonalities among the communities, such as erosion, melting permafrost, and new species, and identifies priorities in the region. The information for the report was gathered through talks with locals and advisors from different agencies and communities, site visits, and public meetings (AS). Arctic cod – a key species in the Arctic, but highly vulnerable to temperature changes Researchers with NOAA succeeded in breeding Arctic cod, a species very vulnerable to temperature changes, but key in the Arctic food chain. The fish have the highest fat content of any cod species and are an important food source for ringed seals, seabirds, narwhals, and beluga whales. As the Arctic ocean gets warmer, scientists are concerned about the implications for the ecosystem if the Arctic cod disappears (NM). Climate & weather, earth sciences How a part of Greenland came to lie under Iceland (Standard, in German). Frontier Mentality Has No Place in the Arctic (Harvard International Review). UH-led team successfully observes the solar eclipse over the Arctic ((e) Science News). Barents Sea could be nine degrees warmer (NRK, in Norwegian). Wildlife and ecology The Swedish coast in the Baltic Sea welcomes rare dolphin guests (LK, in Finnish). Magpie on a sensational way past Svalbard (KNR, in Danish). Hundreds of ringed seals packaged into the very beach in Simo – video (LK, in Finnish). Climate change could force this species northward (NRK, in Norwegian). Environmental management & pollution WWF wants to reduce conflicts between bears and people (KNR, in Danish). Reindeer herding promises fight against new power line (NRK, in Norwegian). Research and university news The Russian Indigenous Training Centre summarizes the outputs of the International Decade of the World's Indigenous Peoples (2005-2014) in a report titled"In the world of Indigenous Peoples"(in Russian) (UArctic). A Framework for Prioritization, Design and Coordination of Arctic Long-term Observing Networks: A Perspective from the U.S. SEARCH Program (Arctic Institute of North America). Other science and environment news MILITARY / SEARCH & RESCUE Europe Experts: How should defense be strengthened in Finnmark (NRK, in Norwegian). Canada Russia Deputy Defense Minister: Russian presence in Arctic aimed at protecting national interests (Arctic-Info). Russian Su-33 fighter jets hold drills over Barents sea (Arctic-Info). MINING Yukon stakeholders ask for more information on Casino mine proposal Government and First Nations representatives in Yukon are asking that the Casino Mining Corp. refine its proposal for the Casino mine project, specifically its environmental impact assessment (CBC). If approved, the proposed gold and copper project would be the largest mine in Yukon. One of the major hurdles the project must clear is a proposal to construct a massive tailings dam adjacent to the site (YN). If built, the dam would be the third tallest in the world, and locals are concerned that the dam could create an environmental catastrophe if it were to fail. Two recently proposed bills - one in the US House and one in the Senate - are aimed at streamlining the permitting process and reducing US dependence on foreign ‘critical’ minerals (PN). Yukon College in Whitehorse has launched a pilot program that teaches entry-level mining skills to undergraduate students (CBC). FISHERIES, SHIPPING AND OTHER BUSINESS NEWS Share a goat, drink some milk A goat-sharing program in Alaska’s Kenai Peninsula enables people to buy half of a goat and in return receive an equivalent portion of the milk that the animal produces for personal use. The program’s goal is to make the purchase of local dairy products easier and potentially more cost-effective. According to the owners of one farm offering goat-sharing, the program has proved to be very popular (NM). More business-friendly legislation in Canada’s Yukon? Canadian Yukon targets foreign businesses by making legislation more business-friendly. Due to Yukon’s competition with British Columbia, which is in the same time zone, more than 500 businesses have left Yukon during the last decade, estimates Paul Lackowicz, partner at a Whitehorse law firm. That might not seem much, but it could be an important development for the remote territory of a population of only 36,500 (CBC). Fisheries Shipping Maritime cloud increases safety at sea (KNR, in Danish). Ice melting in the Arctic increases the opportunities for shipping (NRK, in Norwegian). Aviation Bureaucracy keeps Greenland Express on earth (KNR, in Danish). Air Iceland is experiencing improved cooperation with Mittarfeqarfiit (Greenland Airports) (KNR, in Danish). Tourism Visit Greenland lures Americans here (KNR, in Danish). Greenland strengthens Icelandic tourism (KNR, in Danish). Greenland Centre in Reykjavík (NORA). Other business and economic news Canada Union and hospital corporation reach tentative deal (Yukon) (YN). Russia Nordics ISK 329,000 minimum wage? (mbl). Director of Human Resources calls on firms: Employ young people for a summer job, almost all expenses will be covered (LK, in Finnish). Finns have confidence in the tax cut engine of growth (LK, in Finnish). HEALTH, YOUTH, SOCIETY AND CULTURE Visit by WWII-era plane commemorates Whitehorse’s WWII history A 70-year-old DC-3 airplane embarked on an ambitious journey from Florida to Siberia made a historic stop in Whitehorse, Yukon last week (CBC). The WWII-era aircraft’s visit to Whitehorse was intended to highlight the key role that the Yukon city played in the Alaska-Siberian air road (ALSIB), a route which hundreds of DC-3s and other transports flew during the war (YN). In turn, the supply route fueled much of Whitehorse’s growth after the gold rush boom died down, leading to the construction of new airfields and the Alaska Highway. Iceland’s ‘Geysergate’ scandal simmers The scandal over an artist artificially coloring Iceland’s Strokkur geyser continued this week. Chilean artist Marco Evaristti used dye to turn the water at Strokkur geyser pink as part of an art display, and has since sparked an ongoing scandal dubbed “Geysergate”. Icelandic authorities fined Evaristti approximately $760 for vandalism and violating the Nature Protection Act, though the artist (or vandal) fled the country without paying it. Now, Evaristti, who has reportedly received death threats over the incident, is accusing Icelanders of being hypocrites and has vowed to return to Iceland to fight the fine (mbl). Health Authorities in Nunavut are promoting community involvement and connectedness as keys to maintaining good mental health as part of Canada’s national mental health week (NN). Alaska caregivers face hurdles meeting needs of loved ones (Arctic Sounder). New telemedicine walk-in clinic opening in Fort St. John (Alaska Highway News). Northern Health not just short on doctors; nurse practitioners also in demand (Alaska Highway News). Greenland is a "health dump" (KNR, in Danish). Youth Norway’s Ministry of Children, Equality and Social Inclusion is moving to cut benefits for Norwegian children being educated abroad (The Nordic Page). Canada’s Aboriginal Affairs minister announced millions of dollars worth of funding to build and renovate 11 First Nation schools nationwide (APTN). TheEALLIN Final Report on reindeer herding youth in times of Arctic change was delivered at the Arctic Council meeting in Iqaluit, Canada, last week (Reindeer Herding). Tribal council member aims to inspire youth (Arctic Sounder). Society App to learn "the world's hardest languages" (NRK, in Danish). Culture A musical debuting in Fairbanks called “Chasing the Aurora: The Samurai Musher” celebrates the life of Jujiro Wada, a Japanese adventurer who achieved fame and notoriety in Alaska and Yukon in the early 1900s (NM). From humble start, self-taught artist thrives (Arctic Sounder). Swedish support to Sami filmmaker (NRK, in Danish). INFRASTRUCTURE Sweden Last week, construction workers started to tear the buildings of the Swedish town Kiruna down. The town sits on an iron mine and will therefore be moved to a new location (ABN, in Danish). Canada Abbreviation Key Aboriginal Peoples Television Network (APTN) Aftenbladet (AB) Alaska Business Monthly (ABM) Alaska Dispatch (AD) Alaska Journal of Commerce (AJC) Alaska Native News (ANN) Alaska Public Media (APM) Anchorage Daily News (ADN) Arctic Info (Russian) (AIR) Arctic Institute (TAI) Barents Nova (BN) Barents Observer (BO) Bristol Bay Times (BBT) BusinessWeek (BW) Canadian Mining Journal (CMJ) Christian Science Monitor (CSM) Eye on the Arctic (EOTA) Fairbanks Daily News-Miner (FNM) Financial Times (FT) Globe and Mail (G&M) Government of Canada (GOC) Government of the Northwest Territories (GNWT) Huffington Post (HP) Indian Country Today Media Network (ICTMN) Johnson’s Russia List (JRL) Kalaallit Nunaata Radioa (KNR) Lapin Kansa (LK) Moscow Times (MT) National Geographic (NG) Natural Gas Europe (NGE) Naval Today (NT) New York Times (NYT) Northern Journal (NJ) Northern News Service Online (NNSO) Northern Public Affairs (NPA) Norwegian Polar Institute (NPI) Nunatsiaq News (NN) Oil & Gas Journal (OGJ) Ottawa Citizen (OC) Petroleum News (PN) RIA Novosti (RIAN) Russia Beyond the Headlines (RBTH) Russia Today (RT) Voice of Russia (VOR) Wall Street Journal (WSJ) Washington Post (WP) Whitehorse Star (WS) Winnipeg Free Press (WFP) Yukon News (YN) |
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Arctic news: The Arctic This Week May 13
The Arctic This Week May 4 - 10, 2015  Photo: Malte Humpert, Tromsø, Norway Welcome and thanks for joining us this week! We hope that you find TATW interesting and entertaining to read. If you’re not a subscriber yet, you cansign up here. As always, all editorial choices, opinions and any mistakes are the authors’ own. Anything that we missed? Please feel free to share material with us if you think it deserves inclusion in TATW. THIS WEEK’S TOP STORIES Drones banned by tour operators in the polar regions The Association of Arctic Expedition Cruise Operators (AECO) moved to prohibit the use of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) by cruise tourists when visiting the Arctic, as the increasing popularity of the devices risks disturbing the environment (NRK, in Norwegian). In doing so the association further committed itself to stronger environmental and safety regulations (AJ). In addition, the International Association of Antarctic Tour Operators (IAATO) also agreed on a UAV ban for the 2015-16 season (MarEx). Shell wins federal injunction against Greenpeace but faces opposition from Seattle officialsover Alaska drilling Shell won a federal injunction against Greenpeace this week, requiring the group to maintain distance from Shell’s drilling activities this summer in the Chukchi Sea (AD). Seattle’s mayor gave hope to environmentalists, however, stating that the city’s port will need to apply for a new permit before Shell can use its facilities. The company was planning to base a drilling rig and associated support ships at the port for use in Alaska (AD). Despite this, port operator Foss Maritime has announced that it will appeal the city’s decision and will also continue preparations to host Shell’s operations (Seattle Times). Shell has also undergone significant preparations to avoid an environmental disaster as it nears resumption of drilling activities in the Chukchi Sea (MarEx). Study: Lack of infrastructure means mining in Canada’s High North can be pricey A new study by a number of Canadian mining associations including the Mining Association of Canada, the NWT & Nunavut Chamber of Mines, and the Prospectors & Developers Association of Canada concluded that the costs to explore, build, and maintain mines in Canada’s remote High North is approximately 2.5 times higher compared to the rest of the country (CMJ). According to the report, the higher costs are directly linked to poor infrastructure. The five associations that contributed to the report recommended that the Canadian government devote more funding towards beefing up infrastructure in High North in order to aid mineral exploration (AJ). Two polar researchers killed falling through thin ice Two Dutch polar explorers and researchers Marc Cornelissen and Philip de Roo lost their lives two weeks ago when they broke through the thin spring ice on a river in Canada’s Arctic. They were on an expedition to collect measurements of snow and ice thickness. Irene Quaile (EOTA) and Andrew Revkin (AD) offer private and philosophical accounts of the sad loss, as well as details related to the importance of their research. THE POLITICAL SCENE United States Containment and Conflation in the Arctic (World Policy Institute). The coming struggle for the Arctic (Washington Times). Russia Prelude to Victory Day (BO). Canada Europe Norway Labor Party Sharply Fall after Congress (The Nordic Page). A stronger national community – outside Greenland votes (KNR, in Danish). Centre to run on more autonomy for Lapland (LK, in Finnish). Asia ENERGY Canada Denmark/Faroe Islands Faroese oil dream lives on (NRT). Finland Norway Russia Energy was a major part of the agenda as Chinese president Xi Jinping visited Moscow for this weekend’s Victory Day celebrations (Bloomberg). United States Miscellaneous SCIENCE, ENVIRONMENT AND WILDLIFE Carbon-soaked fjords Although fjords only represent 0.3% of the earth’s surface compared to 70% that the world’s oceans cover, a study finds that fjords soak up 11% of the total absorbed by marine sediment (Nature). Climate & earth sciences Young Arctic Ice Creates New Climate-Driven Era (Discovery News). Barents Sea temperature warning (NORA). Holding on to Snow (AS). Arctic climate changes' impact widespread (Bristol Bay Times). Arctic Ocean Enters “New Era” (Environmental Technology). Wildlife & ecology Fjords are surprisingly important for the environment (NRK, in Norwegian). How a warming Arctic affects Yellowstone grizzlies (High Country News). Environmental management Archaeology University & research news MILITARY / SEARCH & RESCUE United States Russia Europe Finland, Sweden join NATO air force drill (Daily Sabah). Military will recruit young Greenlanders (KNR, in Danish). Canada Deaths in the Arctic (Slate). Arctic search team finds body of missing Dutch explorer (Toronto Sun). MINING Nunavut advisory board rules against proposed uranium mine The Nunavut Impact Review Board, a government advisory board, recommended against Areva Resources’ proposed Kiggavik uranium mine, located west of Baker Lake, due to the mine’s potential environmental and social impacts (CBC). In particular, the board ruled against the mine because the project has no definite start date so therefore a full impact study could not be completed (NN). Areva Resources has indicated in the past that due to the current low market price for uranium, construction at Kiggavik may not even start for another 20 years. Yukon miners have an image problem According to the director of the B.C.-based think tank Resource Works, mining companies in Yukon have an image problem in the eyes’ of the general public (CBC). According to Stewart Muir, miners aren’t doing enough to educate the public on the benefits that responsible resource development and mineral exploration could bring to communities in the region (YN). Local anti-mining activists successfully halted plans by Irish company Karelian Diamond Resources to build a mine in the Utsjoki region of the Finnish Arctic (EOTA). FISHERIES, SHIPPING AND OTHER BUSINESS NEWS Russia’s new icebreaker fleet Russia currently has at least 14 icebreakers under construction and there are others being planned. The most powerful of them is the nuclear-powered LK-60 icebreaker, which is under construction at the Baltiisky Yard in Saint Petersburg, one of the oldest shipyards in Russia. Thisarticle in Eye on the Arctic lists and describes some of the other vessels under construction (EOTA). Fisheries Tourism Other business and economic news U.S. Nordics HEALTH, YOUTH, SOCIETY AND CULTURE Study: It’s good to be a mom in the Nordic nations Coinciding with Mother’s Day, the UK charity Save the Childrenreleased its 16th annual State of the World’s Mothers report. Of the 179 countries evaluated, Norway earned top honors with fellow Nordic (and Arctic) nations Finland, Iceland, Denmark, and Sweden sweeping the rest of the top-five spots (The Nordic Page). Health Youth Iḷisaġvik College in Barrow, Alaska, the northernmost college in the United States, marks its 20-year anniversary (AD). Greenlandic winner in the Arctic Council Art Competition for young (NRK, in Norwegian). Society The latest World Happiness report shows that Russians are increasingly happy as the nation continues its upward trend in the annual ranking (BO). Sami languages disappear (EOTA). Russians in Norway: - Who should we trust? (NRK, in Norwegian). Culture The Arctic Council released a whitepaper titled “Keeping our Traditions Alive: Compendium of Best Practices in Promoting Traditional Ways of Life of Arctic Indigenous Peoples” (Arctic Council, in Inuktitut). Midnight Sun Film festival program was complemented again (LK, in Finnish). Greenland Eyes International Film Festival comes to US (KNR, in Danish). INFRASTRUCTURE United States Canada Abbreviation Key Aboriginal Peoples Television Network (APTN) Aftenbladet (AB) Alaska Business Monthly (ABM) Alaska Dispatch (AD) Alaska Journal of Commerce (AJC) Alaska Native News (ANN) Alaska Public Media (APM) Anchorage Daily News (ADN) Arctic Info (Russian) (AIR) Arctic Institute (TAI) Barents Nova (BN) Barents Observer (BO) Bristol Bay Times (BBT) BusinessWeek (BW) Canadian Mining Journal (CMJ) Christian Science Monitor (CSM) Eye on the Arctic (EOTA) Fairbanks Daily News-Miner (FNM) Financial Times (FT) Globe and Mail (G&M) Government of Canada (GOC) Government of the Northwest Territories (GNWT) Huffington Post (HP) Indian Country Today Media Network (ICTMN) Johnson’s Russia List (JRL) Kalaallit Nunaata Radioa (KNR) Lapin Kansa (LK) Moscow Times (MT) National Geographic (NG) Natural Gas Europe (NGE) Naval Today (NT) New York Times (NYT) Northern Journal (NJ) Northern News Service Online (NNSO) Northern Public Affairs (NPA) Norwegian Polar Institute (NPI) Nunatsiaq News (NN) Oil & Gas Journal (OGJ) Ottawa Citizen (OC) Petroleum News (PN) RIA Novosti (RIAN) Russia Beyond the Headlines (RBTH) Russia Today (RT) Voice of Russia (VOR) Wall Street Journal (WSJ) Washington Post (WP) Whitehorse Star (WS) Winnipeg Free Press (WFP) Yukon News (YN) |
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Article 2
High North Dialogue 2015 - Interview with Heather Conley  In our 5th podcast for the High North Dialogue 2015 we talked with Heather Conley, senior vice president for Europe, Eurasia, and the Arctic and director of the Europe Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) in Washington, D.C. Heather Conley received her B.A. in international studies from West Virginia Wesleyan College and her M.A. in international relations from the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS). Prior to joining CSIS in 2009, she served as executive director of the Office of the Chairman of the Board at the American National Red Cross, as deputy assistant secretary of state in the Bureau for European and Eurasian Affairs and as a senior associate with an international consulting firm led by former U.S. deputy secretary of state Richard L. Armitage. During the last year(s), Arctic cooperation was frequently discussed and scrutinised from a non-Arctic perspective with global geopolitical tensions potentially affecting collaboration within the Arctic Council and between its members. Consequently, Heather stressed that the High North Dialogue and its particular emphasis on “Arctic Dialogue” took place at a very convenient time with Arctic cooperation currently being under close scrutiny. In order to continue Arctic collaboration Heather would rather emphasize the term “Arctic safety” instead of “Arctic security”, as security is often publically interpreted as potential “militarization”. In order to find common ground between the different interests and perceptions of the Arctic states, “Arctic safety” seems to be a more suitable approach to tackle the various challenges a future Arctic holds. The immediate future of Arctic cooperation, safety, and security will be largely characterised by the U.S Arctic Council chairmanship, assumed on April 25, 2015. In that regard, Heather stressed the necessity to effectively include non-Arctic actors and states in discussions to address their increased attention in Arctic issues. Within the United States, the chairmanship provides an opportunity to remind the United States that it actually is an Arctic nation and has a particular Arctic identity. As highlighted by Heather, “you can’t have an informed policy if you don’t have an informed public”. Currently, related efforts to strengthen a particular U.S. Arctic identity have been observed within the policy-making circles in Washington, D.C. Hello and welcome to this 5th podcast for the High North Dialogue 2015, a collaboration of the University of Nordland (Bodø), the University’s High North Centre for Business and Governance, and The Arctic Institute. We are speaking with attendees and speakers about their work, the High North Dialogue, and the conference’s theme of security and business in the Arctic. Thanks for joining us. I am Andreas Raspotnik. Today we are talking with Heather Conley, senior vice president for Europe, Eurasia, and the Arctic and director of the Europe Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) in Washington, D.C. Heather Conley has extensively written on Arctic issues and just recently published a report, in cooperation with Caroline Rohloff, on the U.S. Arctic Council Chairmanship, entitled “Recommendations for the U.S. Arctic Council Chairmanship: Enhancing Policy Focus on Arctic Health and Well-Being”, which can be downloadedhere. Andreas Raspotnik: Dear Heather, thanks for joining us today. Time flies and this year’s High North Dialogue already dates back one month. If you look back upon the conference, what were your general impressions and how do you think it differed from other Arctic conferences? Heather Conley: Well, it’s always a wonderful opportunity to visit Bodø. I don’t have – as often as I would like – the opportunity to speak with students and young professionals who want to engage in Arctic studies and Arctic research, so it was a particular pleasure to be in a beautiful university setting and to be very energized by a lot of exciting and enthusiastic young professionals. I have to say that the impression the conference left me with was really the environment in which the conference took place - in the middle of some very unanticipated and unexpected snap Russian military exercises in the Arctic. And it comes at a moment where we are really trying to understand what the future of Arctic cooperation will look like as, unfortunately, geopolitical tensions continue to increase between the United States, Europe, Canada, and Russia. I think it was the setting and the understanding that these are very real questions that we have to ask ourselves, so it was a good time to have that conversation and to have some Russian colleagues to speak at the conference, which I thought was extremely useful. Andreas Raspotnik: One of the conference’s key features of discussion was “Arctic security”, a broad term used to describe the region’s manifold challenges and already previously discussed with some of the conference’s speakers, as for instanceMichael Byers orAlexander Sergunin. Keeping the discussion in Bodø in mind, what is your first association of the term “Arctic security”? Heather Conley: Well, I actually try to rephrase it; I talk about Arctic safety. How can we safely have human and commercial activity exist in the Arctic? So that clearly speaks to search and rescue operations, and oil spill prevention response capabilities. Some suggest that this is soft security; I actually don’t accept that, because any type of operation in the Arctic is just hard to do. This is not soft, these are very hard conditions, and they require military operations - and sometimes, different nations have different ways of expressing these types of operations. For the United States, it is principally a coast guard function. For other Arctic nations it is naval, and for some – like Russia – it is their border guard. We all have different institutions and instruments, but this is really about Arctic safety; how can we make the Arctic a safe place for the people who live there today and for the people who seek economic opportunity and/or protection of the Arctic region. I think when you say ‘Arctic security’ everyone immediately goes “Oh no, you’re going to talk about the militarization of the Arctic” – and I think in some ways people have allowed that to shut down the conversation, and if we shut down the conversation, we can’t talk about how we can meet the challenges that are in the Arctic today, let alone trying to address the future safety challenges in the Arctic. Andreas Raspotnik: By the end of April 2015 the United States assumes the chairmanship of the Arctic Council. According to your opinion and Arctic experience, what are the key challenges for the United States and how would you compare this time’s chairmanship with the first one, held from 1998 to 2000? Heather Conley: Exactly! The last time we assumed the chairmanship was in 1998 and the Arctic Council was only two years old. Now at our next chairmanship, we are going to celebrate a 20-year-old body, so in some ways the Arctic Council has had a lot of growing to do and it has really been flourishing these last twenty years. The challenge for the U.S. chairmanship is really about your first question: we have only ever known the Arctic Council as a product of the end of the Cold War and the warming of relations with Russia, so the question mark is: how is the Arctic Council going to function if we have a re-freeze or a re-chilling of relations with Russia? So that would be one question that the chairmanship is going to have to grapple with. I think U.S. officials have said it very clearly, that they see multilateral cooperation in the Arctic, they see Russia as being a cooperative partner, so I think the U.S. chairmanship is going to do its very best not to allow any of these geopolitical tensions to spill over, and we just have to wait and see how the relationship manifests itself and what impact that will have on the Arctic Council. The other two challenges that I think the U.S. chairmanship will face, that it did not face in 1998 is the fact that in 1998, I’m not sure that the Arctic - other than for researchers, scientists, and environmentalists – captured that many headlines. Well today, it certainly captures a lot of headlines, and not just the interest of Arctic states, but particularly of non-Arctic states. We were not talking about China constructing its second icebreaker or having a much more significant Chinese interest as an observer to the Arctic Council back in 1998. There’s the whole non-Arctic dimension, what does it mean that India has become an observer? What does it mean that Japan, South Korea, Singapore, and others have joined this? The U.S. chairmanship is going to have to manage both the positive side effects - that there is a lot of interest and enthusiasm in the Arctic and to participate in the Arctic Council – and to maintain that the Arctic Council remains true to its purpose, which is to focus on the people that live in the Arctic – particularly the indigenous populations – to try to handle all these new geopolitical currents that didn’t exist in 1998 and making sure that this almost 20-year-old council continues to grow, to mature, and to meet the challenges. The third, I think, difficulty is that the Arctic itself changes so rapidly, so profoundly. How can we slow this change down? How can we hold and press governments to do more, to reduce black carbon, to reduce methane emissions? How can we help with food security in the Arctic as subsistence hunting patterns change because of climate changes? How are we going to move coastal villages away from the coast and into safety? How do we deal with permafrost thaw? These issues were there during the chairmanship in 1998, but – my goodness! – how rapidly they have progressed, beating expectations of most scientific models. So the challenges are enormous: the new actors and now, potentially, geopolitical tensions that may spill over into the Arctic. I think the U.S. chairmanship will have its hands full. Andreas Raspotnik:At the High North Dialogue you stated, “We (the lower 48 and Hawaii) have to remind ourselves that we are an Arctic nation”. Can you please explain if or how this knowledge or feeling of an “Arctic identity” will be enhanced during the U.S. Arctic Council chairmanship? Do you think more could be done in this regard? And if yes, what exactly? Heather Conley: Yes, absolutely. Certainly the people of Alaska have a very clear understanding of their Arctic origin. Unfortunately, the other 48 states may not wake up every day and realize that the United States is an Arctic nation, so what we’re hoping in the lead up to the chairmanship and now as we take over the chairmanship beginning tomorrow, we’re really hoping to use the next two years as a great opportunity to raise that public awareness, that education, that interest in what are the key issues of the Arctic, what is the U.S. chairmanship hoping to accomplish, because you can’t have informed policy if you don’t have an informed public. So there’s going to be a lot of work just dedicated here in the United States to educate people about the Arctic and what the economic interests are, what are the environmental changes and impact, but again always keeping the people who live in the North at the centre of the policy. I think that is going to be an enormous benefit to our U.S. chairmanship, just to help the average American know a little more about the Arctic. Andreas Raspotnik: Coming to our last question now. At the High North Dialogue you also touched upon that the U.S. Arctic Strategy lacks concrete formulations of what will be done, within which time frame, and at what cost. In your perspective, what is the most urgent topic that the U.S. has to deal with in relation to the Arctic? Heather Conley: Well, let me talk a little about the U.S. agenda for the chairmanship and then a little bit about what we see as the future for U.S. Arctic policy itself. The Arctic Council is a consensus organisation, so every two years when a new chairmanship begins to think about what it would like to do it proposes some ideas, and of course the other seven Arctic Council members and the permanent participants have to say: “Yes, we support that”. In some ways it is not just for the U.S. and what we would like to do, it’s also what the eight countries say is a good thing, and because a state can’t accomplish big things in two years, we see these chairmanships as sort of rolling through to each other and what maybe begins in the U.S. chairmanship will then extend when Finland takes the chair in 2017, so we are very modest about what we can and cannot accomplish. The U.S. has set out three priorities or three themes: 1) to focus on climate change: to mitigate black carbon and methane emission; 2) to focus on ocean stewardship, ocean acidification - again getting back to safety –working hard on search and rescue operations, trying to bring a little bit more implementation to the search and rescue agreement that was signed in 2011, as well as the oil spill response agreement. And then finally 3) to again focus on the people of the North, to look at ways to improve the economic and living conditions of the people of the North, and there are a series of initiatives that are designed around that. Those are the three big themes. I think the U.S. chairmanship will also focus on how to strengthen the Arctic Council. As I said, there has been a lot of growing up the last almost twenty years and it has experienced some growing pains along the way. How it was designed in 1996 is certainly being challenged to operate efficiently in 2015, so the chairmanship will look at that. As far as U.S. policy, we have done a lot of writing the last few years, a lot of strategies, at the national level and now you see where different agencies and departments – like the Defence Department, like the Department of Homeland Security, and others - will be writing their strategy on how their funding and resources are being given. The White House has created a new coordinating body called the ‘Arctic Executive Steering Group’ – and that’s an attempt to get a lot more senior-level attention about the Arctic, prioritizing what are we not doing that we should be doing, and hopefully down the road, beginning to fund some of these important priorities. We’re going to be doing that simultaneously as we work on our chairmanship, so the hope is that both through the engagement with the U.S. chairmanship – doing what we’ve already been doing - and strengthening the U.S. domestic policies that by 2017 when we hand over the torch to Helsinki from the chairmanship and we welcome a new presidential administration, we’ll have elevated our Arctic policy and then moved to a phase of implementation. That’s the hope, now we’ll have to see if we can get that all accomplished, but I think we’re getting there. We may not have a strong Arctic identity here in Washington, but I certainly see an enormous amount of work and effort and focus. We understand that we’re a little bit behind and we’re doing our very best to catch up and provide that important Arctic leadership. Andreas Raspotnik: Dear Heather, thank you very much for taking the time to highlight some of the challenges the U.S is and will continue to face in the Arctic. See you again in Bodø. Heather Conley: Well, thank you Andreas. It has been great speaking with you. Thanks for joining us for this podcast, which was recorded on April 23rd, 2015. Follow along with the series on iTunes or via our websites highnorthdialogue.no and thearcticinstitute.org. The music you’ve heard at the beginning and at the end comes from Hebber Zepherin and can be found at ccmixture.org. |
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Article 1
The Arctic This Week May 11 - 17, 2015  Photo: Malte Humpert, Bodø, Norway Welcome and thanks for joining us for a Reads of the Week edition this week! We hope that you find TATW interesting and entertaining to read. If you’re not a subscriber yet, you can sign up here. As always, all editorial choices, opinions and any mistakes are the authors’ own. Anything that we missed? Please feel free to share material with us if you think it deserves inclusion in TATW. READS OF THE WEEK THE POLITICAL SCENE World Policy Blog examines the challenges to cooperation in the Arctic. The author argues that “the future of the region largely depends on what issues the Arctic states…will emphasize…[and] will also depend on which approach they consider more pertinent: the need for international cooperation, the pursuance of national interests, or understanding the indivisibility of our planet’s future.” Environmental groups are arguing that the recently-passed Polar Code does not go far enough to protect the Arctic from various environmental threats posed by an increase in shipping (BBC). ENERGY The US Bureau of Ocean Energy Management approved Shell’s exploration plan for drilling in the Chukchi Sea on May 11 (BOEM). Although Shell still must pass some additional regulatory steps before drilling can begin, the acquiescence of the BOEM was the last major step that Shell needed to overcome. Meanwhile, Seattle city officials joined environmentalists in attempting to stop Shell’s pre-Chukchi operations at the city’s port, though the company expects to continue with its preparations as reported in last week’s TATW (AD). In protest of the arrival of Shell’s Polar Pioneer rig, a group of “kayaktivists” took to water in Seattle (AD). Additionally, an interesting set of perspectives from Arctic experts on this issue was published by the New York Times this week and can be found here (NYT). SCIENCE, ENVIRONMENT AND WILDLIFE A study using DNA analysis on mammoths published on Tuesday inCurrent Biology discloses that mammoths died out on the Russian Wrangell Island, as it separated from the continent due to rising sea levels. It is suggested that inbreeding eventually led to the population decline (BO). MILITARY / SEARCH & RESCUE InPolitico, the U.S. Ambassador to Sweden and Swedish Ambassador to the United States have co-written an article calling for, among other things, increased awareness for the search and rescue challenges in the Arctic, and the need to increase investment in such capabilities and preparations for such contingencies. They argue that, “Arctic states need to plan and train for accidents and disasters…the Search and Rescue Agreement…has been put in place…[and] the U.S. chairmanship of the Arctic Council is an opportunity to exercise it and to identify best practices.” Writing inDefense News, Sherri Goodman, a former US Deputy Undersecretary of Defense, and retired U.S. Navy Rear Admiral David Titley call upon the United States to snap out of what has thus been something of a stupor regarding its status as an Arctic nation, and begin making the necessary preparations and investments to protect its interests and take a leadership role in the region. The two authors argue for an increase in spending on science in the region, building up the miniscule U.S. icebreaker fleet, and preparing for the possibility of conflict with Russia in the region. MINING In an opinion piece for the New York Times, Alexander Shestakov, the Director of WWF’s Global Arctic Programme, writes that Arctic communities need to have more power over local economic development efforts. In particular, Shestakov uses the history of Arctic mining profits flowing out of the Arctic as an example of the lack of control northern communities have over their economic development. While he does not necessarily call for the abolishment of mining in the Arctic, Shestakov lays out a set of preconditions that would help indigenous communities and local stakeholders benefit from resource extraction. FISHERIES, SHIPPING AND OTHER BUSINESS NEWS The International Maritime Organization last week approved the last parts of the Polar Code, which will come into force in 2017. The regulations will prohibit the dumping of oil, oily waste or noxious materials into Arctic or Antarctic waters. Furthermore, they will regulate the types of vessels allowed to operate in polar waters (AD). However, some argue that there is a need for regulations guaranteeing better environmental protection and reducing the ships’ environmental impact (BBC). HEALTH, YOUTH, SOCIETY AND CULTURE A renewed push is being made to develop an “Inuit University” in Nunavut (G&M). According to a report released by Nunavut officials in April, the university would be based in Iqaluit and the mandatory curriculum would include courses on traditional Inuit knowledge, culture, and language. Other classes would be on topics like northern health issues, indigenous politics and governance, and fine arts, among others. Although some opportunities already exist for post-secondary education in Nunavut, such as the Nunavut Arctic College and The University of the Arctic, those institutions either offer degrees in conjunction with non-Arctic schools or through online courses. Of the eight circumpolar nations, only Canada lacks a local university in the High North, and the proposed Inuit university would fill that gap. The renewed momentum to fund an Inuit university is due in part to a conditional pledge of $5 million made by Agnico Eagle Mines back in April to support building a brick-and-mortar university in Nunavut (CBC). However, federal funding would also be necessary to help make the Inuit university vision into a reality. Abbreviation Key Aboriginal Peoples Television Network (APTN) Aftenbladet (AB) Alaska Business Monthly (ABM) Alaska Dispatch (AD) Alaska Journal of Commerce (AJC) Alaska Native News (ANN) Alaska Public Media (APM) Anchorage Daily News (ADN) Arctic Info (Russian) (AIR) Arctic Institute (TAI) Barents Nova (BN) Barents Observer (BO) Bristol Bay Times (BBT) BusinessWeek (BW) Canadian Mining Journal (CMJ) Christian Science Monitor (CSM) Eye on the Arctic (EOTA) Fairbanks Daily News-Miner (FNM) Financial Times (FT) Globe and Mail (G&M) Government of Canada (GOC) Government of the Northwest Territories (GNWT) Huffington Post (HP) Indian Country Today Media Network (ICTMN) Johnson’s Russia List (JRL) Kalaallit Nunaata Radioa (KNR) Lapin Kansa (LK) Moscow Times (MT) National Geographic (NG) Natural Gas Europe (NGE) Naval Today (NT) New York Times (NYT) Northern Journal (NJ) Northern News Service Online (NNSO) Northern Public Affairs (NPA) Norwegian Polar Institute (NPI) Nunatsiaq News (NN) Oil & Gas Journal (OGJ) Ottawa Citizen (OC) Petroleum News (PN) RIA Novosti (RIAN) Russia Beyond the Headlines (RBTH) Russia Today (RT) Voice of Russia (VOR) Wall Street Journal (WSJ) Washington Post (WP) Whitehorse Star (WS) Winnipeg Free Press (WFP) Yukon News (YN) |
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Arctic Security: Hype, Nuances and Dilemmas
Arctic Security: Hype, Nuances and Dilemmas Andreas Østhagen, May 27, 2015  Photo: Norwegian soldiers from the Intelligence battalion on ski patrol. Source:Hæren/Forsvarets mediesenter Introduction For a decade, journalists and scholars have been engaged in debates on the potential for conflict over Arctic resources and territory. After more sober discussions prevailed the past few years, alarmist headlines have returned due to Russia’s expansionist behavior 2000 south in Ukraine. Outright conflict over the Arctic, however, seems unlikely. At worst, claims over the North Pole’s seabed will lead to a diplomatic struggle. The potential for conflict over offshore resources is also vastly exaggerated. Yet, to contend, like some have, that the Arctic is ‘completely uninteresting geopolitically’, neglects the role that the region plays in the security considerations of some Arctic states, Russia in particular. A Looming Conflict Military activity in the Arctic is at its highest point since the Cold War. Russian bombers flying along the North Norwegian coast or across the North Pole from the Kola Peninsula continue at high numbers and with increasing complexity. Russian investment in military infrastructure in the Arctic is growing. Moreover, controversial statements by Russian deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin implying that Crimea and the Arctic are“all about the same”, do not help cool down Arctic rhetoric. These trends have prompted debates in the other Arctic states over the need to invest in northern capabilities and presence. The Western media’s rhetoric and concern over Russian activity in the Arctic is also taking on increasingly harsh language, with headlines such as ‘Cold War Echoes Under the Arctic Ice’ (Wall Street Journal, March 25 2014) and ‘Russia prepares for ice-cold war with show of military force in the Arctic’ (The Guardian, October 21 2014). Conflict over the Arctic? Increased military activity does not, however, imply that an Arctic standoff is imminent. The prevailing argument for why there would be a conflict over the Arctic is the region’s energy and mineral resources. Yet, when examining the location and accessibility of these resources, it becomes apparent that they are predominantly located in what arealready the economic zones of the Arctic coastal states. With the largest maritime border dispute between Norway and Russia in the Barents Sea settled in 2010, Arctic riches are more or less already divided. Furthermore, the Arctic states are struggling to exploit their own riches, with limited or no petroleum and mineral activity commencing. Instead of inspiring a so-called scramble for the north, the Arctic states are actually mutually dependent on a stable political environment to develop the potential of their northern riches. As Rolf Tamnes and Kristine Offerdal argue in their seminal 2014 book ‘Geopolitics and Security in the Arctic’: “There is little to suggest today that the Arctic states see resources and territory in a more accessible Arctic as likely to trigger armed conflict”. With the marked drop in oil and gas prices, these conclusions have only become more relevant. Theoft-cited dispute between Canada, Denmark/Greenland and Russia over who can claim the North Pole seabed is also unlikely to become anything but a diplomatic struggle, at worst. As argued by Michael Byers,the North Pole is a distraction. The Arctic states have neither the economic or strategic incentive to undertake any significant operation to further claim the seabed of the North Pole. Symbolism is undoubtedly of great value, but the cost of North Pole operations does not match the Pole’s perceived gains. Conflict in the Arctic? The Arctic states are, on the other hand, not exempt from conflict and instability. Although struggle over the Arctic is not cause for grave concern, the regional relationships with Russia in the Arctic cannot be sheltered from the deterioration of the relationship between Russia and the West. Subsequently the potential for small-scale incidents having a larger impact on the security situation in the region should not be underestimated. Take the case of the Russian trawler ‘Elektron’, which was operating in the Fisheries Protection Zone around Svalbard in October 2005. When it became clear it had conducted legal offenses, the vessel fled toward Russian waters with two Norwegian Fisheries Inspectors on-board. Onlybad weather hindered Norwegian Special Forces boarding the vessel. Similarly, in the Bering Sea in 1999 the Russian fishing vessel ‘Gissar’ was boarded by crew from the United States Coast Guard cutter ‘Hamilton’, on charges of illegal fishing in US waters. With the boarding crew on the Russian trawler, both vessels were surrounded by a number of other Russian fishing vessels intent on blocking the ‘Hamilton’ from taking the trawler to a port in Alaska. These examples highlight the volatility of the situations taking place in – or just outside of – the Arctic. Both cases were solved by a combination of diplomacy and competent handling by the coastguards, although the incidents had potential to escalate into a larger crisis. This is especially the case in incidents involving resource management when an Arctic coastal state is protecting its sovereign rights in areas that have been subject to dispute. Regional Security and Russia In addition to the conflict scenarios described above, the role of the Arctic in security considerations of some of the Arctic states cannot be neglected. These, however, vary across the Arctic states, as there are great differences in the emphasis and focus each country places on their northern areas. For the Nordic countries, the Arctic is integral in national security policy considerations. This is particularly the case for Norway and Finland, who have extensive land and maritime borders with Russia. Similarly, Russia has military bases in the Arctic that are imperative to Russia’s access to the North Atlantic and its strategic nuclear submarines. Some of Russia’s increased military activity in the Arctic has therefore come as a natural consequence of replacing outdated and ineffective equipment leftover from the Cold War. Another part of the activity increase, however, is directed at the Arctic itself, as a show of force to mark the Arctic’s strategic importance to Russia. As Katarzyna Zyskargues, Russian activity and rhetoric concerning the Arctic may seem contradictory. On the one hand, Russia continues to emphasize cooperation and low-tension, signaling a desire to keep Arctic cooperation unharmed. On the other hand, Russia expands its military posturing in the Arctic for both symbolic and strategic purposes, embodied by military investments and snap exercises. On the other side of the North Pole, the Arctic does not hold the same seminal role in security considerations. In North America (including Greenland), the Arctic has primarily been the location of missile defense and surveillance equipment, in addition to a limited amount of strategic forces (in Alaska and Greenland). Beyond that, the North American Arctic states have not prioritized Arctic military investment, as the perceived threats in the north have been minimal. Despite theoverflow of rhetoric suggesting otherwise, Russian investment in the European Arctic consequently has limited impact on the North American security outlook. Due to the sheer size and inaccessibility of the region, the spillover of security issues between the various parts of the Arctic is limited. Indeed, Russian overtures with bomber and fighter planes may cause alarm, but the real threat for the North American states – Canada and Greenland in particular – is limited. This is in contrast to the perception of an Arctic that generates its own hostile security environment. For that, the Arctic Ocean is too remote and vast, with not enough activity. Had the Arctic Ocean been as frequently traversed (and ice-free) as the Indian Ocean, security dynamics might have been different. Currently, however, security dynamics in the Arctic exist at a sub-regional level – i.e. in the Barents area, the Bering Sea/Strait area, and Baltic Sea region – and as an extension of conflicts with Russia originating elsewhere. A Growing Security Dilemma Although conflict over the Arctic itself is unlikely, the deteriorating relationship between Russia and the West does pose a problem for the Arctic states, in particular those that neighbor Russia. As trust deteriorates and traditional avenues of military cooperation are disbanded, the other Arctic states begin to observe regional Russian troop movements and exercises with greater skepticism, and vice versa. As Kristian Åtland argues, the effect of the conflict over Ukraine has thus been the development of an Arctic‘security dilemma’. In terms of hard security dialogue, formalized arenas developed to discuss security matters – like the Arctic Security Forces Roundtable and the Northern Chiefs of Defense Forum – have all been cancelled, postponed or held without Russian participation. At the same time, organizing Arctic security roundtables without Russia defeats some of the main purpose of why such venues were created. As Mark Schissler, the EUCOM’s director of strategy and policy,stated back in 2012: “not to single one nation out, but having Russia at the table matters”. The Arctic states consequently find themselves in a catch-22. Re-instating the Northern Chiefs of Defense Forum or including Russia again in the Arctic Security Forces Roundtable encounters the problem of upholding a strong response to Russian actions in Ukraine. The Arctic states cannot cherry-pick what military-to-military contact to preserve, in fear of distorting the effect of a coherent response. Conclusion Recent hype concerning outright conflict over the Arctic is inaccurate. It does not disseminate the vastness of the region and the differing roles the region plays in the security outlooks of the Arctic states. Yet, there is still potential for conflict to take place in the Arctic, as the region stands as one of multiple theaters for clashes between Russia and the West. This has arguably little to do with symbolic quarrels over the North Pole, and everything to do with the West’s relationship with Russia at large. At the same time, Russian behavior in the north is seen as ambiguous, at best. Having cut military-to-military contact with Russia, the Arctic states find themselves in a catch-22. However, there are ways to sustain practical dialogue while not being at odds with a coherent response to Russian actions in Ukraine. Including the Russian coast guard in a multilateral forum with focus on soft security concerns is one such action to avoid unintended mishaps and escalation in the Arctic. Ultimately, further escalation in the broader conflict between Russia and the West determines the trajectory of the security environment in the Arctic. Russia holds the keys to the region’s future, while it also has the most to lose from a re-freeze in the Arctic. |
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The Arctic This Week Arctic News
The Arctic This Week May 25 - 31, 2015  courtesy: Karsten Bidstrup Welcome and thanks for joining us this week! We hope that you find TATW interesting and entertaining to read. If you’re not a subscriber yet, you cansign up here. As always, all editorial choices, opinions and any mistakes are the authors’ own. Anything that we missed? Please feel free to share material with us if you think it deserves inclusion in TATW. TAI’s RECENT ACTIVITIES The Greenland Dilemma A new book on Greenland's international role and complex relations with Denmark has just been published, with input from TAI’s Marc Jacobsen, who has done research and analysis for the book. The e-book version in English can be downloaded for free on the Royal Danish Defence website. Read more on the book on the Arctic Journal. Arctic Summer College Ecologic Institute and its partners are pleased to announce the 2015 Arctic Summer College and are seeking applications from emerging leaders working to improve Arctic governance from around the world. The Arctic Summer College creates a network of emerging leaders and experts that will be brought together for 8 weeks in a series of web-based seminars (webinars) from June 25 to August 13. The program aims to build a lasting, policy-oriented network of Arctic professionals to strengthen communication between peoples and nations, scientific disciplines, policy areas, and across the science-policy interface to improve governance and sustainable development in the Arctic. Applicants will be accepted until June 11. Find more information here. THE POLITICAL SCENE Timo Soini, leader of the Finns Party, will be Finland’s next foreign minister. Observers expect that “with Soini as foreign minister Finland is likely to get a foreign policy line which is more open towards NATO. Soini has already announced that the new government will prepare a report to explore the benefits of NATO membership for Finland.” Finland’s previous government was opposed to joining the transatlantic alliance, instead stressing better cooperation with Russia (BO). Facing a “budget impasse,” the Alaska state government is preparing for a potential partial shutdown on 1 July should the legislature remain unable to pass a budget.AD provides the details of what such an event would entail, and which agencies would be affected. ENERGY A report from the US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) faulted Shell for the 2012 grounding of a rig that caused the company to suspend its Arctic operations soon thereafter. Shell executives and federal regulators have nonetheless defended recent decisions that will likely allow Shell to resume operations in the region in the near future (ABC). As a number of voices continue to protest Shell’s imminent return to the Arctic, the company has stated that oil extracted from potential Arctic reserves may not hit international markets until the 2030s due to the complex nature of the drilling process (CSM). A video that sums up the various aspects of the debate can be found here. Although Russia supplied more natural gas to Western Europe than any other country in 2014, Norway took over the top position in the first quarter of 2015. The shift was influenced by European desires to reduce dependence on Russian energy supplies as well as the flexible pricing options being offered by Norway (Oil & Gas 360). SCIENCE, ENVIRONMENT AND WILDLIFE Recent bear sightings in Anchorage, Alaska, have highlighted the role of social media in human-wildlife interactions. The sightings were shared through the community-specific networking site Nextdoor.com, which is designed for neighborhood interactions. The website is increasingly being used to report wildlife encounters in urban communities, which can be both beneficial and detrimental. On one hand, it is easier to alert neighbors of bears and other potentially harmful wildlife roaming in the neighborhood. On the other hand, the Alaska Department of Fish and Game observes that instead of communicating sightings to their biologists, people tend to post them online, where Fish and Game might not have access to the community-specific information. And where the information leaks to non-community-specific websites, it can attract onlookers wanting to take pictures, which has already led to traffic jams in some areas (AD). MILITARY / SEARCH & RESCUE Some 100 aircraft and 4,000 personnel from the United States, Germany, Britain, France, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Switzerland are taking part in the Norwegian-led “Arctic Challenge” training exercises. Meanwhile. Russia is running its own exercises in Siberia with some 250 aircraft and 12,000 personnel (The Telegraph andAD). Russia has announced it will deploy Bastion anti-ship missiles to the Arctic this year, as part of a beefed-up coastal defense system. Speaking to Sputnik News, Admiral Vladimir Korolev, commander Northern Fleet, “also said that the Northern Fleet’s anti-air defense recently received S-400 missile complexes, while some Pantsir-S surface-to-air missiles systems were deployed to other parts of the Arctic” (IBTimes). MINING Alaska’s Supreme Court handed down two key decisions last week regarding the legality of the controversial Pebble mine in Alaska’s Bristol Bay. In a detailed article, Alaska Dispatch News breaks down the two decisions, both of which ruled in favor of anti-Pebble mine activists. FISHERIES, SHIPPING AND OTHER BUSINESS NEWS Despite challenging sea ice conditions, Alaska’s spring whale harvest has been relatively successful. The difficulties faced by whalers include winds and currents adverse to whaling, shifting ice, as well as summer temperatures and rain arriving earlier than usual and softening the ice to dangerous levels. These conditions are likely what contributed to the death of Native-rights activist Charles ‘Etok’ Edwardsen Jr., who broke through the ice while whaling (AD). The whalers were supported by unmanned aircraft from the University of Alaska Fairbanks, which provided them with topographic maps of the ice conditions (AD). HEALTH, EDUCATION, SOCIETY AND CULTURE The Telegraph recently ran a profile on Rebecca Dinerstein, a 27-year-old American author whose debut novel, which sparked a bidding war between publishers, was released on June 2 to much acclaim. The book, titled “The Sunlit Night”, is set in the Arctic Norwegian archipelago of Lofoten. In fact, Dinerstein’s inspiration for the novel came from a 12-month stint living at an artist’s colony in Lofoten after graduating from university. Writing in Cosmopolitan, Dinerstein discusses how living alone on an island in the Norwegian Arctic inspired her first novel and changed her views on relationships and solitude. Iceland’s movie and television industry reported record-setting revenues in 2014, with the industry earning approximately $117 million (mbl). According to the Association of Iceland Film Producers, revenue generated from the tv and movie production in the country has increased roughly 300% over the past five years. The increase is largely due to recent movies such as Noah and Interstellar as well as television shows like Fortitude and Game of Thrones being filmed in the country.  Abbreviation Key Aboriginal Peoples Television Network (APTN) Aftenbladet (AB) Alaska Business Monthly (ABM) Alaska Dispatch (AD) Alaska Journal of Commerce (AJC) Alaska Native News (ANN) Alaska Public Media (APM) Anchorage Daily News (ADN) Arctic Info (Russian) (AIR) Arctic Institute (TAI) Barents Nova (BN) Barents Observer (BO) Bristol Bay Times (BBT) BusinessWeek (BW) Canadian Mining Journal (CMJ) Christian Science Monitor (CSM) Eye on the Arctic (EOTA) Fairbanks Daily News-Miner (FNM) Financial Times (FT) Globe and Mail (G&M) Government of Canada (GOC) Government of the Northwest Territories (GNWT) Huffington Post (HP) Indian Country Today Media Network (ICTMN) Johnson’s Russia List (JRL) Kalaallit Nunaata Radioa (KNR) Lapin Kansa (LK) Moscow Times (MT) National Geographic (NG) Natural Gas Europe (NGE) Naval Today (NT) New York Times (NYT) Northern Journal (NJ) Northern News Service Online (NNSO) Northern Public Affairs (NPA) Norwegian Polar Institute (NPI) Nunatsiaq News (NN) Oil & Gas Journal (OGJ) Ottawa Citizen (OC) Petroleum News (PN) RIA Novosti (RIAN) Russia Beyond the Headlines (RBTH) Russia Today (RT) Voice of Russia (VOR) Wall Street Journal (WSJ) Washington Post (WP) Whitehorse Star (WS) Winnipeg Free Press (WFP) Yukon News (YN) |
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