The Arctic This Week July 15 - July 21, 2014 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. You can find the PDF version here. As always, all editorial choices, opinions and any mistakes are the authors’ own. To comment, to point out an error or to request a back issue, feel free to contact us directly. Anything that we missed? Please feel free to share material with us if you think it deserves inclusion in TATW. |  courtesy of Mads Phil |
The TATW team will be taking it’s second annual summer break following this issue. For three weeks, our authors will wander their homes and offices, lost without the pleasures of ‘trolling the internet for Arctic-related content and analysis. Fortunately, summertime promises a vast array of diversions that should keep us occupied until August 20th, when we will resume with our regularly scheduled programming (at the same time and the same great station!) As always, thanks for reading and looking forward to catching you all on the flip side! ARCTIC CONFERENCE AND EVENTS LIST The Arctic Institute maintains and provides access to a list of Arctic-themed conferences, workshops, and events. You can access the list by clicking on the following link: Please help us keep this list up to date! If you would like to add an event to the list, please submit the required information including the event’s name, dates, location, description, website address and contact information usingthis submission form. The list will be updated weekly and a link to the list will be provided each week in TATW. TAI’s RECENT ACTIVITIES It’s been a busy week for TAI Executive Director Malte Humpert, who appears quoted in articles on Arctic shipping in The Christian Science Monitor, on US Arctic politics in the Arctic Journal and on investment and Greenlandic shipping in Bloomberg Businessweek. He also co-authored an opinion piece on the team’s reaction to the appointment of Admiral Papp as US Special Representative for the Arctic, along with Fellow Mihaela David, which you can read here on our website. READS OF THE WEEK Petroleum News presented Explorers 2014 this week, a special edition where they detail the diverse companies that are operating in Alaska’s North Slope and Arctic offshore. Many of the pieces from the series included in this week’s energy section are worth reading, but if you’re short on time, focus on this article on Shell that explores the history of Shell’s activities in Alaska’s Arctic and the company’s future prospects after it cancelling its exploration plans for 2014. Will the new wave of US sanctions against Rosneft and other Russian entities produce the outcome the West desires? This interesting article from Steven Mufson at The Washington Post takes a stab at the complexities surrounding economic sanctions, Russia, Ukraine and the West. Norway is participating in the biennial RIMPAC exercises for the first time;SLDInfo provides an analysis of the various impetuses behind its decision. The Canadian Press reports that calls are growing louder for the Canadian government to invest in infrastructure development – particularly building a deep-water port – in Iqaluit. Despite growing traffic, author Lee-Anne Goodman reports that “the Nunavut town’s waterfront has scarcely changed since English explorer Martin Frobisher sailed into the inlet in 1576.” Surfing the Arctic? For our sports read of the week, head over toBleacher Report as it documents a group of brave surfers (and photographers) doing just that. In cultural reads, a new book published by Inhabit Media chronicles the importance of the namesake tradition through the stories and testimony of Kivalliq elders. The book is definitely worth a read to understand the cultural significance of the tradition (NN). In health news, a two and a half year public health effort to decrease the sky-high tuberculosis rate in Nunavut has determined the factors critical to the success of curbing TB, as well as the continuing challenges (NN). This Arctic Journal profile of Longyearbyen, a small town in Svalbard, will open your eyes to life in Norway’s northernmost point, its cultural diversity, and its ambitions. Finally in society reads, this longer Alaska Dispatch article sheds light on the prevalence of using the Fairbanks Craigslist to post offensive and occasionally violent derogatory comments about Alaska Natives, indicating a continued tolerance for racism. In mining, this interesting opinion piece in Arctic Journal argues, contrary to the conclusions of a study published earlier this year, that Greenland’s economically viable mineral resources could sustain an independent Greenland. In environmental news, the re-opening of the United States‘ eastern seaboard to seismic testing for potential offshore oil and gas exploration disappointed environmentalists and people dependent on fisheries and coastal ecosystems. The sonic cannons used to locate deposits deep beneath the ocean floor emit sound waves much louder than jet engines every 10 seconds for weeks at a time. This could harm the whales, dolphins and turtles living in these waters, an estimated 138,000 animals (The Guardian). On September 2, representatives from Arctic Council states and Permanent Participant organisations will gather in Iqualuit, Nunavut, to determine the ground-rules for the recently established Arctic Economic Council (AEC). When assuming the chairmanship of the Arctic Council last May, Canada made economic development, through an “Arctic-to-Arctic” dialogue, one of its priorities (AJ). THE POLITICAL SCENE All eyes on America’s Arctic diplomacy The United States made headlines as an Arctic nation last week when Secretary of State John Kerry appointed two new Arctic experts. Admiral Robert Papp will serve as the US Special Representative to the Arctic (a post announced this February), and Fran Ulmer will serve as Kerry’s Special Advisor on Arctic Science and Policy (US Department of State, Alaska Senate Majority). Admiral Papp is the former Commandant of the US Coast Guard, while Ms. Ulmer currently serves as Chairwoman of the US Arctic Research Commission (Military.com, Juneau Empire). You can read more about the new appointments via Eye on the Arctic, KDLG, and the Arctic Journal. To read in-depth about TAI’s reaction to Papp’s appointment, click here. International Cianbro pushes for a business partnership in Greenland (Bloomberg Businessweek). Canada United States Following reports of Russian military buildup along Russia’s border with Ukraine and Russian acquiescence of Ukrainian separatism, the United States imposed new economic sanctions against the Russian Federation last week via Executive Order (Financial Times). Included in the list are Russian oil giant Rosneft, natural gas producer Novatek, Russia’s third largest bank, Gazprombank, and the government-owned Bank for Development and Foreign Economic Affairs (Fox Business). This interesting article from The Washington Post analyzes whether these sanctions will actually work. Lisa Murkowski walks a tightrope between energy development and environmental concerns (Washington Examiner). Why I am voting 'Yes' to repeal Senate Bill 21 (Arctic Sounder). Movers & Shakers 7/20/14 (Alaska Journal of Commerce). ENERGY Russia and Rosneft not impressed as West contemplates more sanctions The White House announced new sanctions this week against some of Russia’s largest companies over continued unrest in eastern Ukraine (Press Release). The new sanctions will hit Rosneft, preventing the Russian oil company from accessing US equity and debt markets (Bloomberg). The sanctions stopped short of prohibiting US companies from doing business with Rosneft, and the company dismissed the new sanctions saying they would have little impact on Rosneft’s ambitious expansion plans (OilPrice). Financial analysts, however, seem to think that the new sanctions will squeeze Rosneft severely, forcing the company to rely more heavily on Chinese banks to fund its operations (FT). US offshore oil: Sensible, all-of-the-above, energy or climate disaster? This week the Bureau of Ocean and Energy Management gave oil companies permission to begin sonic exploration for oil and gas off the Atlantic Coast of the United States (Ibtimes). For some, this represents a gradual development in a sensible, all-of-the-above energy policy, while other see opening up places like the Atlantic offshore and the Arctic for oil and gas development as a serious threat to the earth’s climate (HP). United States US lags behind on energy efficiency, study shows (Mint Press News). Canada SCIENCE, ENVIRONMENT AND WILDLIFE Wildfires in Canada get worse The situation in Canada’s Northwest Territories’ worst wildfire season so far is deteriorating. Even though it is still early in the season, there were 31 new fires in a period of 24 hours across Canada and over 2,500 so far this year. Well over a million hectares have burned to date. According to Mike Flannigan of the University of Alberta, we should “expect more fires, larger fires, more intense fires” in the next years due to climate change (EOTA). Climate OSU-Cascades anthropologist studies climate change. Elizabeth Marino’s work looks at a village facing disaster (The Bulletin). Flora and fauna Fish Factor: Glacial melt changes ocean chemistry, study says crabs hear (Alaska Journal of Commerce). Hangin’ with an Arctic Fox (Squidoo). Listening for Narwhal (Pew). Norwegian reindeer herds boosted by climate change (Manchester). Polar bears Expeditions & research blogs China launches 6th Arctic expedition (Xinhua). Nanaimo sailor stuck in Arctic ice had polar bears for company (Times Colonist). Miscellaneous 66-yard crater appears in far northern Siberia (Mining Gazette). Demystifying the Arctic (World Economic Forum). 10 Things You May Already Know About the Arctic, or Maybe Not (Arctic Bound). MILITARY / SEARCH & RESCUE Norway participating in RIMPAC for the first time Norway, for the first time, has joined the ongoing RIMPAC 2014 exercises taking place off the coast of Hawaii. RIMPAC 2014 includes some twenty-two nations and close to 25,000 personnel. According to analysis fromSLDInfo, one of the major factors behind Norway’s involvement is its increasing interests in the north Pacific via the Arctic, and its concomitant interest in maximizing its maritime cooperation with other Arctic nations – including the United States. Meanwhile,Toronto Sun reports that Norwegian military intelligence is set to deploy a new USD 250 million spy ship in 2016. Canadian Coast Guard Arctic communications system downed by software problem New software is causing problems that hamper effective communications between mariners in danger and the Canadian Coast Guard station in Iqaluit. The Coast Guard has issued a notice that “services provided from the remote-controlled transmit and receive facilities located at Inuvik may be subject to intermittent operations,” and is actively working to resolve the issue (CBC).KTOO reports that the problem has not affected any sailors to this point. United States Coast Guard Frees Sailboat Trapped in Arctic Ice (military.com) . Following up on a story we reported earlier,Scientific American delves into some of the issues facing U.S. military bases vis-à-vis adapting to new conditions caused by climate change. Canada B.C. sailor rescued after being trapped in Arctic ice for 10 days (GlobalNews.ca). The Telegram looks at the life of a cook onboard the heavy icebreaker Terry Fox in the Canadian Coast Guard. MINING Gold spikes as MH17 shot down As reports emerged that the Malaysian Airlines flight MH17 was shot down over eastern Ukraine, the price of gold on safe-haven demand spiked from USD 1,298 to USD 1,325 (PN). Canadian investors putting millions into mining projects Canadian investment firms are in the process of investing between USD 13 and 15 million in mining projects near the Southeast Alaska border, which some critics say could damage regional fisheries and, as a result, the local economy (KTOO). Greenland IBA now publicly available The month-old impact benefit agreement with Canadian ruby-mining firm, True North Gems, was released publicly this week, after facing criticism for not being transparent and easily available to the Greenlandic people (Arctic Journal). According to the executive director of the Yukon Chamber of Mines, neither the Yukon government’s plan nor the First Nations’ plan for the Peel watershed area are good news for the mining industry (YN). Finnish mining company Northland Resources has announced they will be laying off 29 employees and postponing some operations in an attempt to maintain liquidity (AD). FISHERIES, SHIPPING AND OTHER BUSINESS NEWS Need for foreign workers in Canada Canada’s western provinces have a genuine interest in recruiting temporary foreign workers, in particular in smaller and remote communities where employers do not readily have access to Canadian workers. The government’s recent overhaul of immigration policies and its foreign workers program appears to adversely affect businesses. The Ministry of Employment argues that companies need to increase their effort in training employees and recruiting from currently underrepresented communities (Daily Commercial News). The importance of diversity in Greenland Unemployment numbers are increasing in Greenland, especially among young people. Among other initiatives, inclusion is high on the agenda and backed by businesses. Hiring from underrepresented communities, such as people with special needs, embeds the companies in local society and has further benefits, such as employee retention (AJ). Fisheries King concerns drive Cook Inlet fisheries (Alaska Journal of Commerce). Commercial salmon run starts strong in Kotzebue (Arctic Sounder). Shipping Other business and economic news New sanctions on Russia would be a blow to Eastern Finland (Helsinki Times). Governor Addresses Bethel Chamber of Commerce (Alaska Native News). Putin: US sanctions hurt bilateral ties, US firms (Mining Journal). THE ECONOMY: Bank of Canada says we're not doing well (Canadian Mining Journal). Acta seals tie-up with Dantherm for arctic fuel cells (Proactive Investors). Arctic mine gives Dominion Diamond more stones (Montreal Gazette). HEALTH, EDUCATION, SOCIETY AND CULTURE Dumpcano societal casualties continue The dump fire in Iqaluit has continued to burn since May 20, causing many disruptions to everyday life, most recently of which includes the cancellation of the annual Parks Day at Sylvia Grinnell Territorial Park (NN). Health concerns have also been prevalent, and this week a health advisory was issued for pregnant women to avoid the smoke, as it may decrease fertility in male offspring (CBC). Furthermore, the air quality in Iqaluit is now failing the provincial health standards, with levels of cancer-causing dioxins higher than the guidelines, which may cause a variety of adverse health effects (NN). Health Society The U.S. Secretary of Labor, Thomas Perez, spoke in Fairbanks this week about the disconnect between Washington and the unique needs of people living in Alaska, highlighting the difficult choices citizens there face between paying for food, utilities and other essentials (FNM). Anchorage Daily News newspaper has had its name changed to Alaska Dispatch News, indicating an aspiration to be a state-wide news outlet in all media forms and combining with its formerly online-only outlet, Alaska Dispatch (AD). In Igloolik, an inquest into the death of Solomon Uyarasuk, a member of the popular Artcirq performance group, has been set for November of this year (CBC). The 26 year old died in a RCMP jail cell, and the inquest will hope to determine a cause of death, which has not been publicly determined since his death in September 2012 (NN). Culture The beloved priest in Fort Smith, NWT, famous for integrating aboriginal spiritual traditions into the Roman Catholic masses, has left his position, uncovering underlying hostilities between First Nations and some non-aboriginals who have opposed this integration (CBC). A Danish sarcastic tabloid is in hot water over its chilly remarks towards the Greenlandic national costume, sparking a debate over insensitivity, racism and cultural ignorance (Arctic Journal). The Atlin music festival attracts musicians from around the country and the world, who note the unique attentiveness of the crowd and the centrality of each song’s story (YN). INFRASTRUCTURE Canada Via Rail resumes service to Churchill after 1.5-month halt (Globalnews.ca). United States TheArctic Research Consortium of the United States has published the final report from its 2013 Logistics Workshop. For those seeking an abbreviated version, the Executive Summary is also available for download. Europe Researchers studying solutions for broadband in the Arctic (oilpubs.com). Russia SPORTS United States Fairbanks Newsminer is covering the World Eskimo-Indian Olympics: check out their photo galleries of various events, includingear pull,kneel jump,two-foot high kick, and theopening ceremony. 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) |