The Arctic This Week August 3 - August 9, 2015  photo: Ville Miettinen 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 Polar bears’ diving capacity is improving Anarticle in the journal Polar Biology has made the news as researchers observed the longest known dive by a polar bear on record. The researchers view it as a possible adaptation to living in marine environments. Nevertheless, this change is unlikely to compensate for the polar bears’ increasing difficulty in hunting seals (NN,AD). Study: low metal prices are contributing to poor economic outlook in the Canadian Arctic A recent report from The Conference Board of Canada shows that the decline in global mineral and metal prices is hurting the economic forecast in Canada's northern territories (EOTA). However, of Canada’s Arctic territories, the report is most optimistic about the short- and medium-term mining prospects in Nunavut, largely due to increased government spending in the industry. Port revitalization program in Iqaluit to benefit nearby diamond project A proposal for new port infrastructure in the Nunavut capital of Iqaluit is being pitched as a boon for the local mining industry (NN). In particular, the port revitalization program, which the federal government says it will help pay for, will benefit Peregrine Diamond’s promising Chidliak project, located 120 kilometers northeast of Iqaluit (PN). THE POLITICAL SCENE Europe Politicians forgot legal requirements (KNR, in Danish). New legislation blocks “undesirable” people from entering Svalbard (NRK, in Norwegian). Russia Greenpeace: Russian claims part of “surreal” Arctic race (KNR, in Danish). Russia: Cooperation in the Arctic will continue (KNR, in Danish). The battle for the North Pole could take 15 years (NRK, in Norwegian). Canada Canada hesitant about Russian claims to the North Pole (KNR, in Danish). ENERGY Canada The Canadian government has agreed to a plan that allows up to 21 days to produce a capping stack in the event of a future oil well blowout. Shell Canada successfully claimed that adopting the US standard, which requires a capping stack to be in place within 24 hours, would be too expensive (CBC). Greenland Greenpeace on charm offensive in Greenland (KNR, in Danish). Finland Norway Cities join forces against Statoil (NRK, in Norwegian). Russia United States Crisis in the Arctic (Forbes). Inspectors watching Shell 24/7 (MarEx). SCIENCE, ENVIRONMENT AND WILDLIFE Earth sciences, climate and weather With the exceptions of Baffin Bay and Hudson Bay, the Arctic sea ice extent is well below average for this time of year (NSIDC). Mapping the Arctic Floor (MarEx). Wildlife and ecology Trophy hunting spares stock (KNR, in Danish). Scientists and bears: Uneasy Arctic neighbours (Straits Times). Environmental management Research and university news We get a whole lot of research in this country (KNR, in Danish). MILITARY / SEARCH & RESCUE Russia This map shows Russia's dominant militarization of the Arctic (Business Insider UK). Europe Norwegian Air Force tightens regulations on drones (NRK, in Norwegian). United States Insitu Conducts Successful Arctic Search and Rescue Demonstrations for U.S. Coast Guard (Aviation Pros). MINING Alaska Bear market survival: From partnerships to playing dead, some Alaska explorers endure tough markets (PN). Canada NGO MiningWatch Canada is urging the Canadian federal government to defer plans to approve uranium mining in Nunavut, saying the decision would isolate Inuit from the government (NN). Europe The Finnish government announced last week it will purchase the Talvivaara’s bankrupt nickel mine in Sotkamo and restart production this September under the new state-owned Terrafame Mining Company (EOTA). FISHERIES, SHIPPING AND OTHER BUSINESS NEWS Fisheries Salmon season opens Aug. 15 (KNR, in Danish). Belarus increases imports of Norwegian fish (NRK, in Norwegian). Shipping Arctic’s melting ice shrinks shipping routes (climate news network). Aviation Boeing's Insitu takes to Arctic skies to make case for drones (Puget Sound Business Journal). Tourism Other business and economic news U.S. & Canada Russia Nordics Nuuk Couture starts at Copenhagen Fashion Week (KNR, in Danish). Alcohol policies changed in Norway, but forgot Svalbard (NRK, in Norwegian). HEALTH, YOUTH, SOCIETY AND CULTURE Health British pharmaceutical giant GlaxoSmithKline signed a deal with officials in Greenland to supply diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, and polio vaccines for all Greenlandic children starting later this year (KNR, in Danish). Youth Society The territorial government in Yukon announced a new food strategy aimed at increasing local food production, which only accounts for 5% of the food consumed in Yukon today (CBC). Arctic Eats: The dine of the times (Greenland) (AJ). Culture The annual International Day of the World's Indigenous Peoples was celebrated across the Arctic on August 9 (UArctic). Sports Slave River Paddlefest (NORJ). INFRASTRUCTURE Canada United States Russia Europe Power back on in Longyearbyen (NRK, in Norwegian). Abbreviation Key Aboriginal Peoples Television Network (APTN) Aftenbladet (AB) Alaska Business Monthly (ABM) Alaska Dispatch News (AD) Alaska Journal of Commerce (AJOC) Alaska Native News (ANN) Alaska Public Media (APM) Arctic Info (Russian) (AIR) Arctic Institute (TAI) Arctic Sounder (AS) 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 (NM) 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) Maritime Executive (MarEx) Moscow Times (MT) National Geographic (NG) Natural Gas Europe (NGE) Naval Today (NT) New York Times (NYT) Northern Journal (NORJ) 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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The Arctic This Week August 3 - August 9, 2015
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