The Arctic This Week September 14-20, 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. TAI’s RECENT ACTIVITIES The Arctic Institute is seeking an unpaid Research Associate to join the team of our weekly news brief The Arctic This Week (TATW). TATW seeks to be a comprehensive, readable summary of the week’s events in the Arctic. The weekly briefings require the Research Associate to "digest" of upwards of 150+ news articles per week and compose a comprehensive, entertaining, and well-structured briefing. See the full description of the position here. THIS WEEK’S TOP STORIES Chill in Russia-US relations hits the world of arts and artifacts The recent deterioration in relations between the United States and Russia is affecting more than just politics and diplomacy, its being felt by museums, libraries, and art exhibits. Last week, a Russian cultural envoy said that inter-museum state exhibitions in cooperation with American institutions will likely be suspended for the next several years (TASS). The statement came after a US judge fined Russia over $43 million for not returning a controversial collection of Jewish religious texts to a US-based group after the Soviet Union seized the materials during World War II (WP). Finally, the judge’s ruling was was followed by Russian authorities unilaterally closing the US Embassy’s American Center at the M. Rudomino All-Russia State Library of Foreign Literature in Moscow, an important cultural exchange center (MT). Brookings fellow: Arctic reserves can solidify US energy independence In an opinion piece originally published in Forbes, Charles Ebinger, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, argues that while the US is as energy self-sufficient as ever, developing US Arctic energy prospects will be key to maintaining that independence (see also, Brookings Institution). Meanwhile, the chief of another big name institution, the International Energy Agency (IEA), recently said he believes that Arctic oil is not yet viable, though he stopped short of ruling out future development (Guardian). U.S. and Russia sign agreement on illegal fishing The U.S. and Russia signed a bilateral agreement on September 11 aimed at curbing illegal, unregulated, and unreported (IUU) fishing in the Barents Sea. The agreement is intended to improve communication between the relevant agencies and facilitate the sharing of information. The global problem of unreported fishing particularly harms Alaska, which is one of the largest seafood producers in the world (AJOC). Arctic sea ice extent for 2015 likely reached The Arctic sea ice has reached this year’s likely minimum on September 11. Even though changing wind or late-season melt could still reduce the ice extent, its current extent is the fourth lowest in the satellite record (NSIDC). THE POLITICAL SCENE Russia United States Europe Protests against immigration in Finland (NRK, in Norwegian). Canada Asia ENERGY AKLNG project making slow and unsteady progress It’s been a busy couple of weeks for the ambitious Alaska LNG (AKLNG) pipeline project that aims to move natural gas from the North Slope south for export. The Alaskan Senate and House Resources committees both received their quarterly briefs on AKLNG, paying particular attention to the technical progress being made on the pipeline project rather than the less than stellar political progress being made (PN). Notably, ExxonMobil CEO Rex Tillerson took a shot at the Alaskan state government, and Governor Walker in particular, in public comments that suggested the biggest obstacle AKLNG faces is indecisiveness brought on by an unsteady transition of power between former Gov. Parnell and Walker (AJOC). Governor Walker later responded to the public criticism while promoting the project at an LNG conference in Japan, saying that what Tillerson perceives as dithering is in reality the Alaskan government changing tack to a more aggressive approach (AJOC). Meanwhile, ExxonMobil’s Alaska production manager recently gave an in-depth talk regarding AKLNG and Exxon's North Slope Point Thomson play (PN). Canada Norway For the first time in history Norway's natural gas exports have surpassed its oil exports in terms of value (BO). Russia The Association of Arctic Projects Contractors (Murmanshelf) is scheduled to hold its 8th International Conference “Arctic Shelf Development: Step-by-Step” in Murmansk on 16-17 November (NRCC). Russia Puts Arctic Dreams On Hold (OilPrice). United States Shell won’t produce oil from Arctic until 2030 (The Hill). IER Submits FOIA Requests For Records on Arctic Exploration (Institute for Energy Research). We MUST drill for oil in the Arctic: Shell boss message to campaigners (This Is Money UK). SCIENCE, ENVIRONMENT AND WILDLIFE Arctic mosquitoes growing faster and bigger in warmer climate A study recently published inProceedings of the Royal Society Bsheds light on the processes linking a warmer climate to the growing survival rate of Arctic mosquitoes in Greenland. In warmer temperatures, the mosquitoes, which are sometimes referred to as “Alaska’s state bird”, grow faster and therefore have better survival rates. This means tougher times for caribou and especially calves (AD,NG). Earth sciences, climate and weather Ice Secrets - About Expeditions History and Climate Variations 09/15/2015 (audio) (KNR, in Danish). CO2 capture at Svalbard - new impetus or end (NRK, in Norwegian). Wildlife and ecology Shocking Photo of Starving Polar Bear Begs Questions(Daily Starfish). Environmental management Research and university news Inughuit-knowledge given back in the form of a donation(KNR, in Danish). Arctic Station will be twice as big(KNR, in Danish). Ethnographic expedition “True People”(UArctic). Historical First skeletal animals on Earth 'lived in Siberia 20 million years earlier than previously thought'(ST). The researchers have never found shipwrecks as far north before now: - This is only the start(NRK, in Norwegian). MILITARY / SEARCH & RESCUE Russia Russia is building a fearsome Arctic army (The Week). United States Europe Exercise Arctic Response 2015 underway (KNR, in Danish). Home Guard gets ten million additional training in northern Norway (NRK, in Norwegian). MINING Canada Progress is being made at Kaminak’s Coffee gold mine in central Yukon after the route for the mine’s main access road was chosen with the support of the Tr’ondek Hwech’in First Nation, whose land the mine is located on (CBC, CMJ). Norway FISHERIES, SHIPPING AND OTHER BUSINESS NEWS Fisheries Shipping Arctic Visions: Suzanne Paquin sees the shipping needs of the North through clear eyes(Canadian Shipper). Firms win contracts on Arctic Offshore Patrol Ships(Ottawa Citizen). First Ever Panamax To Carry Iron Ore From Canadian Arctic To Europe (Vessel Finder). Aviation Tourism Other business and economic news U.S. & Canada Nordics HEALTH, YOUTH, SOCIETY AND CULTURE Suicide inquest held in Nunavut The CBC ran detailed, daily coverage of the Nunavut Court of Justice’s inquest last week that looked into the territory’s high rate of suicide (CBC). The court in Iqaluit heard a number of notable testimonies over the course of the multi-day inquest. Among the witnesses was a psychiatrist with a long history of working in Nunavut who, like many others, called for more culturally-appropriate and Inuit-specific suicide prevention programs (CBC). Meanwhile, a mental health representative from Nunavut’s Department of Health defended the territorial government's recent efforts to prevent suicides (CBC). Health There are few differences in health when comparing Sami and non-Sami (NRK, in Norwegian). Society The Danish National Center For Social Research (SFI) recently published a report detailing the challenges that Greenlanders who live in Denmark face, which include low levels of education and high rates of homelessness (NORA). Culture A project that started over 23 years ago, at long last the Gwich'in Social and Cultural Institute unveiled a map of NWT and Yukon that features a comprehensive list of known traditional place names (CBC). Actors join campaign to draw attention to Arctic issue (Denver Post). Sport More than a sport (Sled dog racing) (AJ). INFRASTRUCTURE Europe United States Canada 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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