July 25, 2014

Vote for the USARC. Do you like the Daily Arctic Update? Do you appreciate our efforts, and want to help recognize us? Then please vote for us online here. (go to the bottom of the page and fill in the form).

We're a nominee for the 2014 Robert O. Anderson Sustainable Arctic Award, from the Institute of the North. As a federal agency, we can't buy tickets to the fundraiser award ceremony, but that won't stop you (or us) from voting.

We, along with 5 other nominees, were selected based on our long (30-year) length of service, and on promotion of Arctic research that: (1) Supports sustainable resource development in the Arctic; 2) Furthers social license and community support; 3) Supports environmental risk mitigation; 4) Encourages innovative solutions to further economic development of communities; and 5) Respects culture and local/traditional knowledge.

As they say, "vote early and vote often." Thank you!

capital Today's Congressional Action:

The House is expected to consider non-Arctic legislation. The Senate is not in session.

Media

Lords Arctic Committee to Question Shipping Industry Experts. Ongoing changes to sea ice in the Arctic could have a profound impact on the global shipping industry, opening up a new route - or possibly routes - that could potentially reduce days at sea, shorten journey times and provide competition to traditional shipping routes, such as through the Suez Canal. There has been a significant increase in the number of ships using the Northern Sea Route along the Siberian coastline to cross the Arctic; in 2010 there were only 4 such voyages but by 2012 there were 46. The evidence session will start at approximately 10.40am on Tuesday 29 July in Committee Room 1 of the House of Lords. UK Parliament

Canada Ponders Exceptions to Relief Well Rule for Arctic Oil Drilling. Companies drilling offshore for oil in the Canadian Arctic have long been required to show that they are capable of rapidly sinking relief wells to quash blowouts. The decades-old Canadian "same-season relief well" standard -- generally requiring companies to secure backup relief-well rigs for all drilling projects in Arctic waters -- is being eyed by officials with the U.S. Department of the Interior as a model for pending Arctic-specific rules for offshore oil and gas development in the U.S. Arctic. Now the Canadian government is considering granting exceptions for companies seeking to drill in deep waters of the icy Beaufort Sea. Alaska Dispatch News

Republican Chairman Calls Obama's Approach to Arctic 'All Talk and No Action.' According to Rep. Duncan Hunter (R-Calif.), it may be time for the House subcommittee he leads to stop holding hearings on U.S. Arctic policy, since there is little push from the executive branch to build new icebreakers to traverse polar regions. Money is not being appropriated for new icebreaking capability, and agencies that operate in the Arctic and near Antarctica are not required to chip in with funding for construction of new vessels, said Hunter, chairman of the Subcommittee on Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation, at a hearing yesterday.The United States currently has two operational icebreakers, only one of which -- the Polar Star -- is a heavy icebreaker with a design capable of essentially operating in polar regions year-round. E&E News (subscription required).

Nunavik Community Cancels This Year's Bowhead Hunt. Five years after Nunavik harvested its last bowhead whale, the community of Quaqtaq was preparing to host the hunt this fall - a first for the community of 375 people. But the costs and planning required to prepare for the hunt proved too much for the Ungava Bay community, which means its residents have decided they must cancel this year's harvest. Nunatsiaq Online

Beat Your Bombs Into Icebreakers. America's lack of icebreaking capability could be reversed if government agencies operating in the polar regions pooled their resources to build a new one, members of Congress said yesterday. Federal agencies have repeatedly bemoaned the country's lack of icebreaking capability and asked Congress for funding to replace the its sole heavy-duty icebreaker, which had to be taken out of mothballs in 2006. But Duncan Hunter, who chairs the House of Representatives' subcommittee that oversees the Coast Guard, accused those organizations of being unwilling to devote a portion of their budgets to securing new icebreaking capacity. Arctic Journal

Eastern Nunavut Seismic Testing Postponed Until Summer 2015. Multi-Klient Invest, a group of companies set to do seismic testing in the Canadian waters of Baffin Bay and Davis Strait, say they are postponing the work, which was supposed to start this year, until the summer of 2015. The National Energy Board approved MKI's five-year testing plan on June 26. However, in a letter addressed to the NEB dated July 16, RPS Energy Canada Ltd. states, on behalf of MKI and two partner companies, that the seismic testing firms concluded "there is insufficient time to implement all the approved benefit agreements and all terms and conditions" of NEB's authorization "to enable commencement of seismic operations during the limited 2014 ice-free season." Nunatsiaq Online

Arctic Oil Spills Likely to Spread Across Boarders: Study. New research suggests a major oil spill in Canada's western Arctic would likely spread quickly and foul oceans around Alaska and possibly as far west as Russia. The research, funded by the World Wildlife Fund, comes as the National Energy Board prepares to consider blowout prevention plans in two separate proposals for offshore energy drilling. The authors considered 22 different oil-spill scenarios in the Beaufort Sea, off the northwest coast of the Northwest Territories. Global News

Climate Change Could Alter Range of Caribou and May Impact Hunters' Access. Due to climate change, some communities in rural Alaska and the Yukon Territory of Canada may face a future with fewer caribou according to new research published by the U.S. Geological Survey and the University of Alaska, Fairbanks in the recent issue of PLoS ONE. Scientists examined the future effects of fires on winter habitats of caribou herds and determined that wildfires will reduce the amount of winter habitat for caribou, thus caribou may need to shift their wintering grounds. Warming temperatures will increase the flammability of lichen-producing boreal forests, which are important winter habitat for caribou herds. Caribou serve as nutritional as well as cultural sustenance for certain communities. Caribou avoid burned areas in winter and the changes in their distribution can persist across multiple generations of hunters. Those who rely on caribou in fire-prone areas may therefore have fewer available as climate change increases the number and sizes of fires in the boreal forests. US Geological Survey

Legislative Action

No Arctic legislation was formally considered yesterday.

Future Events

ICETECH 2014, July 28-31, 2014 (Banff, Alberta, Canada). The International Conference and Exhibition on Performance of Ships and Structures on Ice (ICETECH) is organized by the Arctic Section of the Society of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers. The theme of the conference is performance of ships and structures in ice (icebreaking ships, ice resistant structures, and operations in ice) with emphasis and special sessions on looking to the future in a warming world. The conference will cover topics including:Global warming implications to Arctic ships and structures; Icebreaking ships, Naval Architecture, construction, and marine operations; Structures in ice/iceberg populated waters; Construction and logistics in ice-covered areas; Ice management; New offshore developments in ice-covered areas; Subsea pipelines and facilities in ice; Marine systems for offshore drilling and production operations in ice; Codes, regulations and standards; Ice conditions, forecasting and remote sensing; Safety, risk and environmental protection; Escape, Evacuation and Rescue (EER); and Arctic Geopolitics.

Alaska Policy Commission. August 26-27, 2014 (Kotzebue-Nome, Alaska).

The Alaska Arctic Policy Commission (AAPC) has more important work to do in 2014. The Commission will strive to gather public input and engage with Alaskan communities, state agencies, federal partners, and the international organizations working in the Arctic. In order to meet our goals AAPC will convene three in-person meetings over the course of 2014 and focus on implementation and final recommendations.

World Trade Center Alaska: Arctic Ambitions Trade Mission to Northern Europe, September 4-14, 2014 (Finland-Norway-Iceland). The Trade Mission will visit Northern and Arctic Europe starting September 4th in Finland and ending September 14 in Iceland, with an intermediary stop in Norway. The itinerary includes three days in each country and features visits to Arctic communities. Familiarization with Northern Europe's economies, and in particular commercial development in the Arctic, is the main goal of this trade mission. The participants will gain useful networking opportunities and a wealth of information on these three countries. For registration and information, please contact WTCAK at (907) 278-7233.

Conference of Parliamentarians of the Arctic Region, September 9-11, 2014 (Whitehorse, Canada). The Conference of Parliamentarians of the Arctic Region is a biennial conference for parliamentarians representing the eight Arctic countries and the European Parliament. The biennial conference is attended by representatives from the national parliaments of the Arctic states and the European Parliament. The Arctic indigenous peoples are permanent participants to the cooperation. Observers participate from governments and inter-parliamentary organizations as well as from observer states and relevant international organizations.

AOOS Film Contest, Submission Deadline September 15, 2014.

In celebration of its 10th Anniversary, Alaska Ocean Observing System (AOOS) is seeking short films highlighting Alaska's coast or oceans. AOOS welcomes films of any genre relating to the ocean (i.e. people using the ocean and coast, marine research, marine wildlife, ocean-related policy issues, etc). You don't need to be a professional to submit a film!

102nd US Arctic Research Commission Meeting, September 15-16, 2014 (Anchorage, Alaska, USA). The 102nd USARC meeting will be held in Anchorage. Additional information and schedule to follow.

2014 Week of the Arctic, October 6-11, 2014 (Nome, Kotzebue and Barrow, Alaska, USA). The Institute of the North will host the 2014 Week of the Arctic. The 2014 Week of the Arctic is a platform for community leaders, subject matter experts and interested stakeholders to learn about the Arctic while contributing to a growing list of priorities and perspectives. Presentations, roundtable discussions and workshops will be held in Nome, Kotzebue and Barrow. Throughout the week, presentations and interviews will be captured on video for distribution through social media and web-based sharing.

2014 FAMOS School and Workshop #3, October 21-24, 2014 (Woods Hole, MA). The Forum for Arctic Ocean Modeling and Observational Synthesis (FAMOS) is an international effort to focus on enhancing collaboration and coordination among Arctic marine and sea ice modelers, theoreticians and observationalists synthesize major results from the field studies and coordinated numerical experiments. The major themes of workshop include but not limited by studies focused on: predictions; Arctic observational and modeling initiatives; fate of sea ice in models and observations; atmospheric, sea ice and ocean dynamics; process studies and parameterizations; model validation and calibration; numerical improvements and algorithms; ecosystems, biological issues, and geochemistry.

Transatlantic Science Week 2014, October 27-28, 2014 (Toronto, Canada). The purpose of the annual Transatlantic Science Week (TSW) is to promote enhanced cooperation between Canadian, American and Norwegian stakeholders in research, innovation and higher education. TSW is an arena where different stakeholders can meet with the purpose of developing long-term collaborations or partnerships. The conference also hopes to strengthen the linkages that currently exist between the research and education domains. Finally, TSW also provides an excellent arena for dialogue between the research communities and policymakers.

Arctic Circle, October 31-November 2, 2014 (Reyjavik, Iceland).

The Arctic Circle is nonprofit and nonpartisan. Organizations, forums, think tanks, corporations and public associations around the world are invited to hold meetings within the Arctic Circle platform to advance their own missions and the broader goal of increasing collaborative decision-making without surrendering their institutional independence. The Arctic Circle will organize sessions on a variety of issues, such as: Sea ice melt and extreme weather; Polar law: treaties and agreements; The role and rights of indigenous peoples; Security in the Arctic; Shipping and transportation infrastructure; The prospects and risks of oil and gas drilling; Clean energy achievements and sustainable development; Arctic resources; Business cooperation in the Arctic; The role of Asian and European countries in the Arctic; Greenland in the new Arctic; Fisheries and ecosystem management; The science of ice: global research cooperation; Arctic tourism; The ice-dependent world: the Arctic and the Himalayas.

US- Canada Northern Oil and Gas Research Forum, November 4-6, 2014 (Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, Canada). Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada and the Canadian Polar Commission in partnership with the U.S. Department of the Interior, are hosting the fourth Canada - United States Northern Oil and Gas Research Forum. The Northern Oil and Gas Research Forum is a biennial meeting with representation from government, industry, academia, Aboriginal groups and Northerners from both Canada and the United States. The Forum provides an opportunity to discuss current and future priorities for northern oil and gas research. The Forum will showcase the value of northern research in support of sound decision-making for oil and gas management.

Alaska Policy Commission. November 13-14, 2014 (Anchorage, Alaska). The Alaska Arctic Policy Commission (AAPC) has more important work to do in 2014. The Commission will strive to gather public input and engage with Alaskan communities, state agencies, federal partners, and the international organizations working in the Arctic. In order to meet our goals AAPC will convene three in-person meetings over the course of 2014 and focus on implementation and final recommendations.

The Arctic Biodiversity Congress, December 2-4, 2014 (Trondheim, Norway). The Arctic Biodiversity Congress will present and discuss the main scientific findings of the ABA; facilitate inter-disciplinary discussion, action and status updates on the policy recommendations in the ABA; provide scientific, policy, management, NGO, academia, Indigenous peoples and industry audiences the opportunity to collaborate around the themes of the ABA; advise CAFF on national and international implementation of the ABA recommendations and on the development of an ABA Implementation Plan for the Arctic Council; highlight the work of CAFF and the Arctic Council on circumpolar biodiversity conservation and sustainable development; and, contribute to mainstreaming of biodiversity and ecosystem services, ensuring that the recommendations of the ABA are implemented by not just governments, but many organizations and people across disciplines.

Arctic Change 2014, December 8-12, 2014 (Ottawa, Canada). The international Arctic Change 2014 conference aims to stimulate discussion and foster collaborations among people with a vested interest in the Arctic and its peoples. Coinciding with the pinnacle of Canada's chairmanship of the Arctic Council and marking ArcticNet's 10th anniversary, Arctic Change 2014 welcomes researchers, students, Northerners, policy makers, and stakeholders from all fields of Arctic research and all countries to address the numerous environmental, social, economical and political challenges and opportunities that are emerging from climate change and modernization in the Arctic. With over 1000 participants expected to attend, Arctic Change 2014 will be one of the largest trans-sectoral international Arctic research conferences ever held in Canada.

Arctic Frontiers: Climate and Energy, January 18-23, 2015. The earth is in the midst of major climate changes. The Arctic is experiencing the impact of these changes more and faster than other parts of the globe. Processes starting in the Arctic may have deep and profound impacts on other parts of the globe. At the same time the Earth's population is rising and with it the global energy demand. New and greener energy sources are gaining market shares, but still the energy mix of the foreseeable future will have a substantial fossil component. The Arctic is expected to hold major oil and gas resources, while the regions green energy potentials are less explored. The Arctic Frontiers conference is a central arena for discussions of Arctic issues. The conference brings together representatives from science, politics, and civil society to share perspectives on how upcoming challenges in the Arctic may be addressed to ensure sustainable development. Arctic Frontiers is composed of a policy section and a scientific section.

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