Arctic Daily Update: November 5, 2014

November 5, 2014

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.

capital Today's Congressional Action:

The House and Senate are not in session.

Media

Bigfoot: Science Probe Continues into Elusive Northern Quebec Creature. Last summer a British scientist named Bryan Sykes published a study that should be of interest to residents of Nunavut and Nunavik: Sykes attempted to scientifically prove the truth about bigfoot. "I have always been interested to know what happened to the Neanderthals," those early humans who died out about 40,000 years ago, said Sykes, a professor of human genetics at the University of Oxford in England. Nunatsiaq Online

With Senate Shift to GOP, Murkowski Set to Become Chair of the Energy Committee. An "ebullient" U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski said late Tuesday that she wants to "put a hard hat on" and get to work as the chair of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee. Murkowski, a Republican, is expected to assume the chairmanship of that committee next year following Tuesday's election, which saw her party take control of the Senate from Democrats. Alaska Dispatch News

The Admiral Who Went Into the Cold. When Robert Papp speaks, people listen. Such was the case during his 40-year career as an officer in the US Coast Guard, and so it was during the recent Arctic Circle conference in Reykjavik. In what was his first foreign appearance since being selected in July as America's Arctic ambassador (officially, he is the State Department's special representative for the Arctic), Papp kept a busy schedule of public and closed-door meetings which he used to outline Washington's priorities for its two-year chairmanship of the Arctic Council, which begins in April. Arctic Journal

In The Tale of Two Arctics, Alaska is Losing Out. Icelandic President Olafur Ragnar Grimsson opened this year's Arctic Circle conference today by declaring, "If the Global Arctic was not known to people before, they need only look around the magnificent Harpa hall now." Over 1,400 delegates from 34 countries listened to his remarks. Announcing the dates for the next three Arctic Circle meetings, he expressed, "Arctic Circle will transform Reykjavik into a dynamic Arctic village every October for years to come." Alaska Dispatch News

United States to Host the Fifth Meeting of the US-Canada High-Level Policy Review Group. Acting Deputy Secretary of State Wendy R. Sherman and Canadian Political Director and Assistant Deputy Minister for International Security and Political Affairs Kerry Buck will co-chair the fifth meeting of the U.S. - Canada High-Level Policy Review Group at the U.S. Department of State on November 5, 2014. The two delegations will discuss a wide range of bilateral, regional, and global issues that require cooperation, to include security, bilateral trade, the Arctic, and Ebola crisis response. The U.S. - Canada High-Level Policy Review Group provides the opportunity to expand the robust bilateral relationship between our two countries. Canada, one of our closest allies, friends, and neighbor, plays a key role on the international stage on a wide range of global and regional issues. The United States welcomes the opportunity to utilize the High-Level Policy Review Group to further enhance our deep bilateral relationship. US State Department

Suicide Rate Lower Among Boys in Iqaluit. In a rare positive development concerning suicide among Inuit youth in Canada, new research indicates the rate of suicide among teenage boys is substantially lower in Iqaluit compared to communities outside Nunavut's capital. Inuit boys aged 15-19 have a suicide rate of 252 per 100 000, about a third of the rate (897 per 100 000) among Inuit boys in the same age range living elsewhere in Nunavut, researcher Jack Hicks told a conference on Gender Equality in the Arctic in Akureyri, Iceland on Oct. 31. Canadian Medical Association Journal

Municipalities, Subsistence Hunters Join Forces to Establish Arctic Waterway Safety Committee. Three arctic municipalities are joining forces with maritime stakeholders to establish a new group focused on safety in Arctic waters. The Arctic Waterway Safety Committee is billed as a "group focused on creating best practices to ensure a safe, efficient, and predictable... environment for all users of the arctic waterways." KNOM

Legislative Action

The House and Senate did not formally consider Arctic legislation yesterday.

Future Events

NSAR Tribal Consultations and Stakeholder Outreach Meetings for Department of Energy, November 5, 2014 (Kotzebue, Alaska, USA); November 6, 2014 (Nome, Alaska, USA); November 10, 2014 (Fairbanks, Alaska, USA); November 12, 2014 (Barrow, Alaska, USA); November 14, 2014 (Bethel, Alaska, USA); and November 17, 2014 (Unalaska, Alaska, USA). The Department of Energy is pleased to announce upcoming tribal consultations and stakeholder outreach meetings on the National Strategy for the Arctic Region (NSAR), Ten Year Plan to Accelerate Renewable Energy Deployment in the Arctic Region. Anchorage Tribal Consultation Meeting will be October 23, 2014, 3:30-5:30pm, Dena'ina Center, Tubughnenq Room 5 (at AFN) and the Anchorage Stakeholder Outreach Meeting will be October 24, 2014, USFWS Office, Gordon Watson Room, 1011 E. Tudor Rd. For additional information on the plan, visit here. Tribal leaders and stakeholders are encouraged to provide comments on the Ten Year Plan, submitted to IndianEnergy@hq.doe.gov, or by fax to (202) 586-1534 (by December 12, 2014).

Committee on Marine Transportation System: Vessel Activity in the US Arctic, November 6, 2014 (Webinar). As part of a White House directive under the National Strategy for the Arctic Region Implementation Plan (January 2014) to develop a 10-year projection study of maritime activity in the U.S. Arctic region, the US Committee on the Marine Transportation System (CMTS) seeks recommendations regarding the diverse variables impacting growth of vessel activity in the Arctic over the next decade. Specifically, CMTS seeks suggestions that may contribute to the design of scenarios that could influence vessel growth and any mid-term projections. An overview of the vessel projection tasker will be provided at the start of the webinar. The remaining time will be to receive suggestions to assess future vessel traffic.

Alaska Policy Commission. November 17-18, 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.

Maritime Risk Symposium, November 18-19, 2014 (Los Angeles, CA, USA). The theme for this year's Symposium will be Worldwide Chokepoints and Maritime Risks. "Chokepoint" is a common military strategy term that refers to any enclosed space, corridor, or area where large numbers of personnel and/or resources are forced to pass through, with no reasonable alternate routes. Within the maritime environment, geographical features such as a strait or canal are considered chokepoints. The event is hosted by the Homeland Security Center of the University of Southern California.

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.

AGU Fall Meeting, December 15-19, 2014 (San Francisco, CA, USA). With nearly 24,000 attendees, the AGU Fall Meeting is the largest Earth and space science meeting in the world. The AGU Fall Meeting brings together the entire Earth and space sciences community for discussions of emerging trends and the latest research. The technical program includes presentations on new and cutting-edge science, much of which has not yet been published.

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.

Alaska Marine Science Symposium, January 19-23, 2015. (Anchorage, Alaska, USA). The symposium will feature a session on the Communicating Ocean Sciences, keynote addresses, poster sessions, and workshops. As in past years, the main content of the symposium is organized by large marine ecosystem. The 2015 schedule will be: Tuesday, January 20 - Gulf of Alaska; Wednesday, January 21 - Bering Sea; and Thursday, January 22 - Arctic Ocean. The details of the 2015 Alaska Marine Science Symposium program will be available in mid-November.

Symposium on Law and Governance in the Arctic, UCI LAW, January 30-31, 2015 (Irvine, California, USA). The symposium will explore the effectiveness of existing governance in the Arctic region, strategies for improving effective implementation, and possible alternative governance regimes. A segment of the presented papers will be published in the UCI Law Review as a symposium. Presenters include: Betsy Baker, Michael Byers, Joseph DiMento, Tore Henriksen, Brian Israel, Timo Koivurova, Tullio Scovazzi, and Oran Young.

Arctic Encounter Symposium 2015: Charting a Path to US Leadership in the Far North, January 30-31, 2015 (Seattle, Washington, USA). The second annual Arctic Encounter Symposium will focus on the role of the U.S. as an Arctic nation and the challenges it will confront in its upcoming chairmanship of the Arctic Council, including: climate change, natural resources, investment opportunities, and international relations. The goal of the 2015 Arctic Encounter is to facilitate a creative environment for the development of a proactive agenda, short and long-term domestic and international priorities, and a strategic execution plan.The two-day program will take place at the University of Washington with a dinner reception on January 30, 2015 at the Museum of History and Industry.

Polar Shelves and Shelf Break Exchange in Times of Rapid Climate Warming, March 15-20, 2015 (Lucca, Italy). The GRCs provide an international forum for the presentation and discussion of frontier research in the biological, chemical, and physical sciences, and their related technologies. The guiding principle of a GRC is to encourage communication and discussion of ideas and new unpublished results at the very frontier of a particular field of research, by bringing together outstanding scientists from academia, industry, and government, ranging from senior experts to Ph.D. students. With the increasing impacts of reduced sea ice and warming seawater conditions in both the Arctic and Antarctic, this conference can act as a forum for potentially transformative discussions for interdisciplinary, international and compare/contrast evaluation of polar sciences. In addition, the Gordon Research Seminar (GRS) will precede the GRC to provide a forum for graduate students and post-docs to present and exchange new data and cutting edge ideas with experts in the different polar fields of science.

The Polar Geography and Cryosphere, April 21-25, 2015 (Chicago, IL, USA). The Polar Geography and Cryosphere Specialty Groups of the Association of American Geographers will host its annual meeting in Chicago to consider: current topics in human-environment interactions; current topics in politics, resource geographies, and extractive industries; current topics in Antarctic research; advances in cryosphere research; high latitude environments in a changing climate; an mountain ice and snow.

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