US Arctic Research Commission
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March 22, 2011

Today's Eventstodaysevents 

 

The House and Senate are in recess this week.

  

Arctic Dialogue & Study Tour, March 22-24, 2011. For the past four years Norway's Bodø University Graduate School of Business, the High North Centre for Business and Governance (affiliated with the University), the International Institute of Energy Politics and Diplomacy (MIEP) at MGIMO University in Moscow, Russia, and HBW Resources have hosted an annual Arctic Dialogue and Study Tour. The tour brings together stakeholders from all Arctic nations (government, industries, academic, native and local peoples) to discuss issues involving resource development in the Arctic, and share common experiences, best practices and solutions. For more information contact Andrew Browning. 

Media Reviewtodaysevents  

 

Bingaman, Murkowski Seek Input on Parameters of Clean Energy Standard. MurkowskiThe top senators on the Energy and Natural Resources Committee invited public comment Monday on how to implement a national clean electricity mandate like the one President Obama proposed in his State of the Union address. The six-page "white paper" released by Chairman Jeff Bingaman, D-N.M., and ranking member Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, raises a series of tough questions about a clean-energy standard, which would require that an escalating percentage of electricity be generated by zero- or low-emission power sources by a specific date.  Congressional Quarterly

 

Extreme Science in the Arctic Circle. An elite group of scientists is heading to one of the coldest places on Earth to carry out vital research on global warming. Tis science team is looking at how effects of melting Arctic could be felt globally. CNN

 

Paulatuk Mayor Pleased with Funding. An announcement last month to beef up environmental monitoring and shipping information in Arctic waters is a decision one Beaufort Delta mayor is pleased with, considering the growing potential for disaster in Arctic waters. Paulatuk Mayor Ray Ruben said the almost $35-million investment over five years to enhance access to weather information and navigation shipping information in the North will help improve the already strong push to protect Northern waters from disasters. "Any funding towards (protecting our waters) is positive," he said, adding he still wonders if the money will be spent to its fullest potential. "Thirty-five million might sound like a lot but it all depends on how they use it." Northern News Service 

 

Russian North Pole Tour Station to Open in April. A Russian floating research station near the North Pole could open its doors for annual tourist trips by April 1, polar explorer Artur Chilingarov said on Monday. The Barneo research station, just 150 km from the North Pole, has been in operation for 10 years. It is converted into a touring base for about a month each year. RIA NOVOSTI

 

ICEX Welcomes a Few Special Guests. [Navy Blog post] The boats have started testing and, so far, things are going very well. Because they both arrived early, our test program is ahead of schedule. We had a number of senior visitors arrive on Wednesday to observe operations at the camp and visit one of the submarines. RADM David Titley is the Oceanographer of the Navy. He is also the lead on an initiative called Task Force Climate Change which has produced an "Arctic Road Map" that charts a way forward in our national response to projected diminishing ice conditions. RADM Nevin Carr is the Chief of Naval Research (i.e., head of the Office of Naval Research or ONR). Following the Cold War, ONR eliminated its Arctic program office and only provided token amounts of funding for Arctic reaearch. RADM Carr has re-established ONR's arctic program. Some of the research we're conducting here at APLIS are receiving ONR funding. Navy Live

 

Those Living Along U.S. Coastline Should Always be Prepared for Tsunamis. In the wake of Japan's tsunami disaster, NOAA is urging Americans who live and tsunami japanvacation at the coast to take the threat of tsunamis seriously. With more coastline than any other country in the world and proximity to several major fault lines, the Pacific, Atlantic, Gulf and Caribbean coasts of the United States are vulnerable to tsunamis. NOAA's National Weather Service, which operates the U.S. tsunami detection and warning system, says that the key to surviving a tsunami is staying informed and moving quickly to higher ground when a tsunami threatens. In a message issued by the White House this week, President Barack Obama acknowledged that although the danger posed by tsunamis cannot be eliminated, NOAA's efforts within the National Tsunami Hazard Mitigation Program to work with local communities on hazard assessment, evacuation planning, and educational outreach can help save lives by equipping citizens to effectively respond to emergency situations. NOAA

  

U.S. Coast Guard Employee Candidate for IMO Secretary General. The U.S. Coast Guard announced Tuesday that a civilian employee of the service is the U.S. candidate for Secretary General of the International Maritime Organization. Jeffrey Lantz, the Coast Guard's Director for Commercial Regulations and Standards, will be a candidate in the International Maritime Organization's elections scheduled for the 106th International Maritime Organization Council in London, June 27 to July 1, 2011. U.S. Coast Guard 

 

Legislative Actionfutureevents  

 

No legislation of Arctic interest was considered yesterday. 

Future Eventsfutureevents    

      

Arctic Science Summit Week, Seoul, March 28-April 1, 2011. The purpose of Korean Flagthe Arctic Science Summit Week is to provide opportunities for international coordination, collaboration, and cooperation in all fields of Arctic science. The Arctic Science Week 2011 is supported by the Korean government, the Korean Research Council of Fundamental Science & Technology, and the Seoul Tourism Organization, among other groups.  

 

HOUSE: Fiscal 2012 Appropriations: Homeland Security, March 30, 31; April 6, 7. The Homeland Security Subcommittee of the House Appropriations Committee will hold hearings on the proposed fiscal year 2012 appropriations for departments, agencies, and programs under its jurisdiction.  

 

HOUSE: Fiscal 2012 Appropriations: Interior and Environment, March 30, 31; April 6, 7, 12. The Interior and Environment and Related Agencies of the House Appropriations Committee will hold hearings on the proposed fiscal year 2012 appropriations for departments, agencies, and programs under its jurisdiction.

 

The Arctic as a Messenger for Global Processes- Climate Change and Pollution, May 4-6, 2011. The Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Programme (AMAP), the University of Copenhagen, and Aarhus University. The conference will include talks by invited keynote speakers, oral presentations selected on the basis of submitted abstracts, poster presentations, and short oral presentations of selected posters. A panel discussion will develop messages to be communicated to the Arctic Council Ministerial meeting that will take place in Greenland one week after the conference. 

  
Sixth International Conference on Arctic Margins, May 31-June 2, 2011 at the University of Alaska - Fairbanks. The International Conference on Arctic Margins (ICAM) will examine current geological and geophysical research on the Arctic. Topics include: hydrocarbon potential and gas hydrates; science issues relating to UNCLOS Article 76; geodynamic significance of Arctic magmatism; vertical motions in the Arctic, tectonic, and glacial; geology and palaeogeography of the Arctic continental margins; evolution of the Arctic Ocean basins, including plate reconstructions, magmatism, and sedimentology; modern Arctic environments, including geological, climatic, and oceanographic processes; recent advances in Arctic research technology. More information email.  

 

American Meteorological Society Summer Policy Colloquium, June 5-14. This policy colloquium brings together a group to consider atmospheric policy.  The colloquium will cover policy creation basics, interactions with congressional staff, and information on the current atmospheric policy issues. 

 

The Arctic Imperative, June 19-21, 2011. The Alaska Dispatch, Aspen Institute, Commonwealth North, and the Institute of the North will host a forum titled "The Arctic Imperative: Think of the Bering Strait as the Next Panama Canal."  The forum will bring together international policymakers, industry, and investment leaders to consider topics just as security, resources, port development, marine shipping, commerce, and trade.

 

4th Symposium on the Impacts of an Ice-Diminishing Arctic on Naval and Maritime Operations, June 20-21, 2011.  The symposium is co-hosted by the U.S. National Ice Center (NIC) and the U.S. Arctic Research Commission. This symposium addresses present and future impacts of rapid changes in Arctic Ocean sea ice cover on a wide range of maritime operations. The forum, the fourth in a series, is a key opportunity for federal entities to discuss their response to changes in both the Arctic environment and associated policies. This year's event is builds upon the inaugural symposium on "Naval Operations in an Ice-free Arctic" sponsored by the Office of Naval Research (ONR), NIC, the Oceanographer of the Navy, and the USARC in April 2001, the next symposium on the "Impact of an Ice- Diminishing Arctic on Naval and Maritime Operations" co-sponsored by NIC and USARC in July 2007, and the prior gathering at the U.S. Naval Academy in June 2009.

 

7th Congress of the International Arctic Social Sciences, June 22-26, 2011myvatnThe 7th Congress, "Circumpolar Perspectives in Global Dialogue: Social Sciences Beyond the IPY," will be held in Akureyri, Iceland. The International Congress of the Arctic Social Sciences is held every three years. 
 
Holocene Glacier Variability from the Tropics to the Poles, July 20-27, 2011. Glaciers respond sensitively to climate change. Recent (Holocene) glacier fluctuations are a valuable proxy for terrestrial interglacial paleoclimate conditions. A main challenge for interpreting paleoclimate from past mountain glacier extents is distinguishing local and regional patterns from global signals. Reconstructing Holocene glacier extents involves many disciplines including terrestrial and marine geology, geochronology and glaciology. Organizers hope to facilitate an inter-hemispheric comparison of glacier records including locations in the Tropics, European Alps, American Cordillera, Southern Alps of New Zealand, Himalaya and Polar Regions and to identify future research questions and directions. For additional information contact: Meredith Kelly.
 
13th Arctic Ungulates Conference (AUC), August 22-26, 2011. The theme of the conference will be "Challenges of Managing Northern Ungulates." The theme Muskokaddresses the difficulties of managing ungulate populations that are faced with the unpredictable effects of climate change and an ever-increasing human presence on the land. The conference will also focus on the challenges associated with developing recovery actions for declining caribou and reindeer populations that are an integral part of Aboriginal cultures and ways of life. 
 
9th International Symposium on Permafrost Engineering, September 3-7, 2011. The Melnikov Permafrost Institute (Yakutsk, Russia), the Institute of Northern Mining (Yakutsk, Russia), the Cold and Arid Regions Engineering and Environmental Research Institute (Lanzhou, China), and the Heilongjiang Institute of Cold Region  Engineering (Harbin, China) will host the Ninth International Symposium on  Permafrost Engineering to be held in Mirny, Yakutia. The aim of the Symposium is to provide a forum for discussion of permafrost engineering issues, as well as for exchange of practical experience in construction and maintenance of engineering structures on frozen ground. For additional information, please contact Lilia Prokopieva. 

 

4th International Sea Duck Conference, September 12-16. The conference is held to provide researchers and managers with opportunities to share information, research, and conduct workshops.

 

Lowell Wakefield International Fisheries Symposium, September 14-17, 2011. The 27th Lowell Wakefield International Fisheries Symposium, entitled "Fishing People of the North: Cultures, Economies, and Management Responding to Change," will be held in Anchorage, Alaska. This international symposium will provide a forum for scholars, fishery managers, fishing families, and others to explore the human dimensions of fishery systems and growing need to include social science research in policy processes. The conference is part of the University of Alaska Fairbanks Sea Grant program.   

 

Operating in the Arctic: Supporting the US Coast Guard Challenges Through Research, Sept. 21-23, 2011. This workshop, held at the University of Alaska, Fairbanks, and co-sponsored by the Department of Homeland Security and the US Arctic Research Commission, explored and identified ways in which scientific research and development can improve the ability of the U.S. Coast Guard to operate and carry out its statutory missions in the Arctic region. Participation in this event included state, local and international stakeholders, academics and researchers, and USCG and other federal agency officials. A funding opportunity associated with this activity is described here.

 

The Tenth International Conference on Permafrost, June 2012. The conference permafrostwill be held in Tyumen, Russia, and is organized and hosted by Russia. The last conference was held in Fairbanks, Alaska, in 2008.  More details to follow. 

   

Arctic/ Inuit/ Connections: Learning from the Top of the World, October 24-28, 2012.  The 18th Inuit Studies Conference is hosted by the Smithsonian Institution and will be held in Washington, DC. The conference will consider heritage museums and the North; globalization: an Arctic story; power, governance and politics in the North; the 'new' Arctic: social, cultural and climate change; and Inuit education, health, language, and literature. For more information, please email Lauren Marr.

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