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March 26, 2014

Polar Research Board Spring Meeting, March 26-28, 2014 (Washington, DC). The Polar Research Board, part of the Division on Earth and Life Studies of the National Academies, will hold its spring meeting to receive updates on issues such as "Linkages between Arctic Sea Ice Loss and Mid-Latitude Weather Patterns;" "Adaptations Actions for a Changing Arctic;" and other study updates. The agenda is available here. 

 

Warming Arctic and Potential Shifts in Mid-latitude Weather: Faster Than Expected, March 26, 2014 (Webinar). The mid-latitudes have experienced an apparent increase in the number of record-breaking meteorological events during the past decade. These coincide with a large number of recent abrupt climate changes in the Arctic. Dr. Overland will discuss the possibilities that extreme events in the mid-latitudes are related to recent global or Arctic climate change, Pacific or tropical forcing, or simply chaotic random events.

Remote access: here

 

Offshore Oil and Gas Governance in the Arctic: A Leadership Role for the United States, March 26, 2014 (Washington, D.C.) The Energy Security Initiative (ESI) at Brookings will host a discussion to launch the release of its policy brief on how the U.S. can meet the challenges posed by this activity, especially as it assumes chairmanship of the Arctic Council in 2015. This policy brief is the result of a year of research including over 80 interviews with leading Arctic specialists (government, industry, academia, native leaders, and NGOs) across the region.


capital Today's Congressional Action:   

The House and Senate is in session and will consider non-Arctic legislation.

 

 

 

Media 

  

budget Electoral Waiting Game May Tempt GOP Appropriators. Poised to make gains in the November elections, Senate Republicans may have little incentive to cooperate on spending bills once they reach the floor. That's because they may get a better deal in the lame duck, which could raise the likelihood for a continuing resolution to start fiscal 2015. The GOP is within striking distance of netting the six seats needed to gain control of the Senate in November. But even picking up only a few more seats may strengthen the GOP's hand in debates over appropriations bills. Roll Call

 

The Emerging Arctic. The remote latitudes of the Arctic have long been a province of natural beauty, high adventure, and untold riches. For centuries, mariners risked their lives plying the frigid waters and frozen expanses in search of new territory, trade routes, and treasure for king and country. Where a few, like Norwegian polar explorer Roald Amundsen, triumphed over uncommon challenges, many others, like British rear admiral Sir John Franklin, suffered tragedy and defeat. With rare exception, much of the promise of the Arctic remained out of reach, encrusted in the polar ice. Council on Foreign Relations

 

Arctic Policy Briefs Released by Experts. The Center for a New American Security (CNAS) Energy, Environment and Security (EES) Program released two new policy briefs on Arctic national security today. The EES program analyzes the implications of a changing global energy landscape, and the opportunities and challenges it presents for national security. Emerging Arctic Security Challenges and The Arctic's Changing Landscape: Addressing New Maritime ChallengesCenter for a New American Security

 

Finland: Weak Ice Forces Seals North in Search of Denning Grounds. Unusually poor ice cover has forced large numbers of ringed seals to look for denning spots in the northernmost reaches of the Bay of Bothnia, between Sweden and Finland. The far north of the Bay of Bothnia offers seals the best denning conditions in the Baltic Sea. Satellite monitoring indicates that this past winter, older adults spent time moving along the edge of the ice cover between the narrow region leading into the Bay of Bothnia and its northern reaches. Most juveniles ranged in much more limited areas. Alaska Dispatch

 

Arctic Council Puts Up "Wall of Silence" Around Yellowknife Meeting. Activists seeking to engage Arctic Council diplomats as they gather in Yellowknife, Canada for high-level negotiations are "disappointed" by what they say is a lack of transparency about the meeting. Representatives from the eight Arctic Council countries and the indigenous groups that participate in council business convened their three-day meeting of senior officials today. Arctic Journal

 

Russia's Arctic Zone Outline. The Russian government introduced a draft presidential decree "On the content of the lands of the Russian Arctic territories". The document was worked out by the Ministry of Regional Development of the Russian Federation by the order of Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Kozak. The draft decree defines the land areas of the Arctic zone of the Russian Federation (the Russian Arctic) with the aim to clarify the boundaries of the Russian Arctic mentioned in "The fundamentals of state policy of the Russian Federation in the Arctic in the period up to 2020 and beyond." Barents Nova

 

Aglukkaq Aglukkaq: Russian Delegation Welcome in NWT. The Federal Minister responsible for the Arctic Council says she has no specific problems with a Russian delegation attending Arctic Council meetings, getting underway Tuesday in Yellowknife. Leona Aglukkaq says the council works on a consensus basis and she thinks barring the Russians from this conference over that country's actions in Ukraine serves no constructive purpose. HQ Yellowknife

Legislative Actionfutureevents  

  

No Arctic legislation was formally considered yesterday.

Future Events

 

Association of American Geographers Polar Geography Sessions, April 8-12, 2014 (Tampa, Florida).  Polar Geography Sessions are being planned in areas such as Sustainable Development in the Arctic, Urbanization and Transportation in the Arctic, etc. Contact Scott Stephenson (stephenson@ucla.edu) for more information, and see attached flyer. 

 

Arctic Science Summit Week April 5-8, 2014 and Arctic Observing Summit, April 9-11 (Helsinki, Finland). ASSW is a gathering for Arctic research organizations. Any organization engaged in supporting and facilitating arctic research is welcome to participate. The ASSW meeting in 2014 will be arranged during April 5-8 in Helsinki Kumpula Campus, in the facilities of FMI and Physics Department of the University of Helsinki. Second circular here

 

Alaska Policy Commission. May 6-7, 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 draft agenda is available here

 

International Congress of Arctic Social Sciences, May 22-24, 2014. ICASS is held every three years, bringing together people from all over the world to share ideas about social science research in the Arctic. ICASS VII, held in Akureyri in June 2011, attracted 450 participants from 30 different countries. ICASS VIII's theme is Northern Sustainabilities. By using the plural, ICASS underscores both that 'sustainability' has social, cultural, economic, political and environmental dimensions, and that definitions of the concept vary. Yet, while debating specific definitions, most would agree that working toward sustainable ways of living in the North and on approaches to sustainable engagement with the North, are critical both to the North's and to the world's future. Community sustainability in the North, whether for small settlements or large urban conglomerations, requires new models of food and energy security, and of access to employment, health care and social and cultural services for residents.

 

Arctic in the Athropocene. June 23-July 2, 2014 (Potsdam, Germany). Under the overarching theme "Arctic in the Anthropocene", this two-week interdisciplinary and interactive event will be the first in a series of Potsdam Summer Schools to be held annually. The goal is to bring together early-career scientists and young professionals from research departments, governmental and non-governmental agencies and organizations, as well as the private sector from all around the world. Participants will deal with global challenges and address urgent questions on how to shape sustainable futures in the Arctic and beyond from a scientific and socioeconomic point of view. 

 

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. 

 

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. 

 

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. 

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