May 30, 2014

capital Today's Congressional Action:

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

Media

EPA Chief to Announce Key Obama Climate Rule Monday-Without Obama. Environmental Protection Agency chief Gina McCarthy will unveil a proposal for the nation's first ever carbon emissions limits on existing power plants Monday, a White House official confirmed Friday. McCarthy will announce the proposal, which is seen as the centerpiece of President Obama's climate agenda, at EPA headquarters. The Hill

House Passes Third '15 Appropriations Bill. The House early Friday passed the third 2015 appropriations bill that would fund the Departments of Commerce and Justice, as well as federal science programs. Passed in a 321-87 vote, the bill would provide $51.2 billion in funding through September 2015, a reduction of nearly $400 million below the current spending level. The Hill

Committee Moves Bill Updating Magnuson-Stevens Act. The U.S. House Natural Resources Committee today moved a bill to update the Magnuson-Stevens Act, the primary fisheries law in federal waters. Alaska Congressman Don Young amended the bill to allow subsistence fishermen a voice on the North Pacific Fisheries Management Council. Alaska Public Radio

Exploring the German Arctic. Just south of Berlin nestled in a densely forested part of the city of Potsdam lies the Alfred Wegner Institute (AWI) for Polar and Marine Research, where scientists far removed from the ice and frost of the polar regions work to understand the changes currently taking place in the coldest regions of our planet. The institute's main offices are located in the western German town of Bremerhaven, where it was founded in 1980 when the then-Federal Republic of Germany signed the Antarctic treaty. AWI takes its name from the German polar researcher who is also considered to be the father of continental drift theory. Wagner tragically died while on a research expedition in Greenland in 1930, aged 50. Arctic Journal

NATO Chief Concerned About Russia's Future Arctic Plans. North Atlantic Treaty Organization Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen signaled concern about Russia's future activity in the Arctic on Friday and suggested the military alliance needs to map out a plan for a potential response. Speaking to the spring meeting of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization's parliamentary assembly, Mr. Rasmussen said he finds Russian President Vladimir Putin's blueprint for the Arctic as "quite remarkable," citing a speech Mr. Putin gave recently on the nation's approach to the region. "No doubt the Russians will focus more on the Arctic... NATO allies will have to address this issue," he said. Wall Street Journal

Ambassador Wants Countries to Work Together. Canada may talk tough against Russia, but it's all propaganda aimed at creating artificial tension, that country's ambassador said Thursday. Georgiy Mamedov, who retires next month after serving 11 years as Russia's highest diplomat in this country, called the current state of affairs between the two countries an aberration in otherwise exquisite diplomatic relations. And he called on Canada to help negotiate an end to the crisis, rather than impose sanctions. "This isn't a policy; it's propaganda," Mamedov said. "It reminds me of the Soviet Union. Lately in my discussions with your officials, I feel like I'm back in USSR, only this time it's you who are listening to the central committee of the Communist party." The Star Phoenix

Acid Oceans, Alaskan Advice. Ocean acidification is a global problem, but like with so much else with climate change its impact is being felt first and felt hardest in the Arctic. In America, fishermen from the lower 48 - in this case the east coast state of Maine - are looking towards Alaska and seeking to take a lesson from the experiences of fishermen there. Arctic Journal

Coastal Erosion Swallowing 'Genesis of Eskimo Inuit Cultures.' Thousands of archeological sites across northwestern Alaska are washing into the sea, and scientists are scrambling to survey what they can before climate change swallows the cultural resources for good. Areas most at risk are the coasts of the Bering Land Bridge National Preserve and Cape Krusenstern National Monument. "These resources are nonrenewable," Michael Hult, Senior Archeologist for the Western Arctic National Park Land, explained, "and that means once they're gone, they're gone forever, and they take with them basically a reflection of past human land use and how people adapted to their changing environment." KNOM

Legislative Action

No Arctic legislation was formally considered yesterday.

Future Events

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.

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.

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.

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