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November 12, 2014
   

NSAR Tribal Consultations and Stakeholder Outreach Meetings for the Department of Energy, 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).   

   

capitalToday's Congressional Action:  

The House and Senate are expected to return to business this evening.  Both chambers are expected to consider non-Arctic legislation and nominations. 

 

Media  

 

Environmentalists Sue Feds to Protect Pacific Walruses from Oil Drilling. Environmental groups on Monday sued the federal government over a rule that would allow Arctic oil exploration in areas that could hurt Pacific walruses, which already are struggling from the loss of sea ice. Earthjustice brought the suit against the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service on behalf of a coalition of conservation groups that have long been opposed to Arctic drilling. Alaska Dispatch News

 

Nunavut's Suicide Prevention Strategy Still Under Evaluation. An evaluation and report that will guide the work of groups implementing the Nunavut Suicide Prevention Strategy has a new deadline: March 2015. The strategy was first released in September 2011 by its partners Nunavut Tunngavik Inc., the Government of Nunavut, the RCMP and the Embrace Life Council, pledging more research, mental health services and suicide intervention training for the territory. Nunatsiaq Online

 

Suicide Rate in Nunavut Capital Lower Among Teen Boys. The suicide rate among teenage boys in Iqaluit is much lower compared to teenage boys in other Nunavut communities, new research has found. Researcher Jack Hicks, a former suicide prevention advisor to the Government of Nunavut and to Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami, analyzed the territory's suicide statistics dating back to its creation in 1999. Nunatsiaq Online 

 

The 2014 Arctic Yearbook. This volume of the Arctic Yearbook is devoted to the umbrella topic of Arctic human capital and capacity. The success in the elaboration of the new industrial districts in the Arctic both offshore and onshore, the success with the Arctic Universities, and of Arctic entrepreneurs is highly dependent upon the quality and quantity of the Arctic human capital. For access to the 2014 Arctic Yearbook see here.

 

Ocean Exploration 2015 Funding Opportunity. NOAA's Office of Ocean Exploration & Research (OER) seeks to enhance ocean exploration and scientific knowledge in the Arctic by encouraging use of the rich Arctic data set collected since 2003 in support of the U.S. Extended Continental Shelf (ECS) Project http://continentalshelf.gov/. OER challenges applicants to propose multi-partner interdisciplinary exploration projects that will capitalize and build on these Arctic ECS data, and target the mapped areas in new ways, using innovative technologies to inform some of NOAA's most pressing Arctic marine science needs, and stewardship responsibilities, pursuant to NOAA's Arctic Vision and Strategy. For more information, see Grants.gov 

 

Arctic Shipping: An Analysis of the 2013 Northern Sea Route Season. Expectations are high that Arctic shipping routes, particularly the Northern Sea Route (NSR), will rival traditional shipping routes and complement the Suez Canal route as a key waterway for trade to and from Asia by the middle of this century. How realistic are such scenarios? This report uses data from the 2013 NSR shipping season to identify and analyze traffic patterns, point out differences compared to the Suez and Panama Canals and draw conclusions about the future potential of the NSR. The Arctic Institute

 

Congress Returns to Capitol Hill for Post-Election Battle. The players are the same, but it's a whole new political world when Congress returns Wednesday to a Capitol turned upside down by last Tuesday's elections. Fresh off a midterm victory that gives them control over both chambers next year, Republicans will use the lame-duck session to pick leaders and plot strategies for confronting President Obama in the homestretch of his White House tenure. The Hill 

 

Oil-Gas Summit in Iqaluit This January Will Shape Nunavut Policy. Exploration for oil and gas in the 1960s and 1970s showed Nunavut's offshore, especially in the High Arctic, could hold more than 20 per cent of Canada's oil and gas reserves, but an oil and gas industry in Nunavut has never taken off. And right now, the territorial government has no policy for the industry. Nunatsiaq Online 

 

russian flag Russia Flexing Military Muscle With Expanded Bomber Patrols. Russia's long-range bombers will range from the Arctic Ocean to the Caribbean and the Gulf of Mexico on regular patrol missions, the military said Wednesday, a show of muscle reflecting tensions with the West over UkraineA statement from Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu comes as NATO has reported a spike in Russian military flights over the Black, Baltic and North seas as well as the Atlantic Ocean. It reflects Moscow's increasingly tough posture amid tensions with the West over Ukraine. CBS News

 

U.S. Can No Longer Ignore Arctic Issues. [Opinion] At long last, the United States government appears poised to seize - if at times, fitfully - its Arctic destiny. Earlier this year, in January, the federal government released its Implementation Plan for the National Strategy for the Arctic Region, following its May 2013 release of the National Strategy which articulates the U.S. government's strategic priorities for this vast untapped frontier. In quick succession, the Department of Defense too issued its Arctic Strategy document in November 2013 and its Arctic Roadmap in February 2014 to realize the strategy for the 2014-2030 timeframe. The roadmap charts out a series of focused activity areas in the sphere of operations and training, science and technology, environment observation and prediction, safe navigation and maritime domain awareness, among others, over the next couple of years. Fairbanks Daily News-Miner 

 

Legislative Actionfutureevents  

 

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

Future Events

    

4th Annual Karles Invitational Conference: The Science and Technology of the New Arctic Environment, November 13-14, 2014, (Washington, DC, USA). This invite-only conference is hosted by the Navy. The Karles Invitational Conference on the Science and Technology of the New Arctic Environment provides a timely program and forum designed to further explore and help assess the future direction of these groundbreaking developments. Presentations will be organized into four sessions: The New Arctic Paradigm, Physics of the New Arctic Regime, New Technologies to Monitor the Changing Arctic, and Future Challenges in the 21st Century Arctic Environment. 

 

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. 

 

BOEM - Chukchi Sea Oil and Gas Lease Sale, Kotzebue (17 November); Point Hope (18 November); Point Lay (19 November); Wainwright (20 November); Anchorage (1 December); Barrow (3 December); and Fairbanks (4 December).The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) issued a notice stating that it has prepared a draft Second Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (SSEIS) relating to the oil and gas lease sale in the Chukchi Sea Planning Area. Written comments must be received by 22 December 22, 2014.

 

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.

 

Ocean Acidification Workshop in Anchorage, December 2, 2014 (Anchorage, Alaska, USA). The Alaska Ocean Observing System will host an ocean acidification workshop to consider research, policy, implications, community perspectives, and potential impacts along Alaska's coast and oceans. 

 

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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