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November 17, 2014
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NSAR Tribal Consultations and Stakeholder Outreach Meetings for the Department of Energy, 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. 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).

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 December 22, 2014.

 

 

capitalToday's Congressional Action:  

The House and Senate are in session but do not expect to formally consider Arctic legislation.

 

Media  

 

China-US Climate Deal Puts Pressure on Canada. Pressure will increase on Canada to do more to curb greenhouse gas emissions now that the United States and China have signed a ground-breaking deal on climate change, say politicians and environmentalists. "What it means for Canada is that there's really no excuses left for the prime minister to avoid implementing regulations that have been promised for years, particularly for the fastest-growing sources of greenhouse gas pollution which is the oil sands sector, and oil and gas in general," said Chris Severson-Baker, managing director of the Pembina Institute, an environmental think tank. Alaska Dispatch News

 

Committee Chairmanships are up for Grabs. As many as 11 House committee chairmanships will be in play this month, as Republicans choose their leaders after a triumphant midterm election cycle. Chairmen are generally picked by the House Republican Steering Committee, made up of members of the leadership team and Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio); existing panel chairmen; 11 regional representatives; and representatives of the 2010 and 2012 electoral classes.


The Arctic Dimension of the Russia-China Alliance. The Kremlin is quickly moving its priorities towards the east and is putting its bets on comprehensive partnerships with China. In that great geopolitical shift, the Arctic is playing a central role. Not only will oil and gas from Russia's Arctic fields run through the new eastbound pipelines, but China is also securing stakes in a number of assets in Russian Arctic waters and territories. Alaska Dispatch News

 

Military Confirms Foreign Sub Violated Swedish Waters. The Supreme Commander of the Swedish Armed Forces, Sverker Göranson, confirmed Friday that it was indeed a foreign mini-submarine that had violated Swedish waters in the Stockholm archipelago last month. Göranson said there was "no doubt" about the intrusion, and went on to present a list of evidence that the Armed Forces had gathered. Alaska Dispatch News

 

Alaska Shows No Signs of Rising Arctic Methane. Despite large temperature increases in Alaska in recent decades, a new analysis of NASA airborne data finds that methane is not being released from Alaskan soils into the atmosphere at unusually high rates, as recent modeling and experimental studies have suggested. The new result shows that the changes in this part of the Arctic have not yet had enough impact to affect the global methane budget. Phys.Org 

 

Representatives of Arctic Council in Singapore for Study Visit. Senior representatives of several organisations representing indigenous communities from the Arctic are in Singapore on a study visit from Monday (Nov 17) to Friday.

In a press statement on Monday, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) said the various organizations who sent representatives for the visit - the Aleut International Association, the Arctic Athabascan Council, the Russian Association of Indigenous Peoples of the North, Siberia and Far East and the Saami Council - are permanent participants of the Arctic Council, of which Singapore is an observer state. Singapore was granted observer status in the council in May 2013. Channel News Arctic 

 

Feds Announce $6.7M for Geoscience Research in NWT, Nunavut.Nunavut's MP says a $6.7-million investment in geoscience research should lead to big projects down the line. Minister of Environment and Minister of the Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency Leona Aglukkaq announced the funding Friday in Iqaluit. CBC News  

 

Legislative Actionfutureevents  

 

No Arctic legislation was formally considered Friday.

 

Future Events

 

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. 

   

The Melting Arctic... What the Science Says, and What it Means for Our Future. December 10, 2014 (Remote access, see here.) The National Weather Service; Office of Climate, Weather, and Water Services; Climate Division is sponsoring this webinar. This talk probes the loss of ice in the Arctic Ocean from three aspects -- 1) what the science says, 2) why it is important, and 3) what it means for our future, and makes the case that as transport drives the patterns of human civilization, a melting Arctic will move population centers in the far north. This talk, which puts climate science in a social and historical context, was presented previously at the AMS Annual meeting in Atlanta, Georgia, in February 2013.

 

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 Modeling: Improving Models and Predictions in the Arctic. January 13, 2014 (Remote access, see here. https://cpomapp.webex.com/cpomapp/onstage/g.php?t=a&d=294466420). The Modeling, Analysis, Predictions, and Projections (MAPP) program will host this webinar. Additional information will be released soon. 
 

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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