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| Courtesy of greenland_com on flickr |
The Arctic This Week 2014:4
Welcome and thanks for joining us this week! If you find TATW useful and fun to read, please share it with others. If you’re not a subscriber yet, you can sign up here. You can find the PDF version of the newsletter here.
As always, all editorial choices, opinions and any mistakes are the authors’ own. To comment, to point out an error or to request a back issue, feel free to contact us directly. Anything that we missed? Please feel free to share material with us if you think it deserves inclusion in TATW.
ARCTIC CONFERENCE AND EVENTS LIST
The Arctic Institute maintains and provides access to a list of Arctic-themed conferences, workshops, and events. You can access the list by clicking on the following link:
Please help us keep this list up to date! If you would like to add an event to the list, please submit the required information including the event’s name, dates, location, description, website address and contact information using this submission form. The list will be updated weekly and a link to the list will be provided each week in TATW.
THE ARCTIC INSTITUTE’S RECENT ACTIVITIES
The Arctic Institute is partnering this year with Arctic Dialogue 2014, which will take place 18-20 March in Bodø, Norway. The conference will be hosted by the High North Center for Business and Governance at University of Nordland. The Dialogue brings together major Arctic players concerned with Arctic development including Arctic heads of state, major industry leaders, whaling captains, fishing communities, academia, local indigenous and non-indigenous Arctic communities, local politicians and other important stakeholders. For more information and to register for the conference, see the Arctic Dialogue website.
READS OF THE WEEK
Starting with the big picture, see this new book from the International Institute for Strategic Studies that analyzes the economic implications of Arctic warming. In “Arctic Opening: Insecurity and Opportunity,” Christian Le Mière and Jeffrey Mazo analyze both the possibilities of and limits to economic expansion in the Arctic and examine its political and military consequences.
Focusing on Canadian Arctic policy, Heather Exner-Pirot and Joël Plouffe speak out against Stephen Harper’s Arctic strategy in “PM risks isolation with imaginary Arctic threats.” The authors dissect some of the Prime Minister’s recent claims about regional governance and Canada’s claims to the North Pole, exposing them to scrutiny and arguing that Harper’s underinformed view of Arctic affairs is the real threat to Canadian interests in the region.
In her report from Arctic Frontiers 2014, Irene Quaile explores the connections between fossil fuels, climate change, and politics in the Arctic and how these factors manifested themselves in several of the policy presentations at this year’s conference (DW).
Moving back to Canada, the Canadian Coast Guard is planning a large-scale exercise to identify Arctic sea-lanes, with the aim of determining where the majority of shipping and transit will occur as the region becomes more accessible. With only some 12% of Arctic water charted to modern standards, the CCG hopes the exercises will allow it to make better judgments regarding infrastructure investment and future patrols (Ottawa Citizen and o.canada.com).
In science news, we recommend a paper recently published in Geophysical Research Letters (abstract) examined samples of ancient moss exposed by Arctic warming using radiocarbon dating and came to the conclusion that the current warmth in the region has no precedent in the last 44,000 years (GRL).
It seems that we are really focusing on Canada this week! In infrastructure reads, see this article in the Globe and Mail regarding new problems at Canada’s troubled naval facility at Nanisivik. Exploratory drilling has revealed that a layer of clay deep below the wharf is compressing, causing it to gradually sink. The “stability problem…raises questions about its suitability as a naval facility and suggest the Canadian government could be facing big bills to address the matter.”
In shipping news this week, the coordinating Sub-Committee on Ship Design and Construction (SDC) of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) agreed in principle to the draft text of the mandatory International Code for ships operating in polar waters, known as the “Polar Code.” The code will cover the design, construction, equipment, operational, training, search and rescue and environmental protection matters of ships sailing around the poles. For a good summary of the Polar Code, see this informative webpage from the (IMO).
Moving on to sports and tourism, we are happy to recommend this article from Uphere Magazine that looks at the burgeoning Aboriginal tourism industry, including descriptions of nine trips interested travelers can take.
Finally, this week we’d like to recommend you peruse two excellent collections of photos, a slideshow depicting everyday life in Greenland by Ciril Jazbec, featuredin The New York Times, and a gallery of shots by Peter Power on “Twilight in Canada’s North,” featured in the Globe & Mail.
THE POLITICAL SCENE
The political scene refocuses on Arctic warming
After a few months focused on everything from Greenpeace protestors to the North Pole, the political scene may have shifted from the puffed-up to the practical. Climate may not have been the theme of this year’s Arctic Frontiers conference in Tromsø, Norway, which attracted a record number of participants and is said to focus on climate and energy in 2015 (AJ), but ice melt and sustainable development were “hot” topics at the conference, according to blogger Irene Quaile (DW). Two new publications, a report in Nature finding that the impacts of Arctic warming could cost the global economy USD 60 trillion (Climate Central) and a new book from the International Institute for Strategic Studies analyzing the economic implications of Arctic warming promise a sobering counter to the ice-melt-means-profit argument.
…But Harper and Canadian sovereignty still make headlines
Two articles were published last week openly criticizing Stephen Harper’s Arctic strategy. In “PM risks isolation with imaginary Arctic threats,” Heather Exner-Pirot and Joël Plouffe dissect some of Harper’s recent claims and argue that his “troublingly uninformed” view of Arctic affairs threatens Canadian interests more than “imaginary threats to our sovereignty.” Robert Murray, who also took issue with Harper’s rhetoric in an article for Troy Media, suggested that his government pay more attention to the experts and shy away from singular understandings of “sovereignty” and thin calculations of national security.
And what, really, is this thing we call “sovereignty”? In a panel discussion on “the myth of Arctic sovereignty” posted by The Globe & Mail this week, Rob Huebert and Michael Byers each echo Murray’s point – sovereignty is a contested concept, and can take on multiple meanings. While some, like Byers, like to stick to a strictly legal definition, Huebert maintains that sovereignty is a term of convenience that boils down to who controls what. And of course Canada should want to have a say in Arctic goings-on, but – as Mark Collins put it on his 3Ds blog – why all the hoo-hah about sovereignty? It might be a fine buzzword to stick in the Throne Speech, but maybe the Harper government should give it a rest in front of international audiences (unlike last week’s reminder in Davos) for a change (G&M).
Barents Observer points out roadblocks to Barents regional cooperation
Several articles posted by Barents Observer’s Thomas Nilsen recently highlight the challenges and obstacles to Russian-Norwegian cooperation. Nilsen wrote on the decline in trade between the two countries and the barriers to visa-freedom (including prohibitive travel to consulates on the Russian side of the border and fingerprinting for visas to Russia) in the region. Kåre Simensen, a Norwegian MP from Finnmark, has started a Norwegian-Russian friendship association in the Storting to facilitate discussions on the more challenging aspects of the generally strong relationship between the two countries (BO).
International
The role of the EU in Arctic affairs was discussed in posts by the London School of Economics’ EUROPP blog and European Student Think Tank this week.
China’s Arctic Ambition (Winnipeg Free Press).
Greenland
Greenland’s road from dream to reality (Politiken, in Danish).
Greenpeace in Denmark (Sermitsiaq AG, in Danish).
Russia
Russia in Arctic dimension (VOR).
Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Finland: Arctic Council should be open to observers (AIR, in Russian).
Canada
The parliamentary committee on Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development held hearings on the Northwest Territories Devolution Act (fact sheet from the Government of Canada) this week in Yellowknife (CBC).
United States
ENERGY
Appeals court ruling puts Shell’s leases in Arctic Alaska in question
A federal appeals court ruled last week that the U.S. Department of the Interior failed to conduct an adequate environmental impact assessment before auctioning off large tracts of the Chukchi and Beaufort Seas for oil and gas exploration (AD). The ruling comes as the result of a legal challenge from environmental and Alaska Native groups that claimed that the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) purposefully underestimated the amount of oil that could be economically produced from the region in its original assessment (ADN, NJ). The plaintiffs contend that this oversight should invalidate the leases that were sold as part of the 2008 process, though the decision now rests with a federal district court which could rule that the BOEM could redo portions of its environmental assessment instead (FuelFix). For now, it appears that Shell’s 2014 drilling season is in limbo until the courts chart a way forward. Environmental groups, meanwhile, are using the ruling to push for the cancellation of the 2008 leases and a moratorium on any future leases (Guardian, OnEarth). Alaska Senator Mark Begich, on the other hand, thinks Shell will be able to go ahead with its 2014 drilling season after the details are worked out by the courts (FuelFix). Stay tuned!
Companies cool on Greenland exploration
Despite interest in the oil and gas potential of Greenland, several companies have recently made decisions to back out of exploration licenses there due to high costs. Statoil announced that it is considering withdrawing from its exploration licenses in West Greenland due to the high costs and risks associated with oil and gas exploration in the region (Bloomberg; AIR, in Russian). Cairn Energy, which has already spent USD 1.9 billion exploring in west Greenland with no major discoveries, announced it would not be drilling any new wells in 2014 (AJ). Numerous oil companies are beginning to feel the impact of the high costs involved in exploring and developing new resources in challenging and remote regions (Oilprice). This is likely disappointing news for the government of Greenland which has looked to potential revenues from oil and minerals as a way to fund the country’s transition to independence. An editorial by Gitte Seeberg of the World Wildlife Fund calls on Prime Minster Aleqa Hammond’s government to slow the pace of oil and gas exploration in Greenland and instead focus limited resources on better management of the mining sector (AJ). For more on Greenland’s efforts to manage a transition to independence while increasing oil and mining exploration, see this article in The Guardian. A report released this week, however, also poured cold water on the idea that mining would be able to bank roll Greenland’s independence. See the mining section below for more details.
Alaska moves ahead with planning and appropriations for North Slope gas pipeline
Governor Sean Parnell introduced legislation this week to set the tax rate for the proposed pipeline at 10.5% and to secure funding to cover the state’s share of project development costs, projected to be around USD 70 to 90 million (ADN). Dermot Cole is providing great coverage of this story for the Alaska Dispatch. First, see this article by Cole that looks at the risks involved for Alaska as it contemplates taking an ownership stake in the project of around 20%, a new concept for the traditionally hands-off statehouse. Next, see this article for more details on the Governor’s plan to conduct confidential negotiations with the North Slope oil companies regarding the project, and this article for more details on the proposed tax scheme for the project.
Russia
The CEOs of Rosneft and ExxonMobil met this week to discuss the two companies’ collaboration on offshore projects in Russia (AIR, in Russian). Despite much interest global in Russia’s expansion into the Arctic offshore, Russia projects that only 5% of the country’s oil and 10% of the country’s gas will come from the Arctic shelf by 2035 (AIR, in Russian). The energy ministry also affirmed its decision this week to bar private companies from working on the Arctic shelf despite requests from private companies such as Novatek and Severneftegas for greater access (AIR, in Russia).
Gazprom 'eyes Kara Sea seismic' (Upstream).
Canada
Filmmaker David Dufresne has created a unique game-documentary called Fort McMoney that allows players to engage with real-life characters from Fort McMurray, Alberta, partake in debates about the city’s evolution and roll-play the future of oilsands in this remote corner of Canada (NJ). I highly recommend you explore this fascinating online experience, but be warned, you may get lost in this for a few hours!
The North’s resource boom: Is it prosperity or exploitation? (Globe and Mail)
U.S.
The Sierra Club has put out an interesting and helpful resource on Google Earth that allows users to navigate the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and explore the impacts of oil and gas development in Arctic Alaska.
Norway
Although oil and gas production in Norway declined in 2013 (BO), the region continues to attract strong interest from oil and gas companies seeking exploration licenses (BO). This comes after a series of (modest) discoveries in Norway’s Arctic that have some hoping that the long-term decline of Norway’s oil and gas production will be tempered or reversed in the future (Oil and Gas Eurasia). Despite objections from environmentalists, Prime Minister Erna Solberg affirmed this week that oil and gas will continue to play a role in the north’s development (BO).
A Responsible Approach to Arctic Operations, an article provided by Statoil, profiles the company’s stepwise approach to Arctic development.
SCIENCE, ENVIRONMENT AND WILDLIFE
New evidence of climate change
A paper recently published in Geophysical Research Letters (abstract) examined samples of ancient moss exposed by Arctic warming using radiocarbon dating came to the conclusion that the current warmth in the region has no precedent in the last 44,000 years (GRL). A short video features one of the researchers from the University of Colorado Gifford Miller talking about his research on climate change on Baffin Island, Canada (INSTAAR). An article in the Globe & Mail lets the reader peak inside PEARL – the Canadian Polar Environment Atmospheric Research Laboratory in Nunavut, including its equipment. The corresponding video takes you on a virtual tour through the lab (G&M).
The Arctic sea ice has been observed to be growing slower than usual this winter (AD), with December’s sea ice being the fourth-lowest on record, according to NSIDC (SCV). Researchers at the University of Toronto, moreover, tracked long-lived algae back to the 1300s and found that “sea ice cover in the Canadian Arctic has shrunk dramatically over the past 150 years” (University of Toronto). The University of Alaska Fairbanks analyzed sea ice observations from the past century and put together an interactive digital map, the Sea Ice Atlas, where viewers can watch the historical developments of the ice around Alaska (AD).
Polar bears’ changing diet and their role in the climate change debate
As usual, there is plenty of news this week on the stars of the Arctic, the polar bears. A team of researchers around Priscilla Simonis discovered an optical mechanism behind the insulating power of the bears’ fur (Red Orbit). Due to longer ice-free periods related to global warming, polar bears have less time per year to catch their preferred prey, ringed seals. A series of papers published by researchers from the American Museum of Natural History suggests that the polar bears along the western Hudson Bay have adapted by changing their diet and eating habits. This includes prey-switching and a mixed diet of plants and animals (Nature), such as bird eggs, caribou, grass seeds, and berries (NBC). In Alaska, their winter food is also enriched by the remains of bowhead whales left on the shore by hunters. As a result, they are increasingly seen ashore in Alaska (AD). Despite their unexpected resilience, they are nevertheless very susceptible to the effects of climate change (SC). Recent regulatory and court action has considered the impact of climate change on polar bear populations. On January 22, the U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals decided that the lease sale of nearly 30 million acres to drill for oil and gas in the Chukchi Sea off the north coast of Alaska was unlawful. The risks to people and wildlife championed by Alaska native groups and conservationists were given precedence over the sale, which had been approved by the Bush administration in 2008 (HP). Meanwhile, in Nunavut, Canada, the polar bear population is in good health and has been stable for 30 years. However, depending on additional survey information on bear numbers, the meeting starting February 12 could lead to hunting quotas for Hudson Bay (AD, EOTA).
In a different take on polar bear, Douglas Clark of the University of Saskatchewan and Martina Tyrrell of the University of Exeter argue that the 2013 media campaign to limit or prohibit trade in goods made from polar bears focused exclusively on hunting practices, while ignoring the effects of climate change and the loss of sea ice on the bears (Leaderpost, Phys).
Climate
The New Arctic Frontier: Follow the Heat (Discover).
Climate Change in Greenland - Arirang TV documentary "Arctic Story" featuring award-winning photojournalist Jenny E. Ross (Arirang TV). A must-watch for anybody interested in Greenland and/or climate change!
Our New Climate and Weather (Arctic News).
Polar ice tipping points (AD).
Arctic ‘Heat Wave’ to Rip Polar Vortex in Half, Shatter Alaska’s All-Time Record High for January? (Robert Scribbler)
Wildlife
Study recommends ways to protect whales (Global News).
Ice-age animals live on in Eurasian mountain range (New Scientist).
Expeditions & research blogs
Sprague Theobald on a Life-Altering Adventure Through the Northwest Passage (TWC). Includes a very short clip on the trip and beautiful scenes from the Northwest Passage.
Miscellaneous
MILITARY / SEARCH & RESCUE
Experts disagree over Russia’s priorities in the Arctic
Konstantin Sivkov – a former member of the Russian General Staff – has urged the Russian military to invest in a “low-altitude radar shield” in the Arctic to detect incoming missile strikes. Sivkov believes increased military activity in the Arctic threatens Russia because it is the one spot from which a large-scale attack using cruise missiles could be launched to target all of Russia. Sivkov also warned that the Northern Fleet “at present…is not sufficient to accomplish even basic tasks to ensure national security in this…region” and urged leaders to bolster forces in the region with a large detachment of fighter aircraft (RIAN, RussiaList, and NavalToday). However, Alexander Sharavin, Director of the Institute of Political and Military Analysis, has come out against a large military contingent in the region, arguing that current interest in the region is out of proportion to its actual navigability (AIR, in Russian). Regardless, Russia continues to build up its conventional forces in the region: KBP has announced plans to develop the Pantsir-S1 missile system for use in polar regions, with orders for the variant having already been placed (RBTH).
Joint Training Exercises Planned
Iceland Fighter Meet 2014 will kick off on February 3, and continue until 21 February. Aircraft from Norway, Finland, and Sweden will all participate, with support from air-to-air refueling tankers, AWACS radar aircraft, and SAR helicopters (NATO). The exercises will mark the first deployment of Finnish and Swedish aircraft to Iceland. As neither Finland nor Sweden are member-nations of NATO, Norway will act as the sponsor nation for the two, with Finnish and Swedish assets under the operational control of a Norwegian training director (Mission of Finland to NATO). Meanwhile, SAR exercises are currently being planned for the summer to include personnel from the United States, Norway, and Russia’s Northern Fleet (AIR, in Russian).
Russia
Construction of a new Arctic-capable SAR vessel has been completed in Arkhangelsk (AIR, in Russian).
United States
Canada
MINING
Yukon opens up Peel watershed to mining to loud objections
The Government of Yukon released its long awaited Peel Watershed land use plan (press release). For documentation, maps, and a full text of the land use plan, see this helpful page on the Government of Yukon’s website. Protected areas will cover 29% of the watershed, allowing mineral claims to be staked on the other 71%, though large portions of that section will have restrictions on development. In making this decision, the government chose to shelve the recommended course of action developed by the Peel Watershed Planning Commission that called for 80% of the region to be devoted to conservation. Reception to the new plan has been decidedly mixed. Environmentalists oppose the large percentage of the watershed that will be open to mineral exploration, while First Nations groups threatened legal action and promised to implement the recommended land use plan that emerged from the planning commission instead of the government’s proposed plan (YN). Both groups feel cheated that the recommended plan was shelved and a more pro-development course of action was implemented, while miners say development restrictions may make mining in the region too costly (YN). Tapping into the debate over mining in the Yukon, an article in National Geographic this month looks at the future of prospecting in the territory and also provides an excellent interactive map showing the relationship between mineral resources, wildlife, and land use in the region.
Report: 24 operating mines required to fund Greenland independence
A report co-sponsored by the Universities of Greenland and Copenhagen called into question the common assumption that Greenland would be able to fund its own independence based on rents from mining and hydrocarbon development (AJ). A full text of the report is available in Danish and in Greenlandic here. Apart from objections to such a plan based upon the pernicious effects of resource-based economies, the report concludes that resource revenues would be insufficient to replace the USD 580 million block grant Greenland receives annually from Denmark, a sum that accounts for 30% of Greenland’s GDP. In fact, the report finds that it would take 24 large mines to provide sufficient income, though there are only five or six exploitable deposits identified in Greenland to date (Politiken, in Danish). This many projects would require a massive influx of foreign capital and would have numerous unintended effects on Greenland’s economy, society and environment. The report recommends not rushing to develop as many mines as possible, as quickly as possible, but instead focusing on managing a few large projects well, building a sovereign wealth fund instead of pumping the revenues directly into government spending, and working to develop a diversified economy focused on human capital.
Greenland
Canada
Russia
Alaska
News last week that the EPA assessed the Pebble Mine would have significant negative impacts on the region’s legendary salmon runs has led to a variety of reactions across the political spectrum. Alaska Senator Mark Begich, a Democrat, came out against the mine, saying that the long-term impacts on fisheries would be too great (ADN). Democratic Senator Maria Cantwell of Washington also expressed disapproval (LA Times). Alaska’s Republican Senator Lisa Murkowski, on the other hand, thinks the decision on whether the mine goes ahead or not should be made by the state, not the federal government (ADN). The EPA’s report has also come under fire from mining industry representatives who say that the agency overstepped its authority and unnecessarily politicized the review process (North of 60).
Could Alaska host rare critical metal? (North of 60)
Be very afraid for three more years (North of 60)
FISHERIES, SHIPPING AND OTHER BUSINESS NEWS
New “Polar Code” discussed
Saying that the International Maritime Organization’s new “Polar Code” was the center of the Arctic shipping news this week would be an understatement. At a first session from January 20 to 24, the coordinating Sub-Committee on Ship Design and Construction (SDC) of the IMO agreed in principle to the draft text of the mandatory International Code for ships operating in polar waters. The code will cover the design, construction, equipment, operational, training, search and rescue and environmental protection matters of ships sailing around the poles (IMO). Its aims are to “improve safety, lead to lower insurance premiums and help the rise of traffic” (Reuters). IMO Secretary-General Sekimizu hopes that the new code will be officially adopted in 2014 (Seatrade Global). According to Norwegian and Canadian shipping associations, it could then go into effect by 2016. The Globe and Mail’s infographic illustrates the code’s boundaries and the Northwest Passage transits since 1903 (G&M). The impact of the Polar Code was discussed intensely at the Arctic Frontiers conference in Tromsø from January 19 to24 (BO). Environmental organizations such as the WWF (NN) warn that the code ignores the environmental impacts of increased shipping activity in the Arctic. It also omits discussion about ‘residual’ heavy ship fuel oil (HFO), which is already banned in Antarctic waters because of its potential for substantial damage in case of a spill. It further fails to address black carbon emissions and ballast water (Seas At Risk). On the other hand, ship owners contend that a ban of heavy fuel oil will leave the Northern Sea Route deserted (BO). With all the attention concentrated on the Polar Code, Russia and the U.S. are drafting voluntary regulations for passage through the Bering Strait (AP).
Fisheries
Arctic marine fishes and their fisheries in light of global change (Global Change Biology).
Russia can replace banned Norwegian fish with Icelandic and Danish fish (RIA, in Russian).
Shipping
Other business and economic news
Doing big business from a small country (Faroese water) (AJ).
Linking cross-border Arctic labor markets (Finland – Norway) (BO). See also: Oulu aims to boost exports to Norway (BO).
Nenets Autonomous Okrug (NAO) was ranked second on investment attractiveness in Russia (RIA, in Russian).
HEALTH, EDUCATION, SOCIETY AND CULTURE
The Arctic: coming to a theater or TV near you
First the “Gravity” spin-off short “Aningaaq,” now “Helix,” “Klondike” and “Uvanga.” Representations of life in the far north seem to be everywhere these days, from the historical to the dramatic to the downright fictional. Helix, which premiered this month in the United States on SyFy, follows a team of scientists who travel to an Arctic research facility to investigate a potential outbreak. Klondike, a mini-series that aired on Discovery last week, centers on the Klondike gold rush of the 1890s and was filmed and set in the Yukon. Uvanga, directed by acclaimed duo Marie-Helene Cousineau and Madeline Piujuq Ivalu, depicts a family’s emotional homecoming to Igloolik and premiers this April. Binge-watchers, beware.
Health
Education
Kids, POPS and Arctic Science (Ice-Blog).
Society
Culture
Climate as Culture: artists near the Arctic Circle (Quark Expeditions).
INFRASTRUCTURE
Internet Infrastructure Expands, but Full Connectivity a Long Way Off
The Nunavut Impact Review Board has ruled that Arctic Fibre’s proposed undersea cable can proceed without an environmental hearing, while simultaneously imposing a list of terms and conditions. While this clears one hurdle for Arctic Fibre, there are still a number of authorities whose approval is required before the project can get underway (NN). There does, however, seem to be an impetus for its approval, as a new report by the three northern territories and federal government has concluded that broadband access for the high north is “essential,” and that “without upgrades to broadband internet services, northern economics could stagnate.” The report calculates that some $600 million to $2 billion are needed to upgrade connectivity in the region (CBC). The full report is also available online. That said, Norwegian telecom operator Telenor AS has concluded that the northernmost parts of the Arctic face a long delay – at least half a decade – before they will have broadband coverage (WSJ).
United States
Europe
Canada
Geo-tech challenges expected for Arctic highway (Daily Commercial News).
Russia
Some 320 tons of cargo for the oil industry will be carried across the Krasnoyarsk Winter Road this season (AIR, in Russian).
SPORTS
Warm weather causing problems for winter sports in Alaska
While the Midwest freezes, record-setting warm weather in Alaska is wreaking havoc with ski resort operations and dog-sled racing, including causing the cancellation of a qualifying race for the Iditarod (AJ). The Tustamena 200 race on the Kenai Peninsula was cancelled after temperatures in Anchorage reached into the upper 40s (FNM). Yukon Quest, however, was scheduled to begin as planned (FNM), though organizers were planning for potential changes to the course if the conditions necessitated them (FNM).
Canada
Yellowknife has held its fourth annual Yellowknife Chess Club Tournament (NJ).
NWT skier makes history (NJ).
Sprague Theobald on a Life-Altering Adventure Through the Northwest Passage (Weather Channel).
United States
Europe
Outdoors in the Arctic (Yahoo).
Russia
Russian and Polish cyclists to bike to Gulags in Yakutia (AIR, in Russian).
The dog-sled race Volga Quest 2014 kicked off on 25 January (AIR, in Russian).
IMAGES AND VIDEO
On flicker this week: a cool color-swapped winter sun by Mikofox, “Skiiing the Shoreline” (also by Mikofox), “Looking out at looking in…” by Bruce McKay, and a nice set of shots of winter in Yellowknife posted by Vincent Demers. On Twitter, Bylot 2015 posted a number of photos by Jeeteeta Merkosak, including Ski-doos and Qamutiik parked on the ice, “Catching the Arctic Sun,” a tranquil shot of Pond Inlet, Nunavut, and “The Beauty of the Arctic Sky.” Other users posted orange-outlined polar bears, accessories for a sunny winter day, aurora borealis, sunrise, sunset, and the return of the sun in Fjordcamp, Norway. On Instagram, Jenn_i_fer_100084 posted a clear morning in the Arctic and foodieintl posted a shot of herself sled dog racing. Instagram posted a feature on one of its users’ (Stanche Sweatman -@swdavest) Arctic photos.
This week’s photo collections include a slideshow of Greenland in The New York Times, a photo essay on “Twilight in Canada’s North” and one on Paul Nicklen’s Arctic photography, both posted by The Globe & Mail, as well as “Fishing and the Good People of Qaanaaq” (from the Dark Ice Project) and “Sun returns after dark Arctic Winter,” posted on Ice-Blog. Other cool images to check out are this illustration of the melting Arctic from this year’s World Economic Forum and this shot of a starry night in northern Norway, posted on 500px.
Abbreviation Key
Aboriginal Peoples Television Network (APTN)
Aftenbladet (AB)
Alaska Business Monthly (ABM)
Alaska Dispatch (AD)
Alaska Journal of Commerce (AJC)
Alaska Native News (ANN)
Alaska Public Media (APM)
Anchorage Daily News (ADN)
Arctic Info (Russian) (AIR)
Arctic Institute (TAI)
Barents Nova (BN)
Barents Observer (BO)
Bristol Bay Times (BBT)
BusinessWeek (BW)
Canadian Mining Journal (CMJ)
Christian Science Monitor (CSM)
Eye on the Arctic (EOTA)
Fairbanks Daily News-Miner (FNM)
Financial Times (FT)
Globe and Mail (G&M)
Government of Canada (GOC)
Government of the Northwest Territories (GNWT)
Huffington Post (HP)
Indian Country Today Media Network (ICTMN)
Johnson’s Russia List (JRL)
Kalaallit Nunaata Radioa (KNR)
Lapin Kansa (LK)
Moscow Times (MT)
National Geographic (NG)
Natural Gas Europe (NGE)
Naval Today (NT)
New York Times (NYT)
Northern Journal (NJ)
Northern News Service Online (NNSO)
Northern Public Affairs (NPA)
Norwegian Polar Institute (NPI)
Nunatsiaq News (NN)
Oil & Gas Journal (OGJ)
Ottawa Citizen (OC)
Petroleum News (PN)
RIA Novosti (RIAN)
Russia Beyond the Headlines (RBTH)
Russia Today (RT)
Voice of Russia (VOR)
Wall Street Journal (WSJ)
Washington Post (WP)
Whitehorse Star (WS)
Winnipeg Free Press (WFP)
Yukon News (YN)
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