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The Arctic This Week By Kevin Casey, Maura Farrell, Doris Friedrich and Seth Myers May 7, 2014 Dear Friends, As usual, welcome and thanks for joining us this week! TATW’s esteemed editor, Kevin Casey, is embarking on a new and exciting adventure. With his days now considerably fuller, Maura will now take on the responsibility of compiling and editing TATW. But never fear, dear readers, Kevin will continue to write his superb energy section each week.

courtesy of ilovegreenland on flickr.com

As the second member to join the TATW team back in early 2013, Kevin dedicated countless hours to “TDubbs” (as he affectionately calls it) and created its streamlined, reader-friendly new format. We are so pleased to have him stay on as an integral member of the team. To read some of Kevin’s analytical writing or listen to one of his podcasts, check out our website. We hope that you find TATW interesting and entertaining to read. If you’re not a subscriber yet, you can sign up here. The PDF version can be found here. All editorial choices, opinions and any mistakes are the authors’ own. To comment, to point out an error, to share material with us, or to request a back issue, feel free to contact us directly. Thanks, and see you again next week! 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:   Arctic Conference and Events List 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. READS OF THE WEEK While Russia has portrayed the export of oil from the Prirazlomnaya as a triumph, this article by Kevin McGwin in the Arctic Journal shows how the economics of the new field’s oil are marginal, and even a slight drop in oil prices will quickly make the project unprofitable. Canadian legal scholar Michael Byers weighs in on recent events in Arctic politics in a prescriptively-title piece in The Globe & Mail: “Squeeze Putin, but the Arctic is not Ukraine.” As it turns out, smelly bacteria could help clean up old mine sites. With the right balance of ingredients to keep the bacteria happy, they take in the heavy metals from the mines and transform them into organic matter and water (YN). The National Research Council recently published its reports on oil spills and adaptation to climate change. Eilís Quinn’s interview with Fran Ulmer, chair of the US Arctic Research Commission highlights the relevance of the National Research Council’s recent reports on the preparedness for oil spills and the potential effects of climate change (The Arctic in the Anthropocene; Responding to Oil Spills in the US Arctic Marine Environment) (EOTA). Greenpeace has released video footage of the world’s first shipment of Arctic oil, which it tracked by helicopter and by boats. The oil on board the Russian tanker Mikhail Ulyanov, which is headed for Rotterdam in The Netherlands, comes from Gazprom’s Prirazlomnaya platform (AJ). The company’s head of safety, Mikhail Suslin, complained about the safety problems created by Greenpeace’s “irresponsible publicity stunt” (Belfast Telegraph). “NORAD Next” – a strategic review due to be presented in the upcoming months – will examine upgrading NORAD’s radar capabilities to allow for better monitoring of Arctic waters. NORAD’s current radar array for the region – the North Warning System – was built in the 1980s and has a life expectancy to only about 2025 (DefenseNews). THE POLITICAL SCENE Putin, sanctions, and oil Last week, western countries imposed sanctions on more members of President Putin’s “inner circle” (BO). Increasingly concerned by the presence of Russian troops near Ukraine, EU ambassadors targeted fifteen additional individuals, while the US added seven to its list (BO). Canada added nine (Mondaq). Following the announcement of the countries’ sanctions, Mr. Putin said, “I do not see a need for us to take countermeasures,” – at least for now (Website of the President). Despite testy relations, Norway and Russia will continue to cooperate on environmental and energy matters. According to Barents Observer, the two countries are “making first preparations for joint oil extraction in the Barents Sea.” Byers’ Arctic accolades These days, one might say there’s quite enough commentary about Putin, Ukraine, and the Arctic to go around. One familiar commentator is Michael Byers, whose recent piece in the Globe & Mail borders on hilarity with quotable gems such as “Mr. Putin is a thug, but not a fool,” and “Moscow in winter is like the bar scene in Star Wars.” Byers made headlines this week when his book International Law and the Arctic won the Donner Prize, a CAN 50,000 award given to the best Canadian-authored public policy book (The Vancouver Sun, The Toronto Star). For more from Byers, check out his recent interview with Radio National’s Future Tense. Greenpeace does it again On Thursday, Dutch authorities arrested forty-four Greenpeace activists – including seven of last year’s “Arctic 30” – outside Rotterdam (The Guardian). As part of Greenpeace’s most recent demonstration, eighty activists attempted to prevent a Russian tanker from docking at the Netherlands’ Rotterdam harbor (NN). The tanker, chartered by Russian oil company Gazprom, was carrying the first shipment of oil from the Prirazlomanaya platform in Russia’s Pechora Sea (Environment News, G&M). After Dutch authorities intervened, storming Greenpeace’s Rainbow Warrior and detaining its crew, the oil tanker successfully harbored in Rotterdam (Reuters, Grist). The website Popular Resistance said the Dutch authorities’ response to the demonstration “represented a stark contrast to the events of September 2013,” when Russian authorities held Greenpeace activists in custody for two months. International From China, with strings attached (AJ). Greenland and the Arctic: The next Ukraine? (The Copenhagen Post). Canada GNWT makes first regulatory approvals (NJ). Sahtu government rebukes ‘disregard’ by Imperial (NJ). United States Power without a purpose (AJ). Alaska U.S. Senate candidates weigh in on same-sex marriage (FNM). The Nordics Who will be Barents-Rune’s successor? (BO). Kovtun to join Norway’s constitution celebration (BO). ENERGY Oil pipeline spill strikes Alaska’s North Slope A pipeline carrying natural gas, oil and water ruptured in the western section of Prudhoe Bay last Monday, spraying oil over dozens of acres of the snow-covered tundra (PN). A 30-mile-per-hour wind contributed to the wide dispersal of oil from the pressurized pipeline (AD). By Wednesday, over 30 personnel were at work cleaning up the site (AD) and by the end of the day had removed over 70 cubic yards of contaminated snow (AD). Controversy continues in Alberta and NWT oil patch Environmental and public health groups in Yellowknife are calling for a public review of a ConcocPhillips fracking project near Norman Wells that was allowed to proceed without an environmental assessment. In response, legislators representing the Sahtu region told the Yellowknifers to mind their own business because the land’s management isn’t up to them (NJ). To pile wood on the fire, the Sahtu Land and Water Board announced that it will likely allow another fracking project, this one by Husky Energy, to bypass a full environmental assessment (NJ). In northern Alberta, First Nations are questioning the environmental review process around the Teck oilsands project (NJ), while Alberta regulators have given the green light to Canadian Natural Resources Ltd. to resume oilsands extraction at Cold Lake in spite of an oil spill that released a million liters over the past year (NJ). The Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation is looking to translate oilsands money into clean energy through investing in a solar energy project (NJ), and Chinese oil companies continue to advance their interests in Alberta oilsands (NJ). Crimea-on-the-Barents Geopolitics has presented new challenges to cooperation on energy development in the Arctic.  After it was announced that Rosneft CEO Igor Sechin would be placed on the international sanctions list, Statoil announced that it would postpone a planned partnership in Western Siberia, though the Norwegian company denied the decision was due to the crisis in Ukraine (BO). Sechin shrugged off the sanctions (saying they reflected a “high assessment of the effectiveness of Rosneft’s work”) while the American company ExxonMobil said it was still committed to working with Rosneft in the Arctic (BO). Cooperation of the atomic variety appears on track, as well, as Norway plans to continue its cooperation with Russia on nuclear energy in the near future (BO). Russia Despite the best efforts of Greenpeace’s “Arctic 30” and their protests against oil development in the Russian Arctic, the Prirazlomnoye platform shipped its first tanker of oil to Europe this week (AJ). Alaska Are you in need a no-nonsense explanation of the LNG project legislation recently approved by the Alaska legislature? If you are, see this article in the Alaska Dispatch. The publicly owned Alaska Industrial Development and Export Authority will invest USD 50 million to help finance a petroleum processing facility on the central North Slope (PN). Regulators see oil containment as key (PN). Construction of Cook Inlet subsea pipeline now set to begin in 2015 (PN). Canada Two worthwhile articles in Petroleum News address oil and gas issues affecting Canada and the US, both by Gary Park. The first explores the conundrum of crude oil exports and whether or not they are in Canada and the US’s best interests (PN). The second looks at the state of Canada’s oil and gas pipelines (PN). Norway Is China interested in buying a coal mine that sits on 217 square kilometers on the island of Svalbard (BO)? I doubt China would go to such lengths to secure a few million tons of coal, though securing an Arctic foothold could be quite valuable for China’s Arctic ambitions (IBT). Statoil discovered more Barents oil, but not enough (BO). Russia Rosneft puts arctic exploration at top of its agenda (UPI). Total's purchase of Arctic oil shipment sparks row over offshore exploration (The Guardian). Russia Ships First Arctic Oil, Fortifies Oil Defenses (ENS). Greenpeace Ship to Confront Gazprom Tanker (ME). SCIENCE, ENVIRONMENT & WILDLIFE The National Research Council releases reports on oil spills and adaptation to climate change Eilís Quinn’s interview with Fran Ulmer, chair of the US Arctic Research Commission highlights the relevance of the National Research Council’s recent reports on the preparedness for oil spills and the potential effects of climate change (The Arctic in the Anthropocene, Responding to Oil Spills in the US Arctic Marine Environment). Nevertheless, the comprehensive reports need to be complemented by direct and personal contact and communication between the people living in the North and researchers in the capitals. This is essential to integrate traditional knowledge and values and scientific work (EOTA). Find out more about the Emerging Research Questions resulting from climate change here (National Academies). “Help us farewell our Shorebirds” Farewell Shorebirds, an event of BirdLife Australia, invites people to learn more about the 35 species of shorebirds, which migrate from Australia to breed in the Arctic. The website provides informative webcasts and detailed information about the birds’ flyway (Farewell Shorebirds). Climate The Arctic from space: A clear pattern of warming, thaw and melt (AD). Arctic sea ice at fifth lowest annual maximum (NSIDC). Coldest star ever found by NASA astronomers (UPI). Arctic Methane Emissions ‘Certain to Trigger Warming’ (CC). Defusing the Arctic Methane Time Bomb (WUWT). Black carbon in the Arctic – so what? (Arctic Info) Report: Human effect on climate raises big questions about Arctic's future (AD). Climate Change. From “Would” and “Will” to “Could” and “Can” - Climate Change and Environmental (In)Justice in the North American Arctic (Anthropology News). Flora and fauna Polar Bear Expedition Finds Little Ice and Few Mother Bears (WWF). Aerial survey aims to unlock the mystery of Canada’s Arctic whales (Montreal Gazette). Wildlife board to consult on roadside bear hunt (YN). Hunting musk ox in the frigid Arctic (Lancaster Online). Expeditions & research blogs Under the Ice (Years of Living Dangerously). Miscellaneous Scientists Claim Mendeleev Ridge Is Russian Continental Shelf (Moscow Times). Apply for the Arctic Summer College! Deadline May 30th (Arctic Summer College). Bigger, Better Arctic Studies Needed, U.S. Report Argues (Science Mag). Fun Arctic Facts for Kids (Science Kids). Russian-American Collaboration Carries on in Key Arctic Ecosystem (Yale). Arctic science plan to support White House policy (AJ). Arctic Science and Technology Information System (ASTIS) database (University of Calgary). Canadian web documentary highlights Arctic science - Profiles from the Arctic (AD). MILITARY / SEARCH & RESCUE Concerns continue over threat of conflict in Arctic Writing in Newsweek, Max Strasser provides an overview of some of the concerns currently being examined by the US Navy with regards to the Arctic, and Navy Times looks provides an overview of current US capabilities in the region. Meanwhile, Voice of Russia – somewhat predictably – claims that the threat of conflict in the region is fuelled by “the West’s” conviction “that Russia has no right to own the largest Arctic territory, its subsoil and the seas.” Canada Canadian military studying personnel cuts, heavier reliance on allies for new defence strategy (Calgary Herald). British Arctic Star now a recognized military honour in Canada (CNW). Russia Radiation researchers denied access to naval waters (BO). MINING Smelly bacteria could help clean up old mine sites. With the right balance of ingredients to keep the bacteria happy, they take in the heavy metals from the mines and transform them into organic matter and water (YN). Alaska’s federal regulators of surface mining stated that the state’s attorney fee rules in challenges to coal strip mines are inconsistent with federal law and must be changed. The rules make unsuccessful challenges against mining companies very costly: the challenger can be held accountable for the mining company’s attorney fees. This impedes lawsuits against mining companies (AD). Alaska Mining News: Bokan, Niblack funding bill advances (PN). Mining News: Pebble talk dominates mining symposium (PN). Weekly Online: May 01, 2014 - Vol. 08, No. 18, Alaska News Nuggets (PN). Pebble CEO calls on EPA to “stand down” and let process work (PN). Canada Osisko drill results lift Abitibi Royalties to new heights (CMJ). GOLD: Premier to test potential pits near Hardrock (CMJ). GOLD: Development reaches upper part of Island Gold Deep resource (CMJ). Meadowbank helps put Agnico Eagle back in the black (CBC). Weekly Online: May 01, 2014 - Vol. 08, No. 18, Yukon Territory (PN). Weekly Online: May 01, 2014 - Vol. 08, No. 18, Nunavut (PN). RARE EARTHS: Avalon gets permit for Nechalacho pre-construction (CMJ). Ottawa removes production limit on Nunavut iron mine (PN). Svalbard Arctic archipelago property attracting global investors including China (StratRisks). FISHERIES, SHIPPING & OTHER BUSINESS NEWS “Don’t buy Greenlandic.” The Arctic Journal’s article uses this catchy phrase to point to the problems linked to buying Greenlandic (or generally local) food for the only reason of its origin. There are five problems associated with this “short-term, detrimental philosophy” relating to companies’ investments, inflation, ineffective uncompetitive companies, and international markets (AJ). Shipping Finland Has an Advantage in Arctic Maritime Technology (University of Turku). Senior Arctic Official Gustaf Lind on the Development of Arctic shipping (Arctic Council). Arctic ice melt leading to a surge in swells (BO). Russia eyes Crimean shipyard to produce Arctic supertankers (BO). Northwest Passage shipping hopes cooled by transport minister (Vancouver Sun). Chair of the Senior Arctic Officials Patrick Borbey on sustainable Arctic shipping (Arctic Council). Dynagas LNG Partners LP - Arctic Aurora Acquisition (MW). GAO: Limited Commercial Arctic Development Foreseen (Marine Link). Other business and economic news New tool for predicting sea ice extent could boost Arctic development (BO). Inuvik revs up for tourism season with new staff (NJ). Arctic investment the 'best opportunity of last 12,000 years' (SMH). The Mind-Boggling Industrial Future of the Arctic (Gawker). Fly like a bumblebee (Greenland) (AJ). Russia Approves Program on Arctic Zone Development (RIA). HEALTH, EDUCATION, SOCIETY & CULTURE Health Canadian Olympian Clara Hughes visited Iqaluit last week as part of her cycling trip “Clara’s Big Ride” (NN). The trip is sponsored by Bell Canada’s “Let’s Talk” campaign. During the visit, Bell announced it would spend CAN 1 million on community mental health projects in northern Canadian provinces over the next five years (NN). Education RM of Wood Buffalo protests education tax hike (NJ). Nunavut high school hosts second Rainbow Day (NN). Randy Smith students create custom Alaska-themed chairs (FNM). Girdwood students learn about wildlife careers (FNM). Society Can you hear me now? Alaska Communications expanded its 4G LTE services to the Fairbanks area last week (FNM), while in Rankin Inlet, Bell Mobility users are growing frustrated with the unreliability of their 4G services (NN). Thousands pay respects as bodies of slain Alaska State Troopers returned to Fairbanks (FNM). Ben Saunders becomes new face of LEGO City Arctic (Toy News). Editor wins over prosecutor (BO). Residents sound off about crime in Nunavut (NN). Legion Efforts Successful in Advancing Awarding of Arctic Star Medal (Royal Canadian Legion). Arviat Community Ecotourism picks up international award (NN). Finnish man invents a better wood-splitting axe (EOTA). Price for Alaska state park cabins going up (FNM). Plans almost ready for Sydney Apartments in Inuvik, NWT (CBC). Sprague Theobald Negotiated the Northwest Passage (Liberty Voice). Fort Smith marks Earth Day with a call to action (NJ). Southcentral Alaska skies clouded with Chinese pollution (AD). Dry, warm spring lessens flooding danger on Interior Alaska rivers (AD). Small earthquakes rattle northern Alaska (FNM). Ordering pizza in the Arctic (Northier Than Thou). Culture Yukoners recognized for heritage work (YN). New made-in-Nunavik app takes users on the land, in Inuktitut (NN). Pirurvik offers an Inuktitut refresher course for Inuit (NN). UAF to offer training for growing film industry (FNM). Headless Owl carries indie talents to Whitehorse (FNM). INFRASTRUCTURE Gambell hosts Arctic Infrastructure Conference The conference was organized by The Bering Sea Alliance, LLC, which “is composed of seven village corporations in the Bering Straits Region,” and runs for two days. The conference focuses specifically on three components: resource development, infrastructure, and oil spill response, and featured speakers from the US Geological Survey and the Alaska State Legislature, among others (KNOM, Washington Times). Canada Tuktoyaktuk highway construction behind schedule (CBC). SPORTS Canada Clara Hughes cycles North on ‘Big Ride’ for mental health (CBC). Sub Zero digs bronze at B.C. championships (YN). Glacier Bears maul record book at swim championship (YN). Iqualuit teen tackles solo 5km walk for Kids’ Help Phone (CBC). Europe Devon twins Ross and Hugo Turner in arctic charity trek (BBC). Avid motorbiker set to embark on Arctic Ride to raise money for charity (BO). IMAGES AND VIDEO On twitter this week, check out a nice panoramic of Cape Dorset, a satellite view of the Kamchatka Peninsula, an expedition portrait and a campsite, an Arctic oceanography exhibit, Svalbard’s wildlife, and anotherexpedition shot. On Instagram, users posted “the suites at Hotel Duster,” an imposing glacier, a sunlit snowboarder, and Greenpeace’s latest Arctic oil protest. Also check out Destination Unknown’s photo essay “All about the Walrus” and National Geographic’s slideshow “Yukon: Canada’s Wild West.” 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)