Interview with Ruth Davis, Chief Policy Advisor at Greenpeace UK

By Tom Fries After the Arctic Council ministerial meeting in Kiruna, Sweden in May of 2013, we had the chance to talk with Ruth Davis of Greenpeace over Skype about the admission of new observer states to the Arctic Council, the environmental concerns that drive Greenpeace's activities, and her own enthusiasm about the engagement of young people with Arctic issues. Our podcasts are also available on iTunes.You can find a list of all podcasts here.

Interview with Ruth Davis, Senior Political Advisor at Greenpeace International (Part 3/3)

By Tom Fries In this podcast, part 3 of 3, Tom Fries talks with Ruth Davis, Senior Political Advisor to Greenpeace International, about the organization's "Save the Arctic" campaign. There are a couple of tough questions to answer: First; why does Greenpeace feel that non-Arctic people should have a significant say in what happens in the Arctic? Second; if subsurface development in the Arctic is to be stopped, what alternative industries does Greenpeace think might help Northern communities flourish? These and many other difficult issues arise when"outsiders" try to influence what happens in the Arctic.

Interview with Ruth Davis, Senior Political Advisor at Greenpeace International (Part 2/3)

By Tom Fries Greenpeace's "Save the Arctic" campaign has had several different high-profile initiatives, including the "Arctic Ready" website collecting fake Shell ads, phalanxes of polar bears protesting at Shell stations around the world, and the highly-publicized recent action at the Prirazlomnoya platform in Russia. But the campaign can seem like something of a blunt instrument - polar bears good; Shell bad. But is that really all there is? In this podcast, Tom Fries talks with Ruth Davis, Senior Political Advisor at Greenpeace International, about the particular policies that Greenpeace is looking for, how the "Save the Arctic" campaign fits in to the broader portfolio of Greenpeace's activities, and why it is that Greenpeace feels people outside the Arctic should have a say in what is done there.

Interview with Ruth Davis, Senior Political Advisor at Greenpeace International (Part 1/3)

By Tom Fries Greenpeace activists climbed Gazprom's Prirazlomnoye oil platform south of Novaya Zemlya, in the Russian Arctic to protest plans by the Russian energy company to drill in the environmentally sensitive zone. The stationary Prirazlomnoye platform is the first Arctic-class ice-resistant oil platform in the world. The six activists deployed three inflatable speedboats to approach the platform under the cover of darkness and climbed it via mooring lines. In this brief podcast, Tom Fries talks with Ruth Davis, Senior Political Advisor at Greenpeace International, about the intended message of Greenpeace's action at the Prirazlomnoye platform in the Russian Arctic, and about how the organization plans for and manages the dangers that accompany such activities.

Cairn Energy Abandons Second Well on West Coast of Greenland

by Malte Humpert Cairn Energy, an Edinburgh-based oil and gas explorer, announced that it is abandoning its Gamma-1 exploration well off the west coast of Greenland. The failure to find oil or gas represents the second setback for Cairn this year. It also drew a blank at its southern well LF7-1 and suspended work on its AT7-1 well. Furthermore, equipment used on what was thought to be its most promising well, Delta 1, is scheduled to move further south to complete drilling operations at AT7-1, after Delta-1 "encountered several hundred meters of tertiary volcanic section" and shows only minor hydrocarbon indications. In total Cairn plans to drill five wells in the Arctic this summer.

Cairn, which is investing around $600 million this year into its Arctic drilling operations, is leading the charge into offshore oil exploration in Greenland. Even prior to the latest setbacks the company announced that it hopes to bring in a partner to help with its Greenland operation. Exxon Mobil, Husky Energy, and Chevron also have plans to begin drilling above the Arctic Circle.

The Scottish oil and gas explorer started exploration in the Arctic during the summer of 2010 but failed to find oil or gas during the narrow three-month window when weather conditions in the harsh Arctic environment allow for operations to take place.

In addition to representing a significant capital investment, Cairn's Arctic operation has been the target of extensive protests by environmentalists, primarily Greenpeace, which may lead to irreversible damage to Cairn's reputation. Environmental activists managed to board the company's drilling equipment during the summer of 2010 and 2011 to highlight their opposition to drilling operations in the fragile Arctic ecosystem. Greenpeace argues that even a minor oil spill would have devastating consequences and would be impossible to clean up due to a lack of infrastructure and equipment above the Arctic Circle.

Cairn's Arctic operations serve as an example of the continued challenges future oil and gas exploration in the High North will face. Despite continued melting of sea ice and strong climatic warming in the Arctic working conditions will remain challenging even during the short summer season. The high capital costs of developing a field in the extreme Arctic environment far removed from existing infrastructure and consumers may continue to represent a key obstacle for an Arctic exploration bonanza to materialize in the near future. The development of the Shtokman field in Russia's part of the Barents Sea has been delayed since 2006 and was postponed by another 3 years in February 2010.

Exxon Mobil's deal with Russia's largest oil producer OAO Rosneft earlier this month exemplifies the vast capital investments necessary to develop offshore oil and gas resources in the Arctic. According to Prime Minister Putin the total investments envisioned under the agreement could reach $500 billion, of which $200-300 billion would be direct investments in the region.

The Melting Vitruvian Man - Greenpeace and Artist Recreate Da Vinci Sketch

by Malte Humpert The dramatic decline of the Arctic ice sheet prompted aerial artist John Quigley to reproduce Da Vinci's famous sketch "Vitruvian Man" - a male figure in two superimposed positions with its arms and legs apart- on the ice sheet some 500 miles from the North Pole. Quigley, who travelled to the Arctic aboard Greenpeace's icebreaker Arctic Sunrise calls his soccer-field-sized artwork "Melting Vitruvian Man." It depicts a male figure whose arms and legs are melting into the ocean to highlight the disappearing ice. 

In an online press conference Greenpeace said they designed the Vitruvian Man to represent how "climate change is eating into the body of our civilization." The environmental organization says that the recreation will continue to shrink every year. As more and more of the ice float disappears the "Melting Virtruvian Man", constructed out of copper pipes, will be lost to climate change.

Denmark Launches Formal Arctic Strategy

by Malte Humpert Denmark's Foreign Minister Lene Espersen, along with counterparts from the autonomous Arctic territories of Greenland and Faroe Islands, unveiled the country's arctic strategy for the next decade.

"Previously, the discussion about the Arctic region has focused on the environment, on whether we oughtn't to turn the region into one large natural preserve. But Denmark, Greenland and the Faroe Islands have agreed that we want to utilize the commercial and economic potential of the area," Ms. Espersen was quoted at the presentation of the 58-page report. "With the new strategy we are opening up for international corporations from the whole world to come to the Arctic and to Greenland. The signal we are sending is that we will welcome them with open arms, we are not nervous, we are not afraid of letting industry into the area."

Greenland and the Faroe Islands have long maintained that they have the right to exploit their territories' natural resources for the economic benefit of their people.

According to the Wall Street Journal, environmentalists and nongovernmental organizations expressed disappointment in Denmark's decision to prioritize economic development over the environment. "Denmark and Greenland display a very aggressive approach to the development of natural resources in and around Greenland—it's quite discomforting," said Mads Flarup Christensen of Greenland Nordics.

Economic activity has been steadily increasing in Greenland over the past decade. According to the U.S. Geological Survey Greenland's west coast may contain up to 31 billion barrels of oil equivalent, with an additional 17 billion barrels to be found off the island's east coast.

In total Greenland has issued 17 exploration licenses for its west coast. Permit holders include Royal Dutch Shell, ExxonMobil, Statoil, and Petronas. Cairns Energy, a Scottish oil company is currently the only one engaged in exploratory drilling.

Denmark's Arctic strategy report also outlines plans to submit "documentation for claims to three areas around Greenland, including an area north of Greenland which among other areas covers the North Pole."

Countries bordering the Arctic are currently entitled to a 200 nautical mile exclusive economic zone from their coastal baselines. Claims for extending their territories will be decided under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

Initially, UNCLOS required countries to submit claims within 10 years of ratification of the convention (Denmark ratified in 2004). However, the Meeting of States Parties to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (SPLOS) decided in June 2008 that the 10 year time period is satisfied “by submitting preliminary information indicative of the outer limits of the continental shelf beyond 200 nautical miles and a description of the status of preparation and intended date of making a submission”. In other words, no formal deadline for a full submission exists any more, and Denmark merely has to submit a preliminary claim by 2014.

Denmark's plan to submit claims reaching all the way to the North Pole could eventually result in territorial disputes with Russia, the U.S., Canada, and Norway. Russia and Norway, however, recently resolved a long-standing border dispute in the Barents Sea.

Greenland Releases Oil Spill Plan - U.S. Coast Guard Lacks Arctic Response Capabilities

by Malte Humpert Greenland's government released Cairn Energy PLC's oil spill plan for its deep-water operations off the west coast of Greenland. Cairn won drilling rights in May 2011 and may drill up to seven exploratory wells. The Scottish oil company's contingency plan was published on a government website. 

Greenpeace and other environmental organizations have continually critiziced drilling operations in the fragile Arctic environment and reiterated concerns about the lack of oil spill response capabilities. According to comments made by Joern Skov Nielsen, deputy minister at Greenland's Bureau of Minerals and petroleum, Cairn is capable of handling spills up to 10,000 barrel a day; the plan however is based on a 5,000 barrel-a-day spill. In comparison, the 2010 BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico released up to 57,000 barrels a day.

The plan also contains measures to protect drilling rigs and equipment against icebergs and floating ice sheets along Greenland's west coast, also known as "iceberg alley." As Arctic melting continues more and larger chunks of sea and land-based ice may find their way into the Atlantic and ice-protection measures may yet prove to be inadequate.

In an effort to prevent continued harassment by Greenpeace ships, the exclusion zone around oil rigs has been expanded from 500 meters to 5 kilometers. The Danish coastguard is expected to dispatch vessels to prevent Greenpeace from approaching or boarding the oil rigs. Besides Cairn Energy, bigger rivals such as Exxon Mobile, have acquired exploration licenses in Greenland and are expected to start drilling.

Arctic response capabilities were also discussed by U.S. Senate Subcommittee on Oceans, Atmosphere, Fisheries and Coast Guard, chaired by Sen. Mark Begich (D) of Alaska. Shell Oil has applied to drill exploratory wells next year in the Beaufort Sea and Chukchi Sea off Alaska's northern and northwestern coast.

The company's spill response plan lists more than a dozen vessels accompanying the drilling ship, a second drilling ship to relieve pressure in a blowout well, and an oil spill containment system that could cap a blowout. The Coast Guard has been working closely with oil companies and informing them about their responsibilities in the event of an oil spill. 

Ultimately, however, says Adm. Robert Papp, Commandant of the Coast Guard, responsibility for spill cleanup lies with his agency.

Currently Coast Guard Arctic capabilities are extremely limited. The Coast Guard's heavy icebreakers Polar Star and Polar Sea have both been decommissioned and the only remaining icebreaker, the Healy, is not capable to sail through the region's thick winter ice. The agency plans to reactivate the 35-year-old Polar Star by 2013, but the Coast Guard's Arctic capabilities are dwarfed by Russia's fleet of six nuclear icebreakers. China recently commissioned construction of a second $300 million icebreaker expected to enter service in 2013.

At a time when Congress is looking to make major spending cuts, the Coast Guard will be expected to take on a new range of responsibilities. Arctic melting not only opens the door to resource development, but also to commercial shipping and tourism. 

The Coast Guard base nearest to the drilling sites and future shipping lanes is located in  Kodiak, more than 1,600 kilometers away. Adm. Papp stated that "we do not have any infrastructure on the North Slope to hangar our aircraft, moor our boats or sustain our crews. [...] Prudence dictates that we also acquire an appropriate level of Arctic pollution response capability. Presently, we have none."

The issue of Arctic response capabilities is also being addressed by the Arctic Council's Emergency Prevention, Preparedness and Response program.