Pan Arctic Forum

Sputnik published an article that discusses Russian President Vladimir Putin’s decree that “an international conference on stability and partnership in the Arctic region will be held on August 29 – September 2.” Part of the article reads as follows:

“To conduct a trip of 50 Let Pobedy nuclear-powered icebreaker from the port of Anadyr to the port of Pevek on August 29 — September 2. During the icebreaker’s trip to hold an international conference ‘Through the Northeast Passage to the strategic stability and equal partnership in the Arctic region’ with the participation of the Arctic Council member states, observer states within the council and the representatives of the scientific community at the nuclear-powered icebreaker,” the decree published on Russia’s legal information website said.

News Deeply published an article titled “Arctic Council Hails New Scientific Partnership.” The article highlights how “[i]n an exclusive interview with Arctic Deeply, Evan Bloom, director of Oceans and Polar Affairs at the U.S. State Department, discusses the Arctic Council’s new Arctic science agreement and how it will change the way science is carried out at the top of the world.” The article reads in part as follows:

KTVA Alaska published an article titled “Networking with Arctic neighbors: Alaska rejoins the Northern Forum.” The article reads in part as follows:

“ANCHORAGE – Alaska is looking to its neighbors in the north for support on some of the challenging issues unique to the Arctic. On Monday, Gov. Bill Walker signed a declaration making Alaska a member of the Northern Forum, a nonprofit organization made up of regional governments from eight countries, which includes Russia.

The symbolic union also serves as a platform to share best practices on struggles common to the area.

The Daily Signal posted an article titled “Coast Guard Plots Long-Term Strategy for Increasingly Important Arctic.” The article reads in part as follows:

“The inhospitable Arctic could become a major area of contention between world powers in the coming decades. As new passages open it, it is up to the U.S. Coast Guard to ensure safe lines of shipping through those perilous waters.

This August, the Crystal Serenity, an 820-foot long luxury cruise liner with 13 decks and 1,000 passengers, will sail from Anchorage, Alaska, to New York City. In an unprecedented feat, the Serenity will get there by taking a route that up until very recently has barely been navigable: the Northwest Passage.

GISuser posted an article titled “Mapping the Arctic Promotes International Agreement.” The article reads in part as follows:

The Arctic SDI Board, which includes mapping executives from Canada, Kingdom of Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Russia, Sweden and the United States, recently met in Anchorage, Alaska to further development of a robust Arctic Spatial Data Infrastructure. The Arctic SDI is a cooperation based on a Memorandum of Understanding signed by the eight National Mapping Agencies.

Earth Island Journal published an article explaining that, “Saami reindeer herders [are] hard-pressed by the conflux of rapid climate change and rapid human development.” The author, Jonathan Frænkel-Eidse, describes his journey to the northernmost part of Norway, “to meet with indigenous Saami herders like Sara, who have subsisted in this unsympathetic Arctic environment for generations by fishing, hunting, and herding reindeer.” The article reads in part as follows:

An article in Lake County News discusses a young girl’s involvement with Alaska’s Arctic Youth Ambassadors Program and her participation at the 15th annual Tule Boat Festival in Lakeport, CA. The article reads in part as follows:

“LAKEPORT, Calif. – At Brianna Riley’s Alaskan home, the end of summer is coming and it will soon be getting cooler, just in time to return to school in the fall.

But colder weather and her senior year of high school seemed far from her mind on Saturday, as she continued her visit to Big Valley Rancheria and participated in the 15th annual Tule Boat Festival.

KUAC, the non-commercial radio station operated by the University of Alaska, published an article that discusses “a high-level meeting on the need for broadband in the circumpolar north.” The article reads in part as follows:

“Telecom-industry leaders from around the Arctic came to Barrow this month for a first-of-its kind meeting with U.S. and international experts and officials to talk about how to bring broadband to the circumpolar north, where for the most part it’s unavailable.

“There are communities across the Arctic that are still waiting to catch up with 21st century technology,” says Tara Sweeney, an Alaska Native corporation executive and chair of the Arctic Economic Council. The AEC is an economic-development offshoot of the Arctic Council.

The Arctic Council published an article on their website that discusses the EPPR (Emergency Prevention, Preparedness, and Response) meetings in Montreal this past month. The article reads in part as follows:

“We covered so much ground here, and it was great to sense so much progress being made in these important areas.” – EPPR Chair Amy Merten

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The Arctic Council’s Working Group on Emergency Prevention, Preparedness, and Response (EPPR) met on 13-15 June 2016 in Montreal, Canada. The delegates in attendance used their days together to cover a wide range of their ongoing work, including:

Horizon magazine recently posted an article titled “Life on the front line of climate change.” This article reads in part as follows:

“As signs of intensifying climate change are seen in Europe, researchers are looking into how life will change for people who live in the Arctic, and helping to count the global economic cost of the ever-increasing loss of sea ice.