As I wrote in May, Quebec’s Plan Nord was supposed to build 500 new housing units in Nunavik, the northern, mostly indigenous region of Quebec, over the next five years. 300 social housing units and 200 individual homes would be built for the region, which is in a severe housing crunch. At least […]
The National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC) recently released the latest figures for Arctic sea ice extent. According to the Center, the average sea ice extent for the month of August 2011 reached the second lowest level since satellite-based observations began in 1979. Mean ice extent for August was 5.52 million square kilometers, about […]
Huang Nubo, a Chinese businessman and former government official ranked by Forbes’ as China’s 161st richest person in 2010, intends to buy the Grimsstadir farm in northeastern Iceland for $8.8 million dollars. The farm stretches across 300 square kilometers of scenic land near Dettifoss, Europe’s most powerful waterfall, and Myvatn, a volcanic lake. Since the […]
Oil giant Exxon Mobil has secured a contract with Russia’s state oil company, Rosneft, to explore the floor of the Arctic Ocean for oil. At a surprise signing ceremony in Sochi, site of the coming Winter Olympics, Vladimir Putin stated, “The scale of the investment is very large. It’s scary to utter such huge figures.” […]
This year’s extent of Arctic sea ice could be the second smallest ever, making the Northwest Passage and Northern Sea Route ever more navigable. But in and around the Bering Strait, the amount of ice wouldn’t matter if the plans to build an underwater tunnel between Russia and Alaska are realized. Though the idea was […]
Despite all that the Arctic countries have done to try to make the region safer for transportation, deadly accidents still tragically happen. On Saturday, First Air flight 6560, en route from Yellowknife to Resolute Bay, crashed, killing 12 people on board and injuring three others. Visibility was approximately three miles at the time of the […]
Earlier this month, France’s former prime minister Michel Rocard, now French Ambassador for the Arctic and Antarctic, toured the Arctic aboard the Canadian icebreaker Amundsen. Rocard did not have high praise for his host’s capacities up north. He stated, “I have the impression that Canada has given up on the competition to attract a large […]
The U.S., Canada, and Russia wrapped up the second-annual Exercise Vigilant Eagle on August 9. The five-day military exercise tested the countries’ response capabilities in the event of terrorists hijacking a commercial plane flying from Anchorage to Tokyo over the Bering Sea. Last year’s exercise was the first live-fly exercise between Russia and the U.S. […]
From August 6 – 11, the “Northern Sea Route to Strategic Stability and Equal Partnership in the Arctic” conference is taking place aboard the Yamal, a Russian nuclear icebreaker. Representatives from all eight Arctic states, along with several Russian ministers and policymakers, are in attendance. The icebreaker will travel west from the port of Varendey […]
I spent two blustery weeks this summer in Iceland. Four of those days were spent in Reykjavik, the world’s northernmost capital. 200,000 out of the country’s 300,000 citizens live in Greater Reykjavik, making this country one of the most urbanized in the world. Most people have cars, Reykjavik being a surprisingly car-friendly city. In […]
NPR has sent some of its journalists to the Arctic to study the consequences of melting sea ice on the surrounding states. They are documenting their experiences in a series of blog posts. So far, correspondents have visited Iceland, Russia, and Greenland. Posts range from an illustration of the boredom huskies experience in the summer to […]
Though the Arctic may be rich in natural resources, that doesn’t mean it’s easy for corporations to make money there. BP’s attempt to join up with Rosneft in Russia’s Arctic was officially denied by the Russian courts, as they found that TNK had an exclusive right to work with BP in Russia as part of […]
At the same June 30 regional conference of the United Russia party in Yekaterinburg where Vladimir Putin defended Russia’s growing presence in the Arctic, he spoke about his vision for developing the region. He focused on environmental restoration in the Arctic waterways and on natural gas development. First, he called for a “big cleanup” in […]
“Defending Canada’s interests in the North.”“Flex our Arctic muscles.” These are some of the op-ed headlines to come out in recent days in reaction to the Russians’ announcement that they would create two brigades to be stationed in the Arctic. This really should not come as a surprise. First, Russia has been increasing its military […]
On Friday, Russian Defense Minister Anatoly Serdyukov announced that his country would create two brigades to station in the Arctic, possibly in Murmansk or Arkanghelsk. He stated, “The location will be determined, as well as weapons, numbers and infrastructure for the brigades.” Serdyukov’s announcement reflected Prime Minister Vladimir Putin’s intentions in the Arctic, recently publicized […]