The five signatories of the Polar Bear Agreement will meet for the first time since signing the treaty in 1973 to discuss how to save the polar bear. Representatives from Canada, Denmark/Greenland, Norway, Russia, and the U.S. will attend the The International Meeting Under the Polar Bear Agreement in Trosmø, Norway, beginning today. When the […]
At the “New Chances and New Responsibilities in the Arctic Region” conference currently underway in Berlin, the European Commission’s representative for Fisheries and Maritime Opportunities outlined the EU’s objectives in the Arctic. In his speech (transcript here, in English), entitled “Opportunities and responsibilities in the Arctic Region: the European Union’s perspective,” Joe Borg reiterated the […]
Germany may not have an Arctic coast or Arctic claims, but the country’s Federal Foreign Office will play host to an international conference on the High North from March 11-13. The conference, called “New Chances and New Responsibilities in the Arctic Region,” will be hosted with the cooperation of the Foreign Ministries of Denmark and […]
A scientist at the Centre for Northern Studies at Laval University in Quebec has reported that the Arctic could be free of summer sea ice by 2013 (Reuters). In 2004, scientists from eight Arctic nations working on the Arctic Climate Impact Assessment, a study commissioned by the Arctic Council, found that the sea ice could […]
Russia’s Gazprom has just signed an agreement with Spanish utility Gas Natural. As part of the arrangement, gas from Russia’s Shtokman Field will eventually be sold on the Spanish market as part of an effort to increase Gazprom’s presence in Europe. The Shtokman Field will come on line in 2014 and will deliver gas through […]
Norwegian Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg will make an official visit to Moscow in May, and Arctic issues will likely sit high on the agenda. At a ceremony for officially receiving new ambassadors to Russia, whose members include new Norwegian Ambassador Knut Hauge, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev announced: We seek to strengthen our multifaceted ties with […]
It has just been revealed that on the eve of President Barack Obama’s official state visit to Ottawa on February 19, a Russian long-range bomber was intercepted and chased by two Canadian CF-18 jets right outside of the Canadian Arctic over the Beaufort Sea. While the Russian Tu-160 Blackjack did not actually enter Canadian airspace, […]
Two separate scientific surveys of climate change at the North and South Poles have just revealed new evidence that the poles are warming faster than expected. The International Polar Year 2007-2008 endorsed the work of over 160 different scientific projects to carry out a wide variety of research. Together, the scientists’ work illustrates the dramatic […]
Russia is closely watching the process of militarization in the Arctic and will respond accordingly. At an international arms conference in Abu Dhabi, General Nikolai Makarov, the head of Russia’s General staff, stated, “Overall, we are looking at how far the region will be militarized. Depending on that, we’ll then decide what to do.” Policymakers […]
The Wall Street Journal has posted an in-depth look at the controversy surrounding Norwegian energy company StatoilHydro’s Snoehvit project. Since 2002, the company, of which the national government owns a majority stake, has been trying to procure natural gas from the seafloor beneath the Barents Sea. Operations at Snoehvit, whose name means “snow white” in […]
Canada will follow through on its promise to invest in the High North by building a research station in Nunavat. Three locations in the territory are being considered to house the High Arctic Research Station, which Canada hopes will attract foreign scientists. In addition, $85 million has been set aside for improving existing research facilities […]
CBS News World Watch has a story about the future of summer ice in the Arctic, along with a video. Three scientists from Great Britain, together forming the Catlin Arctic Survey, will head to the North Pole at the end of the month. They will attempt to discern whether summer ice in the Arctic will […]
While the Arctic is seen primarily as a place to harvest the earth’s resources, it is also the site of major efforts to preserve the earth’s riches for posterity. On the island of Svalbard in the Norwegian Arctic, scientists are working hard to increase the number of seeds at the Svalbard Global Seed Vault, a […]
Right on the heels of NATO’s announcement that “there will be a military presence” in the Arctic, Russia declared that it, too, will increase its presence in the High North. Specifically, the country is planning to build a new Arctic research ship and send more scientists to the North Pole. Renowned Russian polar explorer Artur […]
Popular Science has an article on its website examining the effects of thawing permafrost in the Arctic. New research reveals that the melting ice does not just have localized effects on towns in places like Alaska and Scandinavia, which are sinking as the ice beneath them melts. In addition, vast amounts of greenhouse gases currently […]