ARCTIC: Border Security & more – 28th May 2024

Góðan daginn from BA! This is the Rorshok Arctic Update from the 28th of May twenty twenty-four. A quick summary of what’s going down North of the Arctic Circle!

Let’s start in Europe where the border between Russia and Europe might be changing drastically. On Friday the 24th, the six NATO nations sharing a border with Russia or Belarus met in Latvia to discuss enhancing security against threats from Russia and its allies. Agnė Bilotaitė, the Lithuanian Minister of the Interior, released a statement confirming that a proposal is under consideration to create a wall of drones along the entire European border with Russia and Belarus. This would stretch over 2,500 kilometers, more than 1,500 miles, from northernmost Norway down to Poland. Although no formal agreement was made, Bilotaitė stated that the nations agreed to continue discussing new security measures, including the militarization of the entire border with Russia and Belarus.

On a related note, the only border open for Russians to enter the European Arctic has been in Norway since Finland closed its borders in early twenty twenty-four. However, on Thursday the 23rd, the Norwegian Ministry of Justice and Public Security announced that the country’s northern border with Russia will be closed from the 29th of May for all non-essential travelers. The restriction even applies to Russians with a valid Visa, with only a few exceptions being considered. The Justice Ministry confirmed this decision had been made in solidarity with European allies aiming to punish Russia for its invasion of Ukraine.

In other news, oil drilling in the Arctic is one of the most controversial subjects in energy development and the fight has become too intense for even Shell, the multinational oil company. News agency Northern Journal reported on Wednesday the 22nd that Shell had abandoned its oil drilling leases in northern Alaska. Their leases have been relinquished back to the state of Alaska to await sale to another oil company. An anonymous source close to the decision told the Northern Journal that board members at Shell are wary of the financial costs and how society will react to attempted drills in the Arctic. These leases in Alaska’s West Harrison Bay will go up for auction later this year, so it will be seen whether other oil companies also avoid attempting to find oil in the Arctic.

A major reason behind the opposition to drilling for gas and oil in the Arctic is the pollution it brings to drinking water. To address this in Alaska, on Wednesday the 22nd, the US federal government awarded $225 million dollars of funding to improve access to safe drinking water and wastewater services for Alaska Native Villages. The funding will go toward eliminating toxic chemicals in current water supplies, and replacing lead piping with less harmful equivalents.

Polluted water is a problem for the Canadian Arctic, too. On Thursday the 23rd, the Canadian Federal Government announced an investment of $2 million US dollars for critical improvements to drinking water treatment facilities in the northern territory of Nunavut. This funding will go directly to water treatment facilities in several villages across the territory. This may seem small in comparison to the investment in Alaska but the Canadian Government has been issuing funding in small pieces over the last few years with over $100 million US dollars being invested in Nunavut’s water safety since twenty twenty-one.

This project is part of Canada’s green infrastructure development goals.

If you want to explore upcoming green developments, follow the link in the show notes!

While some remote Canadian communities are struggling with poor-quality water, others don’t even have enough water. The territorial government of Canada’s North Western Territory announced on Thursday the 23rd that two communities will not be able to receive barge deliveries until next year due to low water levels on the Mackenzie River. The communities of Norman Wells and Tulita rely on these barge deliveries for essential needs such as fuel and food. The National airline Buffalo Airways announced on the 17th of May that it would reduce the price of flying cargo to remote communities to aid those in need. While a small relief, the costs of basic supplies in Norman Wells and Tulita are likely to increase as a result.

The days of Indigenous communities receiving less assistance than their urban counterparts may be ending soon after Elizabeth May, Canada’s Green Party leader, told the Aboriginal Peoples Television Network on Thursday the 23rd that her party’s bill to prevent environmental racism is close to becoming a law. Environmental Racism includes issues like Ontario Aamjiwnaang First Nation, whose lands have been severely polluted for decades yet the government ignores the problem. The bill aims to prevent Indigenous lands from being polluted initially. However, if lands indeed get contaminated, the draft will force an adequate response from the government. Soon, a final vote will decide if the bill becomes law.

Relationships within the Nordic nations are growing stronger. On Tuesday the 21st, Finland’s Minister of Transport told Finnish news network YLE that the government is aiming to upgrade its railway system to the same standard as Sweden and Norway. This would allow rail travel across Scandinavia, strengthen the movement of military personnel between the countries, and simplify civilian transport. The Finnish government made this decision following a NATO transport summit in Finland on Monday the 20th, the first major NATO meeting since the country joined the alliance last year.

Speaking of Sweden, one of Europe’s last ancient woodlands lies in Sweden’s Arctic. A twenty twenty-three government investigation identified 5,000 square kilometers, or 2,000 square miles, needing protection to preserve this vital ecosystem. However, on Tuesday the 21st, Radio Sweden reported that instead of safeguarding these forests, the executive had permitted logging. Since twenty twenty, over sixty square kilometers, twenty square miles, have been logged. The Swedish climate minister defended this action, citing a timber shortage and the need for emergency resources. The Swedish Society for Nature Conservation criticized the move as short-sighted, emphasizing that these ancient woodlands are crucial for biodiversity and extremely vulnerable.

Norway’s high Arctic islands of Svalbard, known as the polar bear capital of the world, draw many tourists eager to see these majestic animals. However, this influx has led to disturbances to the bears. To address this, the Norwegian parliament voted on Thursday the 23rd to implement stricter protections for Svalbard's wildlife. The new rules mandate that people must stay at least 300 meters away from animals and 500 meters during their breeding season. Currently, it's illegal to disturb polar bears, but the term disturb is not clearly defined. The new law will establish a strict definition to ensure people do not negatively impact polar bears in Svalbard.

More on Svalbard’s wildlife as The Norwegian Polar Institute published a report on Wednesday the 22nd in the journal Remote Sensing in Ecology, detailing the first successful walrus population count using only satellite images. In twenty twenty-two, scientists visited Svalbard to capture images simultaneously with drones and satellites. Comparing these images confirmed that satellite imagery is clear enough for accurate population counts. This non-invasive method avoids disturbing the animals, a significant improvement over previous techniques. This breakthrough means researchers can now monitor endangered species in the Arctic without causing any harm.

And to close this edition, some entertainment news. In order to grant all Greenlandic citizens access to a theater, on Friday the 24th, The National Theater of Greenland departed on tour to visit thirty incredibly remote communities in Greenland over the summer, many of which have never had a live theater show in their history. Previously, practically only the people living in the capital city of Nuuk, could see live theater. Vivi Sørensen, the theater manager, told the national newspaper Sermitsiaq on the 24th, they had planned to reach every single community in Greenland this year, but a lack of funds means they will attempt to reach the remainder of the country next year.

Aaand that’s it for this week! Thank you for joining us!