ARCTIC: Volcanic Eruption & more – 16th Jan 2024

Bures from Keswick Village! This is the Rorshok Arctic Update from the 16th of January twenty twenty-four. A quick summary of what’s going down North of the Arctic Circle!

Let’s start the week with news that is both upsetting and entirely unexpected. The Copernicus Climate Change Service, the EU’s climate science agency, confirmed through a press release on Tuesday the 9th that twenty twenty-three was the hottest year on record globally. The areas on earth suffering the worst temperature rises are in the Arctic and Antarctic. Nunavut in Canada, the Svalbard islands, and parts of Siberia all experienced temperatures of four to six degrees Celcius, that is, forty to forty-two degrees Fahrenheit, above their average temperatures from nineteen ninety-one to twenty twenty.

Iceland kicks off the year with a bang. On Sunday the 14th, a fresh volcanic fissure opened in southern Iceland, spewing lava just a month after the last eruption. Unlike the previous one that occurred several kilometers from Grindavik without causing any damage, part of the new eruption site occurred just 100 meters or 320 feet from the town and within the newly built protection barriers. The lava flowed into Grindavik and destroyed three houses. The eruption continues further north outside the protective barriers which have thankfully prevented the majority of lava from entering the town.

This is a very swiftly changing situation that may shift without any warning. To stay updated visit the webpage of the Icelandic Met Office. Link in the show notes.

Norway’s environment will be at risk of serious damage after several important legal proceedings.

On Tuesday the 9th, Norway's parliament voted to be the world's first nation to open its sea floor for commercial deep-sea mining. This move allows private companies to compete for licenses to extract minerals such as lithium, scandium, and cobalt.

For more information about commercial deep-sea mining in Norway, check out the Ocean Update. Link in the show notes!

On Friday the 12th, a fifteen-year court battle over mining companies seeking to dump waste into Norway's fjords concluded. Despite environmental groups fighting against it, Norway's courts sided with Nordic Mining, granting the company permission to dispose of 170 million tonnes of mining waste at the fjord bottoms. This decision makes Norway the third nation globally to authorize new licenses for marine waste disposal.

Science experts from the UK and Europe issue dire warnings, emphasizing that both decisions seriously imperil Norway's delicate marine ecosystem.

Still in Norway, the Fram Institute released a groundbreaking report on Thursday the 11th, highlighting the severe impact of plastic pollution on northern fulmars, Arctic seabirds, over the last twenty-five years. The study, conducted in Bjørnøya, Spitsbergen, and the Faroe Islands, revealed that 100% of chicks and fledglings had ingested plastic, posing risks of chemical pollution and physical harm. Adult fulmars, though consistent in plastic ingestion over twenty-five years, surprisingly had relatively little plastic in their stomachs. According to the study, adults transfer plastic to their offspring during feeding, with an average of four pieces in adult stomachs and thirteen pieces in chicks. The study calls for a continuous Arctic plastic monitoring program to protect the region’s animals.

Finland's escalating tensions show no signs of letting up. On Thursday the 11th, Finnish border authorities apprehended eleven Iranian asylum seekers attempting to cross the closed border between Russia and Finland, shut since the 30th of November due to heightened migrant activity. The Iranians were arrested, and according to an investigation by Finnish authorities, the Russian government had forced the migrants to breach the border, causing issues for Finland's border police. In a swift response on the same day, Mari Rantanen, Finland’s Interior Minister, declared the entire border would stay closed until the 11th of February to reinforce national security.

Speaking of Russia, on Friday the 12th, the Daily Karelia reported that the northern regions of the country grapple with a severe labor shortage, partly because of military conflicts. The Arkhangelsk region sees a workforce decline of twenty percent, while Komi and Murmansk suffer workforce drops of approximately five percent. Migrants, who were traditionally expected to fill the void left by departing Russians, are now avoiding Russia to sidestep conscription into the war in Ukraine. This leads to significant challenges in industries like construction, sales, and transportation, and the day-to-day life of residents is getting more difficult. Russian economist Evgeniy Mikhailenko warns in the Daily Karelia report that unless wages in the far north align with those in Moscow, the suffering economy in Russia's Arctic communities will persist.

Let’s move on to Alaska, where Pebble Mine, the proposed gold and copper mine, faced a decisive setback on Monday the 8th, as the state's supreme court delivered a fatal blow. Despite Alaska's opposition to the federal government, the federal Supreme Court rejected the state's attempt to resurrect the mine project. Bristol Bay, the proposed site, hosts the world's largest salmon fishery. The court ruled that safeguarding this critical resource takes precedence over opening another mine in Alaska, concluding the lengthy legal battle.

Talking about Alaskan salmon, the Wild Fish Conservancy made a bold move on Wednesday the 10th by filing a petition urging the Biden administration to designate southern Alaska king salmon as an endangered species. The conservation group asserts that climate change and competition with hatchery fish are swiftly diminishing the wild salmon population across Alaska, with no signs of recovery unless legal protections are implemented. Some fishery companies vehemently criticize the petition, opposing restrictions on their activities. The government has a ninety-day window to respond. If the petition is accepted, a comprehensive review of the king salmon's conservation status will follow.

In Greenland, the quest for independence faces a setback, as a report published on Thursday the 11th by High North News reveals the struggles of Royal Arctic Line, Greenland's publicly owned shipping agency. Originally intended to emancipate Greenland from Denmark by removing Danish influence from the company and leaving all of the company’s money and influence flowing only into Greenland, eight years of setbacks have left the company adrift. Despite a twenty fifteen restructuring with fully Greenlandic management, offices, and priorities, aimed at fostering political and economic separation from Danish rule, the new direction failed to propel the business forward. In September twenty twenty-three, the CEO, Verner Hammeken, was ousted, and by December twenty twenty-three, the Greenlandic government initiated an investigation into the failure of this push towards independence, setting Greenland's aspirations back to square one.

Despite Greenland's pursuit of independence, Denmark inaugurated its newest king on Saturday the 14th, resulting in both Greenland and the Faroe Islands having a new head of state. King Frederik X of Denmark ascended the throne, succeeding his mother, Queen Margrethe II, who abdicated after fifty-two years. King Frederik has consistently worked to strengthen ties between Denmark and its Arctic subjects, frequently visiting the countries and expressing support for Inuit culture by donning traditional skins and furs.

Let’s go back to Russia for a minute, over 20,000 nomadic reindeer herders face unique education challenges, leading to the revival of nomadic schools. The Arctic Portal's history of nomadic schools, published on Monday the 8th, highlights Russia's significant progress. Originating in the nineteen twenties, these schools aim to provide education without separating children from their families' traditional lifestyle. Currently, thirty-five nomadic schools cover about 600 pupils. In twenty twenty-three, a new federal law was passed, ensuring accessibility and specific features for preschool and primary education for indigenous nomadic children. The law eases licensing requirements for new school construction and has created a new teacher training program.

The Arctic nomadic culture is little known but full of beauty and vibrance. The article Advancing Indigenous Children Education - News on Nomadic Schools in Siberia has many beautiful photographs. To take a look, follow the link in the show notes.

Finally this week, the polar night, long and cold, sees its end. The first sunrises in Northernmost America, Scandinavia, and Russia have arrived in the past week, with Norway welcoming the sun on Saturday the 14th. According to an old legend observed by locals at the top of Europe, seeing the first sun after the polar night period grants three wishes. Here's to hoping the wishes of the Arctic come true in twenty twenty-four.

Aaaaaand that's it for this week!

Thanks for listening. Lots of you are listening via Spotify, Apple Podcasts, etc, thanks especially to those of you who subscribe. If you ever want to download an episode and just send the very small MP3 audio file to somebody in a messaging app because you think they might be interested, you can download each and every episode on our own website www.rorshok.com/arctic.You’ll find the link in the show notes. Thanks!

Mana!