Arctic’s Report Card & more – 19th Dec 2023

Góðan daginn from Keswick Village! This is the Rorshok Arctic Update from the 19th of December twenty twenty-three A quick summary of what’s going down North of the Arctic Circle!

On Tuesday the 12th, the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, or NOAA, released its annual report card for the Arctic. On the downside, twenty twenty-three had the warmest Arctic summer ever recorded. Snow cover in Europe and America reached record lows, resulting in a massive greening event. New vegetation like shrubs grow where ice once was, ensuring the land will not freeze again. Sea ice melted earlier and faster across the Arctic Ocean.

To know more, check out the Rorshok Ocean Update. Link in the show notes!

However, there are some glimmers of hope in the twenty twenty-three NOAA report card. We are talking about the people of the Arctic and how they are working to mitigate the impacts of climate change. In Finland, the Snowchange Cooperative, working in cooperation with Indigenous Sami reindeer herders, is rewilding and restoring 52,000 hectares, about 500 square kilometers, of destroyed peatland. The restored land will become fertile ground for the Sami people to raise their reindeer.

You can check out NOAA’S infographics with the link in the show notes!

The 28th Conference of Parties (or COP28) wrapped up on Tuesday the 12th in Dubai, and the Inuit Circumpolar Council (or ICC) sees it as a mixed bag. Even though a platform named the Local Communities and Indigenous Peoples Platform has been created to acknowledge Indigenous Knowledge and incorporate it into decision-making, the results are seen as transitional, not transformative. Inuit leaders highlight the impact of climate change on their homeland, emphasizing the urgent need to transition away from fossil fuels. Despite progress, challenges remain, and Inuit voices advocate for equitable access to funding mechanisms.

In Russia, President Vladimir Putin is focusing on ambitious Arctic projects, including a nuclear power station in Ust-Kuiga and expanding shipyards in Arkhangelsk. At an Arctic summit on Monday the 11th, he met with Arctic regional governors, discussing support points and unveiling plans for a land-based nuclear power station in Tiksi-Nayba to serve the Kyuchussky mining area. The project aims to boost energy production, extract minerals like gold and tin, and develop seaports for logistical hubs. Additionally, Putin and the Governor of Arkhangelsk explored building a new shipyard to meet the growing demand for cargo vessels along the Northern Sea Route. These initiatives align with Putin's goal to increase shipments in the Arctic and have year-round shipping starting in twenty twenty-four.

Also in Russia… on Wednesday the 15th, in a mysterious move, the country issued a warning declaring an impact area for Russian missiles in the Arctic Ocean near Norway from the 21st to the 25th of December, with the warning area actually overlapping with Norwegian territory. While no space launches have been announced, speculation arises about potential rocket splash-downs for Arctic satellites. Vardø's military radar facility in Norway, a source of tension with Russia, could be linked to the warnings. Moscow is concerned about the radar's capabilities to monitor their Northern Fleet and track intercontinental ballistic missiles. Several military danger areas are active in the Barents Sea, heightening intrigue in the Arctic skies.

Last week, Norway announced it would open its Arctic Ocean territory up to deep-sea drilling, and the economic prospects are already looking good. On Wednesday the 13th, the national energy agency Offshore Norway said in a press release that investments in Norway's offshore sector are booming, with a predicted investment of 240 billion Norwegian Krone, over $22 billion US dollars, in twenty twenty-four. This is a 9% increase compared to twenty twenty-three. Prior projections showed a gradual decline of oil activity by twenty twenty-seven, but recent discoveries, such as 50 million barrels of oil at Snøfonn Nord in the Barents Sea, underscore the region's continued potential for growing oil and gas exploration.

Oil may be seeing a rise in Northern Norway, but something that isn’t is the number of people. The northern counties of Norway saw a decline of about 0.2% from twenty twenty-two to twenty twenty-three, while the rest of Norway counted an increase of about 0.5%. To address this, a panel of county councils convened on Tuesday the 12th. Their report suggests equal state measures across each Arctic state, like doubling child benefits and funding regional trainee schemes. Local governments will now need to explore which measures are viable before implementing the schemes to attract people to the remote north.

When people think of Norway’s deserted north, they may quickly think of reindeer. But it’s actually barnacle geese having the biggest impact. Researchers from Utah State University released a report on Thursday the 14th, in the Journal of Ecology, finding that in Svalbard, concentrated grazing by the geese significantly reduces grass biomass. Despite their smaller size and temporary residence only in summer, they are thriving from conservation policies and climate shifts — there are now over 40,000 migrating to Svalbard annually. The geese wield a heavier impact on the ecosystem than larger, more dispersed reindeer, unveiling the intricate dynamics of Arctic herbivore interactions in a changing climate.

While Alaska has come a long way to recognizing the rights of Indigenous people, one key aspect missing from native communities is in their education. On Tuesday the 14th, In a groundbreaking move, Alaska's Board of Education backed a plan recognizing tribes' authority to run K-12 schools (education for students from four to eighteen years old). The State Tribal Education Department aims to empower tribes for positive change. If approved, the proposal could attract a fresh pool of educators, addressing concerns about teacher shortages. Five Indigenous communities will initially be involved, including the Ketchikan, Tlingit and Haida. They will participate in a five-year pilot program, potentially reshaping Alaska's education landscape with tribally operated public schools. The plan now awaits legislative development after receiving initial endorsement.

Moving on to Iceland, where the volcanic eruption that has been expected finally burst to life overnight on Monday the 18th. A long fissure of over four kilometers or over two miles, split open and lava is spewing out all across this long fissure. Thankfully, the eruption is happening about four kilometers or 2.5 miles away from the evacuated town of Grindavik and the lava is not flowing toward the city, so the 4,000 evacuees’ homes may be spared. Police have closed off access to the town and the Blue Lagoon spa, which reopened only two days ago. The Icelandic Met Office expects the intensity of the eruption to ease in the next few days.

Finally to India, where the country launched its first ever winter Arctic expedition on Monday the 19th. India has been performing annual summer expeditions to the Arctic islands of Svalbard since two thousand eight, but the winter expeditions will now become an annual event too for Indian researchers. The goal of these expeditions is to understand how the changing Arctic climate affects India's climate. The researchers have already proven that there is a direct link between weather in the Arctic and monsoons in India. For now, the researchers will be using South Korea’s research icebreaker for transport but the Indian Ministry of Earth Sciences has declared it requires its own specialist ice vessel to truly become a nation of Arctic science.

Aaand that's it for this week!

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