EU Imports Russian Gas & more – 12th Dec 2023

Bures from Keswick Village! This is the Rorshok Arctic Update from the 12th of December twenty twenty-three A quick summary of what’s going down North of the Arctic Circle!

Let’s start in Russia. On Wednesday the 5th, research group Razon We Stand reported that Russia has earned over $600 billion in fossil fuel revenue since the Ukraine war, 50% of which is courtesy of EU trade. The EU is still a major importer of Russian liquefied natural gas (or LNG). Even though the US has imposed sanctions against Russia, the EU has refrained from taking those measures so far. Additionally, a recent report by the Arctic Business Journal, also published on the 5th, is challenging the belief that natural gas is cleaner than coal. If we take into account the gas extraction process, transportation and every procedure done before the fuel gets burned— gas releases more emissions than coal, especially methane, which has a climate warming impact eighty times worse than carbon dioxide. With Russia doubling Arctic gas capacity, these revelations require urgent attention. The EU must scrutinize the military, ethical, and environmental ramifications of continuing to purchase fossil fuel from Russia.

The full report by Razon We Stand goes into detail about the EU’s relationship with Russia’s energy trade. Want to check it out? Follow the link in the show notes!

In more updates from Russia's energy ventures… On Thursday the 7th, Russia’s state energy corporation Rosatom announced that it has completed a second nuclear reactor and icebreaker for nuclear-powered transport in the Arctic Ocean. As Russia aims to ship fuel and goods all year round from twenty twenty-four onwards, this new nuclear icebreaker marks a milestone toward the Arctic Ocean becoming the next busy shipping lane.

On the flip side, Russia didn’t have it all its own way this week in fossil fuel news. On Wednesday the 6th, Arctic Today said the Syradasayskoye coal mine on Russia’s north coast has revealed it hasn’t been able to build any of the vessels it needs to ship its coal through the Arctic Ocean. Company representatives have said that sixteen ships are needed for full operations. However, since the US sanctioned the parent company Arctic Energy in September, Syradasayskoye has been unable to afford to build a fleet of ice-class vessels. Coal is a key part of the ambitious Russian plans to increase shipments on the Northern Sea Route to eighty million tons by twenty twenty-four, and Arctic Energy will either require state assistance or the lifting of US sanctions before it can contribute to Russia’s energy plans.

Russia’s Arctic activities aren’t going unnoticed. On Tuesday the 5th, the Swedish embassy in the US, Pål Jonson, Sweden’s Defence Minister, signed a historic agreement with Lloyd Austin, U.S. Secretary of Defense, at the Pentagon. The agreement outlines conditions for US forces in Sweden, addressing many issues such as deployment access and tax regulations. Four bases in Northern Sweden are now open for US forces' training and operations. This strategic move aligns with existing agreements with Norway and Finland and ongoing negotiations with Denmark. These agreements are crucial to Arctic security as the US seeks to establish a permanent military presence in Europe’s Arctic.

In other military news, the US Air Force has spent nine months testing Starlink, the satellite internet service developed by Elon Musk’s SpaceX, for providing communication coverage in Arctic regions without any reliable communication tools presently. On Monday the 11th, the Air Force concluded the test was a success, and Starlink worked well for Arctic military communications. The current system was tested in Alaska, launching 200 satellites. The U.S. Air Force plans to expand its testing of Starlink to other locations in the Arctic, such as Greenland and Norway in order to establish a resilient communication network through the Arctic.

Since we mentioned the US… On Friday the 8th, a federal judge dismissed environmental groups' attempts to halt winter construction on ConocoPhillips' Willow project in Alaska. The Environmental group Sovereign Iñupiat for a Living Arctic sued the company, ConocoPhillips, alleging the Bureau of Land Management inadequately considered alternatives and environmental impacts on species like polar bears. The court, however, found there have been adequate assessments and allowed construction to proceed immediately. The Willow project, set to produce 180,000 barrels of oil daily, will start construction in late December, with production expected by twenty twenty-six.

In Alaska’s ocean this summer, an unusually high number of killer whales have been found dead. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration conducted an investigation, and according to its results, published on Friday the 8th, out of the nine killer whales that got trapped in fishing gear, their entanglements killed six, two others were already dead before they were netted, and the remaining killer whale managed to escape injured but alive. The investigation concluded that the whales killed were all from Alaska’s most plentiful population. Even though the number of deaths is much higher than normal — the average is one or two a year— the number of deaths shouldn’t endanger the long-term health of the population of killer whales in Alaska.

Moving on to Norway… After weeks of negotiations, on Wednesday the 5th, the country’s political parties agreed on a settlement that opens up over 280,000 square kilometers of Norway’s ocean for deep-sea mining in the Arctic. The Labor, Center, Progress, and Conservative Parties have agreed on an incremental opening despite strong opposition. The agreement includes environmental safeguards, but critics, including the EU, environmental groups, the Socialist Left Party, and the Red Party, call it an experiment with uncertain consequences. Environmental group Friends of the Earth Norway deems it "insane," citing unknown consequences for unique deep-sea ecosystems. The decision places Norway at the forefront of a controversial industry, aiming to meet the growing global demand for minerals.

The COP28 climate conference concluded on Tuesday the 12th. At the conference, Petteri Orpo, the Finnish Prime Minister, pledged Finland's support for a new climate fund, contributing 3 million Euros, about 3.2 million US dollars, to an international fund to help developing countries address the losses and damages caused by climate change. Speaking on the second day of the summit, he called for global targets on renewables, energy efficiency, and steps toward phasing out fossil fuels.

There has been a great new development in conservation for Arctic mammals this week. In a groundbreaking study published in the Journal Frontiers, an innovative method for collecting and analyzing environmental DNA from polar bear tracks has been developed. This could enhance conservation efforts for polar bears and other Arctic mammals. Unlike traditional methods, this technique extracts DNA from snow tracks, providing extensive insights into species, including individual identification, population interconnections, and migration patterns. The non-invasive DNA collection allows vital data to be gathered without disturbing the animals, enabling local communities and volunteers to participate in monitoring efforts, enhancing wildlife conservation.

Now, to Canada’s Arctic, where the recent wildfires are having unexpected consequences. On Wednesday the 6th, CBC news reported that there have been persistent sightings of Arctic wolves in the towns of Yellowknife, Ndilǫ and Dettah. Fred Sangris, the chief of Ndilǫ, says the massive wildfires have driven the prey of the wolves away. As a result, the local population of wolves have been entering communities in search of food, including an incident on Tuesday the 4th when a pet dog was killed by a lone wolf. Incidents like this highlight how climate change has a cascading impact on both humans and animals and that sustainable coexistence will be needed as humans and animals interact closer and more often.

Remaining in Canada for our final story. Canadian research agencies ArcticNet, Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami, and Polar Knowledge Canada have formed a $50 million Canadian dollar or $37 million US dollar partnership for five years of scientific research in Inuit Nunangat territory. The funding announcement took place on Tuesday the 5th as ArcticNet held its first-ever meeting in Canada’s North this week in Iqaluit. The collaboration focuses on leveraging Inuit knowledge to address the changing Arctic. Natan Obed, president of Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami, is enthusiastic about the introduction of Inuit involvement in research decisions.

Aaand that's it for this week! So here's to a bit of holiday spirit. We wanted to thank you for listening, learning, thinking, and for joining us on this new thing called Rorshok we're all doing together. Really. Thank you.

Mana