The Arctic This Week Take Five: Week of November 15, 2021
U.S. Biden Administration Launches Arctic Energy Series
The U.S. Department of Energy has launched a series of events to explore the potential of the Arctic as a “living laboratory of clean energy innovation”, U.S. News reported on November 17. Co-hosted by the Office of Technology Transitions and the Arctic Energy Office, the virtual launch of the ‘North to the Future of Energy: ArcticX’ event-series saw challenges such as the high energy cost and the impact of climate change in Alaska discussed by panelists, which included Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm, Interior Secretary Deb Haaland, and White House representatives. The launch marks the first of four planned online events aiming to discuss future opportunities for sustainable and renewable energy in the region, and will culminate with an in-person InnovationXLab event in Alaska in May, 2022. The series will bring together diverse Arctic stakeholders, including Alaska Natives, industry entrepreneurs, university and laboratory researchers, and government leaders. (Arctic Energy Office, U.S. News)
Take 1: U.S. President Biden’s statement during the recently concluded COP26 international climate conference that the U.S. “will do our part” to meet global commitments requires the administration to follow up on this promise with multiple actions. The launch of this series is important because it confirms both the U.S. commitment to renewable energy, and also the significance of the Arctic in pursuing its climate policy. As the only U.S. state in the Arctic region, it is clear Alaska is receiving heightened attention as a strategic location for national renewable energy development. However, this new development focus also has multiple benefits for the local energy and environmental security of Alaskan communities. Alaska is facing the impacts of climate change, which includes thawing permafrost and disruption to local food supply chains. Residents also have to pay some of the highest energy costs in the world. This series indicates a push to provide more reliable and affordable energy to Alaskans through localised solutions that are also better for the fragile surrounding environment. As a continuation of the recent move to ban oil development in the Alaskan Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, this shift towards renewable energy will continue to provide local communities, including the Indigenous Gwich’in people, with relief. (Reuters, The White House)
New Research Identifies Communities Most at Risk as Permafrost Thaws in the Arctic
On November 12, High North News reported that a new study mapping Arctic communities and infrastructure most at risk from melting permafrost was published in Environmental Research Letters on November 8. The German-Austrian research team studied 100 kilometers of the Arctic coastline using data from the European Space Administration’s (ESA) Sentinel-1 and Sentinel-2 satellites. The study quantified existing infrastructure, and identified the locations most vulnerable to permafrost thaw damage over the course of the next 30 years. The research found that 0.02% of the Arctic coastal zone features some form of human infrastructure, and concluded that more than half of this infrastructure will be exposed to permafrost thaw by 2050. (High North News, IOP Science)
Take 2: With the Arctic heating up, permafrost is becoming a ticking time bomb. This research is important because it highlights the various impacts of permafrost melting on human-made infrastructure, including the risks of avalanches and landslides. This emphasises that it is important for states to take an integrated approach both at the state level and at the international level to protect their communities. As concluded by the ’Rapid Response Assessment of Coastal and Offshore Permafrost’ report (RRA) released in 2020 by non-profit environmentalist organisation GRID-Arendal, the local and remote impacts of retreating coastal areas requires the improvement of coastal erosion modeling and the formulation of new mitigation strategies. This study shows that local communities must be involved as important stakeholders in this process, something that will require a coordinated global response. This research highlights the urgent importance of following up on the international commitments made at the recently concluded UN Climate Change Conference (COP26). (Grid-Arendal)
Arctic Walrus Spotted on English Beach
An Arctic walrus has been sighted on a beach in Northumberland, England, in what is believed to be the first sighting in the area, the BBC reported on November 15. Conservationists have urged the people to stay away from walrus for its safety and for it to recuperate. Experts believe it was attracted to the coast while hunting for food. (BCC)
Take 3: With walruses native to the Arctic circle, the animal in question is clearly hundreds of miles away from its natural habitat. The news has gained national attention as the second sighting of a walrus in the UK this year, but is also raising many questions. In particular, people are wondering if climate change is the reason for this unexpected sighting. So far, no direct link with climate change has been established with these unusual -but of increasing frequency- journeys south from the Arctic region. Nevertheless, this sighting highlights the clear impacts that climate change is having on walrus behaviour. The loss of stable sea ice is one of the biggest threats faced by walruses as they use ice floes for feeding, resting and breeding. While searching for food, walruses will leave their young on these platforms. However, melting ice is both decreasing the availability of safe locations for walrus to leave their young, while also increasing the distances walrus must search for food. This incident indicates that wildlife protection NGOs need to raise the presence of this increasing problem in the international sphere, and work together to protect Arctic wildlife from the combined effects of climate change, oil spills, noise pollution, marine debris and ship strikes. All of these factors are negatively impacting the Arctic ecosystem, which is home to some of the world’s most amazing marine life. (Carbon Brief, Defenders)
U.S. and Norway’s Defense Leaders Discuss Increased Security Coordination in Arctic
On November 16, the U.S. Department of Defense released a statement on recent meetings between the U.S. and Norway to discuss security dealings in the High North. A follow-up meeting to the previous meeting held between NATO Defense Ministers last month, the meeting saw Norwegian Defense Minister Odd Roger Enoksen join the U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III at the U.S. Pentagon to discuss better security cooperation in the region, as well as Russian military activity in the area. During the meeting, Austin and Enoksen signed a roadmap to deepen cooperation between U.S. and Norwegian Special Operations Forces. (Defense.gov, NATO)
Take 4: The increased military activity of Russia in the Arctic is viewed as a threat by the U.S. and its NATO allies, and is encouraging them to strategically combine their defensive actions. This latest meeting is the latest step in the bolstering of Norwegian forces against Russia. Norway is now spending 2% of its gross domestic product on defense, in accordance with NATO targets. This military modernization is exemplified by the recent acquisition of a new military maritime patrol aircraft by the Norwegian state just this week. These developments make Norway one of the most active – and highly valued – NATO allies. It is clear that the U.S. Department of Defence recognises that supporting Norway’s growing military strength is important if it is to act as NATO’s eye in the Arctic. (Defense.gov)
Russia Criticises Norwegian Navy Visit to Svalbard
The Barents Observer reported on November 12 that Russia’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Maria Zakharova, has expressed concern over the recent excursion undertaken by the Norwegian KNM Thor Heyerdahl military vessel to the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard. The late-October voyage formed part of the Royal Norwegian Navy’s annual patrol around the Norwegian territory. Maria Zakharova claimed the visit violated the 1920 Spitsbergen Treaty, which requires the demilitarisation of the archipelago. The Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson added that the recent extension of the Norwegian Law on Ports and Fairways alongside recent Russian access-restrictions placed on Norwegian technological developments in the area constitutes a ‘hidden militarisation’ of the archipelago. (Eye on the Arctic, The Barents Observer)
Take 5: Norway is in direct conflict with Russia over its interests in Svalbard. From a Norwegian perspective, the state has the right to safeguard its national sovereignty in the area. However, from the Russian perspective, this visit is the latest in a series of Norwegian provocations pushing to expand the use of Svalbard for military purposes. The Russian Foreign Ministry statement highlights Russia’s dissatisfaction with what it perceives as Norway’s ‘hidden militarization’ of the region. This criticism will intensify the tussle between the two sides in the emerging geopolitical hotspot that is Svalbard. (Eye on the Arctic)