The Arctic This Week Take Five: Week of 29 May, 2023
Finland Hosts Its First NATO Joint Exercise
As reported by Reuters on May 30, Finland is hosting its first joint NATO exercise since joining the alliance last month. Called Northern Forest, it’s the country’s largest land force drill in the Arctic, consisting of nearly 1,000 allied forces, 6,500 Finnish soldiers, and 1,000 vehicles. Participating countries include the US, UK, Norway and Sweden. The drill runs from May 27 to June 2, and is taking place at Rovajarvi in northern Finland, one of Europe’s largest artillery training grounds. (Reuters)
Take 1: Although the Arctic has historically been considered a zone of peace and cooperation, the security landscape in the region has dramatically shifted. With the region becoming more accessible due to melting ice, countries have worked to secure new strategic interests in the region. Russia has taken a militarized approach to the region, modernizing Arctic bases, expanding patrols, and investing in new weapons systems and military infrastructure. At the same time, China has invested billions of dollars to expand its role in the region, installing a range of equipment that may have dual-use potential. With rising tensions, NATO has a strong interest in preserving security and preventing conflict in the region. Finland’s recent NATO membership, thus, bolsters the alliance’s regional military posture. The Northern Forest exercise, taking place above the Arctic Circle, enables NATO troops to improve their Arctic capabilities and interoperability with Finnish forces, reinforcing NATO’s presence in the High North. As competition in the north continues to intensify, it is essential that NATO remains focused on the region and pursue actions like joint exercises to deter countries from using aggression and military intimidation to achieve their aims. (Atlantic Council, Foreign Policy Research Institute, Georgetown Security Studies Review)
Alaska Permanently Extends Renewable Energy Grant Fund
As reported by Alaska Beacon on May 26, Alaskan Governor Mike Dunleavy approved legislation permanently maintaining a renewable energy grant fund for the state. Originally established in 2008, the grant fund has distributed a total of $300 million and has created over 100 operating projects in the last 15 years. However, the program has been irregularly funded by the Alaska Legislature and state law previously included an expiration date for the fund. The new legislation removes this expiration date, thus extending the grant fund permanently. (Alaska Beacon)
Take 2: As the urgency to decarbonize economies intensifies, the transition to renewable energy becomes crucial, particularly in the Arctic, which is warming over four times faster than the global average. Due to the remote conditions of the Arctic, many settlements are often forced to rely on diesel for power and heat generation, but with negative impacts for the health and environment of these communities. Diesel generators produce large amounts of greenhouse gas emissions and release black carbon or soot, a harmful climate pollutant. According to the US Environmental Protection Agency, black carbon is associated with respiratory and cardiovascular disease, cancer, and other health problems. Black carbon also contributes to climate change by reducing the reflectivity of snow and ice, causing it to melt faster. Although the Arctic’s extreme conditions are a challenge for renewable energy, the region can serve as a space for innovation in renewable technologies. Since most remote communities get power from microgrids or stand-alone energy systems, these settlements could become attractive locations to develop green energy solutions, driving economic growth in these areas. By permanently establishing the grant fund, Alaska’s new legislation not only recognizes these opportunities but demonstrates the state’s commitment to sustainability. (Arctic Today, Environmental Protection Agency, Nature, US Department of Energy)
The Arctic and Space: New Frontiers for Innovation
As reported by SpaceWatch.Global on May 29, the communication company OneWeb and space service firm Arctic Space Technologies have secured approval for the construction of the Satellite Network Portal (SNP) at the Arctic Space Technologies’ Space Center in Piteå, Sweden. The SNP, a satellite ground station, will facilitate the transfer and processing of satellite data, aiming to improve connectivity across Northern Sweden and the Arctic region. The companies anticipate the 27 antennas for the SNP will be installed and operational by the end of 2023. (SpaceWatch.Global)
Take 3: The partnership between OneWeb and Arctic Space Technologies highlights the strategic role of space-based technology in the Arctic. Given the region’s remoteness, harsh environment, and vast landscape, traditional communication methods are often difficult or even impossible to implement. However, space-based technologies offer unique solutions to the region’s communication challenges, with satellites already providing vital services for internet connectivity, navigation, research, and emergency management. Satellites are also crucial tools for science and sustainability through their remote sensing, mapping, and climate monitoring capabilities. However, as a ground station, the Satellite Network Portal also draws attention to the other side of space infrastructure, beyond just satellites. Space infrastructure not only consists of assets in space, but includes Earth-based components such as ground stations, launch facilities, and launch vehicles as well. While space systems provide unique benefits for the Arctic, the northern region is also ideally positioned geographically for launching rockets and retrieving data from polar-orbiting satellites, like weather or Earth observation information. Thus, the SNP project spotlights the critical interplay between space and the Arctic. As climate change intensifies and the Arctic becomes more accessible, the demand for space infrastructure and technologies will likely grow, heralding new prospects for space-based services in the region. (Euronews, European Space Agency, Over the Circle, The Arctic Institute)
Russian Announces Cuts to Coal Production on Svalbard
As reported by High North News on May 26, Russia’s Minister of the Development of the Russian Far East and Arctic announced that coal production in Barentsburg, Svalbard, will be reduced from 120,000 to 40,000 tons by 2032. State-owned mining company Trust Arktikugol is set to implement this scale-down while focusing on replacing coal-powered energy with modern technology and boosting tourism in Barentsburg and other Russian settlements on Svalbard. (High North News)
Take 4: Burning fossil fuels, especially coal, poses severe threats to the Arctic ecosystem by releasing greenhouse gases and pollutants, such as carbon dioxide, mercury, and black carbon. Black carbon, a short-lived climate pollutant, is especially damaging: having a stronger warming effect than carbon dioxide while in the atmosphere and accelerates melting when it lands on snow cover, glaciers, or sea ice. In addition to burning coal as a means to fire power stations, the actual mining process itself also poses a significant risk, producing dust particles that reduce the ability of snow and ice to reflect sunlight and leading to greater energy absorption and warming. A 2017 study on Mine 7, a Norwegian coal mine on Svalbard, found that local coal dust around the mine reduced the reflectivity of the surrounding snow by up to 84% and black carbon concentration around the mine was nearly 100 times higher than the rest of the Arctic. Given the substantial pollution caused by both coal mines and coal-fired power plants,, the planned reduction of Russian coal production in Barentsburg signifies an important step towards protecting the environment of Svalbard and the Arctic. Countries and corporations should continue to work to completely eliminate fossil fuel generation across the region and support the development of sustainable energy sources. (Climate and Clean Air Coalition, Earth-Science Reviews, Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres, Undark)
Nunavut Fails to Protect Its Vulnerable Children
On May 30, the Auditor General of Canada reported that the Government of Nunavut continues to fail in protecting vulnerable children and youth, as revealed by Nunatsiaq News. The audit found that the territorial government lacked accurate information on children and youth in its care and that foster homes were poorly managed. The report, which offered no new recommendations, referred back to suggestions made in previous reports from 2011 and 2014. The Government of Nunavut accepted the report and supported the Auditor General’s calls for immediate action and a whole-of-government approach. (Nunatsiaq News)
Take 5: The Auditor General’s findings that the Government of Nunavut has failed to protect its vulnerable children is deeply concerning, but it is made even more alarming by the fact that this is the third such report. Across northern Canada, Arctic Indigenous communities are suffering from inadequate youth protection systems. In Nunavik, Quebec, youth protection officials admitted in 2022 that they were unable to ensure the well-being of children in their care due to staffing shortages and a lack of foster families and childcare facilities. A similar situation is evident in Nunavut, where some communities lacked a social services worker for over a year. Social workers are essential for identifying vulnerable children, investigating cases, conducting regular reviews, and providing the government with critical information. But for Canada’s northern communities, it is also important that child welfare systems provide culturally sensitive care and employ youth protection workers that understand Inuit traditions, values, and parenting approaches. The inaction of previous governments to improve child protection services, especially in light of multiple damning reports, is unacceptable. The territorial and federal governments must respond to the Auditor General’s call for immediate action and make investments in measures that can truly protect vulnerable children and youth in their care. (CBC News, The Globe and Mail)