The Arctic This Week Take Five: Week of April 22, 2019
Pebble Mine Controversies in Alaska: Destruction or Development?
On April 24, Alaska’s Republican Senator Lisa Murkowski asked the US Army Corps of Engineers to extend the public comment period on the Pebble Mine project to 120 days. Earlier this month, on April 16, final hearing regarding the planned construction of a new mining site in Alaska’s Bristol Bay was held in Anchorage. According to the news reports, most of the citizens who showed up to share their views raised their voices against the mine, stressing possible hazardous impacts of mining industry on salmon fisheries in the region (Alaska Public Media, Eye On the Arctic, IntraFish, Washington Post).
Take 1: Making Alaska “open for business” is not an easy task. In this regard, the public movement against the planned construction of the Pebble Mine, which has been going on in Alaska since 2017, is another clear example of a struggle against invasive industries and infrastructures, made to bring “development” and “prosperity” to the North. People’s concerns about the future of the salmon population in the Bristol Bay do not simply reflect their environmentally-minded thinking – they stand for the very survival of local livelihoods and the well-being of the future generations. The question is, whether people’s right to shape their own future according to their visions and beliefs will in this case win over the capitalist pro-mining discourse advocating for bringing jobs and replacing oil with other resources?
US Coast Guard’s Revised Vision of the Arctic
On April 22, the US Coast Guard released an updated version of its Arctic Strategic Outlook for the first time since 2013. Stressing the growing role of the Arctic as a “strategically competitive space” due to ice melting, the outlook addresses the significant change in power relations in the Arctic and puts a special emphasis on Russian and Chinese extensive economic activities in the region. According to the text, the USCG aims to follow three main principles in its work, i.e. partnership, unity of effort, and a culture of continuous innovation, in order to contribute to the national security in the American Arctic (US Coast Guard, Arctic Portal, Washington Post).
Take 2: Even though US Coast Guard does not explicitly use the phrase “climate change”, the point is still there: the current environmental changes in the Arctic and the ice-free opportunities they imply are of a major concern for the USCG. Resting on the primary aim of ensuring sovereignty, control and safety of the American Arctic, the updated strategy is explicitly critical towards Russia and China and their recent attempts to enhance their economic presence in the North. Yet, political tensions in the region seem to serve a rather fundraising role, since maintaining the close international collaboration in the Arctic still remains the alignment line for the USCG. Published just before the new US Arctic Strategy, coming out this June, USCG’s Arctic Strategic Outlook may be seen as a way to gain attention to the financial needs and anticipations of the agency in its years-long struggle to secure its funding. For a more detailed analysis, feel free to take a look at the most recent commentary by our own Andreas Østhagen.
Greenland is Melting: Listen and Repeat
A new study on Greenland ice-sheet changes was published by the US National Academy of Sciences was published on Monday, April 22. The observations of the ice-sheet mass balance from 1972 to 2018 revealed that Greenland has raised sea level by 13.7 mm since then. The most alarming news though is that half of that rise took place over the past eight years. In the future, the report says, the mass changes in the northern part of Greenland are expected to have the greatest impact on sea level rise, ”because of the large reserve of ice above sea level and the potential for manyfold increase in ice discharge” (PNAS, The Atlantic).
Take 3: The fact that Greenland is melting at an extreme speed is not new per se. There has been a number of similar studies published over the past two years indicating the same worrisome trends (CNN). YYet, repetition is the mother of learning: sea level rise triggered by ice melting in the North Atlantic and the Arctic is a lived reality, locally and globally. The least one can do in this regard is to keep building worldwide awareness about what is going on around us while we keep burning hydrocarbons, over and over again.
Another Step Towards Empowering Indigenous Women of Nunavut
On April 15, a new Inuit women’s organization, the Nunavut Inuit Women’s Organization (NIWA), was formed in Nunavut, Canada. Working under the umbrella of the Native Women’s Association of Canada (NWAC), NIWA aims to “advance political empowerment for Inuit women in all spheres of life” addressing such questions as indigenous women’s leadership representation, social equity and economic well-being, as well as intergenerational impacts of the colonization. The newly built organization will be headed by Madeleine Redfern, Iqaluit’s mayor by job (NWAC, Nunatsiaq News).
Take 4: This is great news and a big step for the indigenous women of Nunavut. For the first time, the Native Women’s Association of Canada has its members and representatives in every province and territory of the country. Even though NIWA plans to work closely with other women’s organizations like Qulliit and Pauktuutit, it will nevertheless remain independent and explicitly non-governmental in its strategies and policies, trying to find new ways of socio-political engagement of Inuit women in their local communities and ensure their extensive representation in leadership.
Connecting the North: Alberta to Alaska Railway Negotiation Continues
Last week, Alaska State Senate passed a resolution SJR 11, advocating for the approval of the railway construction between Alaska and Alberta, Northern Canada. The local Transportation Committee sees the planned railway as an opportunity to develop Alaska’s economy and bring new jobs. It will also, according to Sen. Shelley Hughes, provide an efficient logistic connection to the Asian markets, increasing cargo turnover in Alaska (Alaska’s News Source).
Take 5: The A2A Railway, as the name of the project goes, was initiated by the State of Alaska and the U.S.-Canada Commission in order to assess feasibility of a railway link between Alaska and Northern Canada (primarily the Yukon Territory and the Northern British Columbia). In 2016, the economic viability of the railway was additionally confirmed by the Van Horne Institute study, which found clear benefits in using railway transportation instead of pipelines (Railway Technology). Yet, despite the declared economic advantages and geostrategic visions, one has to be careful with such grand infrastructure-building projects. As history shows, railways – as symbols of Western modernity and development – never come alone and have far-reaching political and environmental implications.