The Arctic This Week Take Five: Week of January 27, 2020

IMO Mandate For Low Sulphur Fuel Results in High Black Carbon Emissions 

The IMO has implemented a ban on heavy fuel oil for marine transport to combat rising sulphur emissions. A new study funded by Germany and Finland has revealed that the alternative, very low sulphur fuel oil, releases up to 85% higher levels of black carbon than heavy fuel oil. Black carbon is particularly harmful to the Arctic environment as it settles on ice, thereby significantly increasing the heat trapped by the surface. Environmental organizations are in contact with the IMO to address the issue as soon as possible (High North News).

Take 1: If it weren’t so tragic for the Arctic ecosystem and the global climate at large, it is almost comical that right around the corner from the IMO’s sanction on heavy fuel oil, the black carbon emission of the alternate fuel was discovered to be overwhelmingly worse. By being timely in their repeal of the mandate, hopefully the damage done won’t be enough to undermine the strides the IMO has made to ban fuel oil in the Arctic by 2021.

Girjas Sami Village Win Swedish Supreme Court Case

For more than a decade, Girjas Sami Village in northern Sweden has been fighting an uphill battle against the Swedish state for their right to manage hunting and fishing within its land management area. On the 23rd of January, the Swedish Supreme Court ruled that only the Girjas Sami Village had the right to decide who gets to hunt and fish in the area. The State may not issue licenses there (High North News).

Take 2: While a huge victory for the Girjas Sami Village, the ruling of the Swedish Supreme Court also has tremendous implications for other Indigenous groups across the Arctic. In fact, the verdict has been referred to as groundbreaking by many academics, as it is an acknowledgement of inherited rights in a legal setting. Since the Sami are a people residing in four countries, the grounds for which the Girjas Sami won their case apply to the Sami of the other countries as they share similar customs and traditions.

World’s Biggest Nickel Mine is Being Converted Into an Arctic Tourism Hub

Nornickel is set to invest in the the development of a small town along the border of Norway and Finland, Pechenga. For the past three generations, the primary source of income for the 11,000 residents of Pechenga has been the local nickel smelter. Now that it is being closed, Nornickel aims to retrain and reemploy the workers who will lose their jobs to develop a tourism cluster in the area (Barents Observer).

Take 3: The closure of natural resource extraction operations often overlooks skilled workers in the industry who are left behind. However, this time developers are consulting locals, investors, and other stakeholders to take part in discussing the strategic developments. Nornickel’s thoughtful plan to restructure Pechenga’s economy sets a precedent for small towns all over the Arctic who are reliant on resource extraction

Responding to the Silencing of Arctic Cultures

The European Research Council’s “Arctic Cultures” project located in Cambridge hosted a workshop titled ‘Knowledge Formations and Colonial Encounters in the Arctic.’ The workshop attracted academics, museum curators, and professional artists from all over the Arctic to discuss the portrayal of the region in popular media. The delegates investigated the origin of the notion that the Arctic is a vast, empty land waiting to be “discovered.” Ultimately the project’s aim is to draw attention to the intricacies that lie within the region’s deep-rooted traditions (High North News).

Take 4: The workshop held at Cambridge is the first of many organized by Arctic Cultures. The series of discussions that follow will hopefully widen the reach of the voices of indigenous people who have been hushed for too long. Narratives are a powerful way of presenting issues that are often difficult to comprehend by outside parties.

Russia’s New Prime Minister Entangled with Family Fortunes and Luxury Houses

Speculation has surrounded the source of the family fortunes of President Putin’s newly appointed Prime Minister, Mikhail Mishustin. Russia’s modest GDP growth in recent years, increased poverty, and rising suspicion of government corruption, have all contributed to the growing public discontent of the current leadership. The origin of Mishustin’s wife’s high income without owning her own company and the couple’s luxurious property has come under scrutiny in the public eye (High North News).

Take 5: The swelling distrust of many Russian citizens had forced President Putin’s hand to respond by replacing his number 2. Putin moved to replace his former Prime Minister with an unfamiliar face in Mishustin. Though such a change could have put him back in the good graces of the general public, this information leak regarding Mishustin’s financial history can work to negate his move. With Putin’s retirement on the horizon, the incoming leadership will have a great impact on Russia’s energy strategy in and outside the Arctic.