Arctic

Results of a peer-reviewed study published today in Advances in Atmospheric Sciences shows that the world’s oceans last year were at their warmest in recorded history as average temperatures rose for the sixth consecutive year. “The ocean heat content is relentlessly increasing globally, and this is a primary indicator of human-induced climate change,” commented report co-author Kevin Trenberth, distinguished scholar at the U.S. National Center for Atmospheric Research. [node:read-more:link]

It’s no secret in Canada or other northern nations that the Arctic has become a bellwether for global warming. The World Meteorological Organization confirmed today that a record high of 38 degrees Celsius was reported on June 20 last year in Siberia. That was some 18 degrees above the region’s daily average for the month, a situation the UN agency said had contributed to “massive sea ice loss” and evoked the Mediterranean rather than the Arctic.” [node:read-more:link]

A UN resolution urging maritime operators to use clear fuels in the Arctic is being widely hailed for its potential to reduce carbon black emissions in the region. The fine particulates from incomplete fossil fuel combustion land on snow and ice, increasing melt rates by reducing the surface’s albedo or reflectivity. [node:read-more:link]

A new Arctic strategy published today would ban development of new hydrocarbon development in the region. The European Commission acknowledged that the EU still imports petroleum resources from the North but said it will work “towards a multilateral legal obligation not to allow any further hydrocarbon reserve development in the Arctic or contiguous regions.” [node:read-more:link]

The U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration reports that global average temperatures in July were the hottest since record-keeping began 142 years ago. The combined land and ocean-surface reading was 0.93°C above the average for the last century and in the northern hemisphere, land temperatures in July were an “unprecedented” 1.54° higher than average. [node:read-more:link]

The cost of acquiring three used Norwegian icebreakers the government is buying through the Quebec shipyard Chantier Davie has topped $921 million, some 50 per cent higher than the original 2018 estimate. The yard recently received additional payment to continue converting them for Canadian Coast Guard use until new ships are built. [node:read-more:link]

The commander of the U.S. Navy 2nd Fleet says enhancing presence and cultivating partnerships in the Arctic are vital to prevent military conflict in the region. “It will only remain a cooperative area if we continue to build those relationships,” VAdm Andrew “Woody” Lewis said Aug. 1, adding that failure to maintain a U.S. presence could “cede the space to the Russians or somebody else.” [node:read-more:link]

Canada, the U.S., China, Russia and several other countries plan joint research into fishing in the Arctic. A potential step toward setting international rules, the program would track species and monitor current catch levels which have been increasing as global warming reduces ice coverage. [node:read-more:link]

Quebec Inuk Mary J. Simon was appointed today as Canada’s 30th Governor General. The former CBC North producer and announcer went on to become Canada’s first Ambassador for Circumpolar Affairs in 1994 and was a lead negotiator for the creation of the Arctic Council. She also later served two years as ambassador to Denmark. [node:read-more:link]

U.S. strategy in the Arctic is being challenged by the vice-chair of the Armed Services Committee in the House of Representatives. Virginia Democrat Elaine Luria, a retired naval commander, suggested during hearings that having three commands tasked with defending the region is ineffective. [node:read-more:link]

A day after Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov warned the West against making territorial claims in the Arctic, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said May 18 that the global community should avoid militarizing the region. “We've seen Russia advance unlawful maritime claims . . . which are inconsistent with international law,” Blinken said ahead of an Arctic Council ministerial meeting. Lavrov had said “it has been absolutely clear for everyone for a long time that this is our territory, this is our land” and “we are responsible for ensuring our Arctic coast is safe.” [node:read-more:link]

The Russian polar icebreaker Kapitan Dranitsyn has set a record by going further north under its own power to complete a supply run to a multinational expedition adrift in the high Arctic. The expedition is designed to improve scientific understanding of climate change which evidently is accelerating sea-ice melt. [node:read-more:link]

Finland’s military attaché at its embassy in Washington, Col Petteri Seppala, says the Arctic Forum established by Canada and seven other northern nations in 1996 is “too limited” in scope to address defence concerns, and is constrained by its historical focus on science, environmental issues and economic development. He aired his concerns at a May 7 online forum on Arctic security organized by the Wilson Center, a nonpartisan think-tank in Washington. [node:read-more:link]