Circumpolar Newsings
Hear us and act, Inuit leaders say 
(Siku Circumpolar News, 16 November 2009) -- Inuit have sent a message to world leaders that action must be taken at next month's United Nations climate summit. Inuit leaders from around the Arctic are asking world leaders gathering for the UN Climate Conference in Copenhagen next month to pledge to agree to a "meaningful" climate treaty that will protect the future of the region. The Arctic has been identified as one of areas at highest risk of being affected by climate change, and in their plea, sent through the Inuit Circumpolar Council, the leaders underscore the widespread effects of climate change on the region's cultures. Aqqaluk Lynge, president of ICC Greenland, said it was important that the Inuit use their status as the only native peoples of the summit's host country make an effort to reach the world's decision makers. "World leaders attending the summit need to protect our Arctic by any means necessary. We need resources and new technologies that can help us adapt to the new conditions." ICC Chair, Jim Stotts, said, “the Arctic is at the epicentre of climate change. Inuit traditions and subsistence practices have already been assaulted.” The December Conference of the Parties (CoP) will be its 15th. “CoP 15 is the most critical climate meeting thus far”, added Stotts. “Our message to global leaders is simple: there is no more time to waste.” The Inuit Call to Global Leaders outlines six elements that a successful CoP 15 agreement must contain. Inuit leaders from across the Arctic made public these elements yesterday.
Posted 16 November 2009; 3:55:41 PM. Permalink
Tagged: Autonomy, Sovereignty and Politics, Circumpolar News, Climate Change and Weather, Communities, Indigenous Issues, International, November09
(Barents Observer, 16 November 2009) -- Industrial production in the far northern Nenets Autonomous Okrug increased 38.5 percent year-on-year in the first six months of 2009, the latest Barents Monitoring report confirms. That, however, is all thanks to Lukoil’s new Yuzhno-Khilchuyu oil field. The report, which is written by the Norwegian Barents Secretariat’s regional office in the Nenets AO, shows a positive dynamics in regional industrial production. However, other parts of the economy struggle with serious problems. The report shows that the oil-rich region with a population of only 42,300 in the first half of the year had an industrial production growth of 38.5 percent. A major increase in oil production was what made the positive trend. Oil production, including natural gas condensate, increased by more than 35 percent to a total of 9.08 million tons. Also electric power generation increased significantly in the region, with 28.5 percent year-on-year growth to a total of 475.2 million KWH. At the same time, the construction industry in the region showed a serious drop. The volume of work in the regional construction declined by as much as 52.9 percent compared to the same period in 2008. Housing construction dropped by 68.4 percent compared 2008. A total of 127 flats, or 6,300 square meters, was built in January-June 2009. Also investments dropped significantly in the region. According to the report, a total of 19.69 billion rubles were invested in the period, which is a 57.3 percent drop compared with the same period of 2008. The Nenets Autonomous Okrug still remains one regions with the highest salaries in Russia. The average accrued salary in the region was 42,566 rubles, which is up by 8.9% compared to the same period of 2008.
Posted 16 November 2009; 3:53:22 PM. Permalink
Tagged: Circumpolar News, Economic and Commerce Issues, November09, Oil, gas, non-renewable resources, Russia, Siberia / Russia
Polar bears and narwhals in the Arctic: Wildlife photographer Paul Nicklen's Polar Obsession
(Telegraph, 16 November 2009) -- These images are taken from a new National Geographic book called Polar Obsession by extreme wildlife photographer Paul Nickle [sic, Nicklen]. [There are some different pictures in this collection from the Nicklen gallery noted below. Book at Chapters.ca, Amazon.ca, Amazon.com, or National Geographic. ]
Posted 16 November 2009; 3:46:57 PM. Permalink
Tagged: Antarctica, Arctic Ocean, Books, Blogs and Publications, Circumpolar News, Climate Change and Weather, November09, Tourism / Perspectives
Conference investigates high male youth suicide rates
(IceNews, 15 November 2009) -- An international conference held in Nuuk has sought to understand why so many young men in the circumpolar region take their own lives. Despite declining overall rates in recent years, in Greenland and in other Arctic territories, around two-thirds of all suicides are performed by young males aged 15-25. Siku News reports that the statistics have seen Maliina Abelsen, Greenland’s social minister, call for additional research into the lives of young men. “We need to find out more about how our boys are doing,” said Abelsen, Greenland’s representative at the conference on teen suicide. “Why is it, for example, girls who finish their educations?” she asked. One suggestion for the high suicide rate has been the social taboos which limit young males displaying emotion according to feedback from teens in Alaska, Nunavut, Greenland and the Norwegian Saami. Young people attending the conference also implied that parental intervention into personal problems could be better managed. The role of the indigenous Arctic male has also changed as society has developed, with the traditional hunter gatherer figure no longer seen as an essential in modern development. Greenland will continue with its push on prevention efforts even though rates have fallen. Fifty-eight Greenlanders committed suicide in 2006, a figure which dropped to 38 in 2007 and to 35 last year with further declines predicted for 2009, although authorities point out that this does not mean that the curve is necessarily broken. “I hope it continues. But we have to wait some years before we can speak of a trend,” said Office of Prevention spokesperson Jette Eistrup, adding that forecasting was difficult to do based on small numbers.
Posted 16 November 2009; 7:47:23 AM. Permalink
Tagged: Circumpolar News, Conferences, meetings, and gatherings, Greenland / Denmark, Health and wellness, North Atlantic, November09, Social Issues
Icebreaker trapped in Arctic ice, 105 passengers safe
(RIA Novosti, 16 November 2009) -- VLADIVOSTOK - A Russian icebreaker with 105 passengers on board has been trapped in ice during a cruise in the Arctic, a Russian Far East marine cruise official said on Monday. The Captain Khlebnikov will need to wait one or two days to resolve the situation, and the official said the passengers are in no danger. "The icebreaker's crew is waiting for the weather to change and then the ship will resume its course. This will require one or two days. The passengers are in no need of assistance," the spokesman told RIA Novosti. Most of the passengers on board the icebreaker are Brits. A film crew from the BBC is also on board filming material for a documentary called Frozen Earth.
Posted 16 November 2009; 12:26:26 AM. Permalink
Tagged: Arctic Ocean, Circumpolar News, Expeditions, exploration, and field trips, Natural disasters and other problems, November09, Russia, Tourism / Perspectives, Transportation, Infrastructure and Construction
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