The Arctic This Week Take Five: Week of January 31, 2022
The High North Dialogue 2022 Conference: Centering People, Ecology, and Policy
The High North Dialogue 2022 conference will take place in just over two months time on April 6 and 7. The conference will be hybrid, taking place both in person in Bodø, Norway and virtually, with support from the Arctic Institute, Nord University, Nordland County Council, Equinor, Lukoil, Innovation Norway, and Stormen. The conference theme this year is “Business in the Arctic – The Great Shifts.” Panels include the issues of green, governance, and ocean technology shifts, among other topics. (High North Dialogue)
Take 1: Offering both in person and virtual panels, the High North Dialogue 2022 conference integrates the need for in-person contact and exchange with the complex realities of attendees with the limitations of the Covid-19 pandemic. Those who are unable or unwilling to travel physically are not left behind, a standard which hopefully will become the norm for the foreseeable future. The theme this year “Business in the Arctic – The Great Shifts” reflects current development dynamics in the region. The rise of interest in renewable energies and the promises they bring are not without controversies: whose interests are represented in the development of renewable energies? Where will the facilities be located? Who will be operating them? Where will the essential minerals and components come from? The green shift is rich in debates, as illustrated by the ongoing tensions about the Øyfjellet Wind Park in Norway in obstructing Saami reindeer migration paths. The reality of the implementation of sustainable development policies show how unequal socio-political and economic dynamics can be reinforced through the prism of supposed ‘sustainability.’ The choice of the High North Dialogue 2022 conference to focus on these green shifts reflects the importance of these new technologies for the future of the region in social, economic and ecological terms. However, the social costs of the ‘green transition’ generates endless questions over how true sustainable governance may be implemented in practice. Offering a platform for the Arctic’s many communities to join and discuss these questions – particularly after two years of pandemic-induced isolation – is crucial. (The Guardian)
Conflict and Big Power Politics in the Arctic: No Other Way Out?
As reported by High North News on January 28, Russia will be holding navy exercises in the Arctic throughout February. The exercises are taking place in the Norwegian Sea, the Baltic, and the northern Okhotsk Sea. These exercises have involved the participation of all Russian navy fleets: the North fleet, the Baltic Sea fleet, the Black Sea fleet, and the Pacific fleet. (HNN)
Take 2: These exercises are said by regional experts to be part of Russia’s military calculation and preparation in the event of an escalation of the Ukrainian conflict spilling into the Arctic Ocean. By targeting key geographic points, the potential nuclear threat these submarines and other vessels pose would severely impact ongoing negotiations between the world’s superpowers. By creating an atmosphere of fear, Russia is enhancing its negotiation position. Both the Arctic and Ukraine are being treated as the playing field for ‘Big Powers’ to engage in their never-ending conflicts and quests for (regional) supremacy. However, there is little focus in the media about protecting human life in this situation. What about the rights of individuals to live in peace? Whether these individuals live in democracies or authoritarian regimes, there seems to be little room of maneuver for them to voice their interests- especially those on the front line. The Ukrainian conflict, with its potential spill over in Arctic waters, informs the need to (re)think and (re)evaluate power, authority, and security in the Arctic. A sustainable future in the Arctic- for both the environment and its peoples- cannot depend on the good will of a few superpowers following the logic of greed. (bell hooks, All About Love: New Visions, 2000; bell hooks, Outlaw Culture: Resisting Representations, 1994; FranceTV Info, High North News)
The Arctic in Germany: a Race to Collect Arctic Literature
As reported by Eye on The Arctic on January 28, Germany’s Göttingen State and University Library is seeking to renew funding for its project to house all literature published in Arctic and Siberian languages.The collection is composed of literature written in about 70 languages, covering Siberia, Scandinavia, Greenland, Canada, and Alaska. In 1949, the German Research Foundation assigned the collection of Paleo-Asiatic and Altaic books to Göttingen’s Library. However, since the conclusion of Germany’s special collection system in 2015, Göttingen’s program is now seeking new funding. (Eye On the Arctic)
Take 3: Arctic Indigenous languages are vulnerable. According to the University of Lapland Arctic Centre’s Northern Languages in Danger database, multiple languages are already extinct, from Akkala Saami in Finland to Eyak in Alaska. Many more languages throughout the High North and the Arctic are critically endangered, such as Koyukon in Alaska and Tundra Enets in Siberia. Resources and initiatives have been developed to address the decline in numbers of speakers. For instance, Inhabit Education has produced over 600 books and over 200 teaching resources in Inuktitut, Inuinnaqtun, and English aimed at young children, teenagers, and young adults in Nunavut. The IndyLan project, funded by the Erasmus+ program of the European Union, offers users of the app learning material in Northern Saami. These initiatives underscore the importance of language in peoples’ and communities’ cultural and social survival. The loss of a language not only entails the loss of an entire culture, but also the unique knowledge and worldview the language contained. Ecological, philosophical, and historical knowledges die with their speakers. The Covid-19 pandemic and its particular toll on the elderly therefore poses an added threat for Indigenous communities. How communities are supported in their efforts to curb the decline in number of speakers also directly impacts climate change adaptation capacities. Socio-culturally sensitive political strategies must be informed and guided by local knowledge in order to be efficient and effective. To center Indigenous peoples and voices means a centering of Indigenous languages. (Arctic Centre, IndyLan, Inhabit Education)
What Not To Build: Russian Edition
As reported by The Barents Observer on January 31, the Russian Ministry of the Far East and Arctic has set up an expert council of 90 specialists to establish an “Arctic standard” for the beautification of urban settlements in the region in order to improve social and living conditions. A “design code” has been published in collaboration with the Ministry of Construction, detailing the aesthetic style settlements and towns in the region will need to follow. (The Barents Observer)
Take 4: Russia’s grand design plans for its Arctic territories can be interpreted as part of the country’s efforts to enhance its Arctic presence. The plan also highlights the lack of quality infrastructure in the Arctic, and the limitations this poses on life quality. For instance, 36.5% of households in Nunavut have reported their homes to be inadequate or unaffordable- the highest rate across Canada, while Nuuk is currently experiencing a 10 to 12 years waiting time for a municipal rental property. In Northern Russia, 40% of buildings are crumbling, and the housing market crisis in Alaska is forcing locals to leave as homes are no longer affordable. However, the implementation of this large restructuring plan of Russia’s Northern and Arctic towns might in practice be infeasible due to municipal budget constraints and the challenges of life up North. The importation of construction materials to remote areas increases building costs, while climate-induced environmental changes such as permafrost melt are testing the resilience of existing infrastructure. Considered in combination, the factors make responding to the infrastructure crisis in the circumpolar Arctic a great challenge for both local and state administrations. (Anchorage Daily News, Bloomberg CityLab, Eye on the Arctic, Nordic Cooperation, The Barents Observer)
The Future is Young
As reported by Arctic Today on January 31, The Alaska Supreme Court has rejected a lawsuit brought by youth plaintiffs against the state government for pro-oil policies. The lawsuit argues that the state’s pro-oil policies violate the people’s right to a healthy environment. The Supreme Court rejected the case by concluding that the plaintiffs’ aim of modifying the state’s policies was not a judicial matter, affirming a lower court ruling issued in 2018. (Arctic Today)
Take 5: Do the rights of future generations take priority over rights of current generations to livelihood opportunities- and what if those current opportunities lie in unsustainable production? The Alaska Supreme Court ruling does not explicitly state that younger generations’ prospects are worth less than the prospects of current communities, but it is what the ruling implies. The emphasis on the fine line between what is a ‘judicial matter’ and what is a ‘political matter’ demonstrates how the Law can become the instrument of politics by obscuring responsibility for a real problem with arguments of rational categorization. The ruling joins the ranks of previous court dismissals of cases of climate change inaction and its impacts for young and future generations. In many ways, the legal dispute is a reminder of conflicts taking place elsewhere. For instance, the recent oil spill in Norilsk, Russia and the Øyfjellet Wind Park controversy are both examples of development outcomes resulting in negative impacts for their local communities, and which may deeply impact future generations’ livelihood opportunities. Nevertheless, the question of a right to a livable future is relevant for all Arctic states and communities, really a question of what it means to be ‘sustainable.’ The Alaska Court Ruling has highlighted the limits of law in these scenarios; relying on the political will of a few elites will never be sustainable. (The Barents Observer)