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The Arctic This Week Take Five: Week of January 17, 2022

By | Take Five
January 21, 2022
Logo of The Arctic Institute's Take Five

U.S. Military Plans for Greenland Remain Unclear 

As reported by Arctic Today on January 19, previously hinted at U.S. plans for an expansion of its military Thule Air Base located in the far north of Greenland are still to be confirmed. In November 2020, a market survey by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers detailed an initial investment plan of $250 million for the acquisition of architectural and engineering services for the base. Following a written enquiry from a Greenlandic member of the Danish parliament on the status of the upgrade, the Danish Foreign Minister responded that U.S. authorities have informed the Danish government that plans for construction have been put on hold for the foreseeable future. (Arctic Today)

Take 1: The U.S. is seeking to strengthen its position in the Arctic because of increasing competition from Russia, militarily, and China, economically. The lack of direct communication between U.S. authorities and the Greenlandic government about the potential development plans for the Thule Air Base exemplifies the unequal power dynamics, of a colonial nature, between Greenland and Denmark. The ongoing process of independence, as laid out by the Self-Government Act of 2009, calls for the devolution of powers from the authority of the Danish government to the Greenlandic government. This devolution has yet to include military self-determination, but there are indications this process is starting. In 2021, Pele Broberg, former Danish Minister of Foreign Affairs, alluded to the creation of a coastal guard under the authority of the Greenlandic government, following the example of the civilian Icelandic Coast Guard (ICG). It is perhaps this topic that will become the crux of the independence negotiations still to come: will Denmark relinquish all authority on military presence in the Arctic? How will this potential loss of authority influence the national identity of Denmark, as an ‘Arctic nation’? How would the independence of Greenland influence the position of Denmark in the region, as well as among regional organizations and institutions such as the Arctic Council? The independence of Greenland certainly triggers many questions regarding the future of Denmark in the Arctic region, as well as the future of Denmark as a player in the world’s diplomatic chessboard among other Big Players. (Polar Journal, Sermitsiaq)

Canada’s Northwest Territories Investigate Network of Electric Vehicle Charging Stations

As reported by Eye on the Arctic on January 19, the Northwest Territories (N.W.T) are investigating technologies and infrastructures which would allow for a network of electric car charging stations between Yellowknife and the Alberta border. The report, commissioned by the territorial government, highlights the challenges to the development of electric car infrastructure in the region, including harsh northern winters as well as long distances.The preliminary suggested route by Econolor, the company behind the report, involves the building of charging stations at a maximum of 100-kilometre intervals, for a total of at least 7 new stations. The development of electric cars in the area comes as part of the larger plans by the territorial government to reduce transportation-related emissions by 10 percent by 2030, and all emissions by 30 percent. (Eye on the Arctic)

Take 2: Canada’s green development seems to be hitting some bumps. Canada ranks at 158 in the Sustainable Development Index, right in between Norway and Iceland. These are strikingly low rankings for countries who pride themselves on their stunning environments. And yet, here we are. Combined, The Northwest Territories and Nunavut have a higher carbon emission per inhabitant rate than all other provinces, except for Alberta and Saskatchewan. But is this comparison fair? The Northwest Territories faces challenging weather conditions, as well as a dispersed population. Is it right to compare the Northwest Territories with other provinces further south such as Alberta or Ontario that have higher budgets, more concentrated populations, and milder weather conditions? As highlighted by the Head of the Territories’ Department of Infrastructure, the federal funding programs are often ill-designed for the specificities and conditions of the N.W.T. The maximum amount funded under Canada’s Zero Emission Vehicle Infrastructure Program, $50,000, would only cover about one fifth of the total estimated costs of the project. It is clear that Canada’s diversity in terms of environmental conditions and socio-geographic dynamics must be included when designing federal programs. If not, ‘sustainable’ development projects, programs, targets, and other action plans, will only reinforce unequal national dynamics by further widening the gap of opportunities between the South and the North, between provinces and territories, and between communities across provinces and territories- true development has to be equitable. (Sustainable Development Index)

Mining Company Finds Key Metals in Saami Reindeer Herding Territory 

As reported by The Barents Observer on January 19, the mining company Arctic Minerals have announced promising results from its exploration drills near Kautokeino. Drill cores taken over the last couple years at the Bidjovagge Mine Project show what Arctic Minerals describes as “significant values” of the valuable battery metal cobalt and the semimetal tellurium. A press statement by Arctic Minerals states that the findings have encouraged the company to seek a partner to further develop the Bidjovagge project. The mine is located about 40 km north-east of Kautokeino, in the territory of the Ábborášša and Oarjjabealli Saami reindeer herding districts. (The Barents Observer)

Take 3: The Bidjovagge Mine Project is receiving increased attention as the findings from the explorations have indicated high values of metals key to green technology including electric vehicle batteries and solar panels. The Arctic’s rich potential is also allowing the mining industry to shift away from Congo, where instability and poor working conditions has forced companies to find new extraction sites. However, the extractivist dynamic does not end in the North. The relocation of mining is coming at the expense of already marginalised Saami reindeer herders. The discovery therefore invites consideration of green colonialism: how sustainable development can become hijacked by the powerful to further their interests, while still maintaining an image of fairness. The mine is one of many industrial projects obstructing reindeer migration paths, and one of many examples of the ongoing systemic ignorance of Saami rights in Norway. Sustainable development sounds hollow when the oppressive, extractivist roots of climate change are not centered in efforts to reduce ecological harm. Sustainable development, rather than effectively addressing these colonial oppressive roots, seems to be further reinforcing them, rendering its name ironic, and morbidly humorous. Is sustainability just a way to allow elites to pollute less while still maintaining their status as elites? The story shows the heterogeneity of living conditions and treatment in the Arctic, particularly the gap between local Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples. Development cannot become a single-minded imposition that only suits the privileged few. (Journal of Community, Psychology, Sustainable Development Index, The Guardian)

NGO Calls on Shipping Industry To Lessen Underwater Noise Pollution in Arctic

As reported by Eye on the Arctic on January 18, The Clean Arctic Alliance, a coalition of 18 not-for-profit organizations, has called for active measures by the maritime industry to reduce their underwater noise on the basis of disturbance caused to marine life. In its press release, The Clean Arctic Alliance urges The International Maritime Organization to revise its voluntary guidelines for the reduction of underwater noise set out in 2014, arguing that they offer little incentive in noise reductions. The critique is made as The International Maritime Organization’s sub-committee on ship design and construction meets from the 17th until the 21st of January. (Eye on the Arctic, The Barents Observer)

Take 4: Reports produced by The Arctic Council have shown annual increases of underwater noise in the Arctic despite guidelines mandating its decrease in 2014, inviting thought on the politics of noise, justice, and more-than-human ethics in regional economic development. With increasing attention on the Arctic by international (super)powers from Australia to China, the stability of its ecosystems is coming under fire, and the question of sustainability remains. The Arctic is often portrayed as an endless stretch of silenced ice and deafening snow; a portrait which couldn’t be less true. However, the vibrancy of Arctic life is confronted with industrial production methods. The issue begs, whose interests are heard, and how? The increase of underwater noise has disparate repercussions for human communities. Inuit have highlighted changes in narwhal behavior as something which directly impacts many Inuit communities’ ability to effectively sustain their livelihoods. At the same time, shipping is also how many communities in northeastern Canada receive essential goods. The complexity of access to essential goods, livelihood opportunities, and ecological concerns, renders the call for noise reduction deeply contentious. Is technology the only answer? For the Arctic, the viability of long-term economic life for Northern communities and nations is coupled with ecological concerns. Finding and finding an equilibrium between non-human-life and human interests will be key in envisioning the developmental trajectory of the region. (Environmental Science & Policy, Geophysical Research Letters)

Norway Offers Offshore Licences to Oil and Gas Firms in Arctic Ocean

As reported by Offshore Energy on January 18, the government of Norway has offered 53 new production licenses to a total of 28 oil and gas companies. The licenses were offered under the 2021 ‘Awards in Pre-Defined Areas’ grant system, which covers mature areas close to existing infrastructure, rather than less-explored or frontier areas, The 53 production licenses are primarily located in the North Sea, but also further north in the Norwegian and Barents Seas. Norway’s Minister of Petroleum and Energy announced the offers positively, highlighting the need to further develop the country’s petroleum industry. (Offshore Energy)

Take 5: Norway’s economic development and interest in energy production in its Northern seas ties into a larger- both regional and international- growing interest in the Arctic. International investments and regional geopolitical tensions, such as with China and with Russia, are increasing the stakes. In response, Norway is not only assuring its own income, but also maintaining its position as an economic heavy player in the region. By investing in oil and gas extraction, it is positioning itself as a regional essential power. Yet, the Sustainable Development Goals, to which Norway is supposedly committed to, seem to be somewhat in contradiction to the reality of Norway’s energy production. Or is it the other way around? Which one should come first: Norway’s energy production, or the Sustainable Development Goals? Turning the question on its head poses a true interrogation of priorities in domestic, regional, and international development. The heterogeneity of scales from down to the village, to all the way up to the world, forces an inquiry into the reconcilability of sustainable goals or sustainable development across them. Are domestic and local interests (re)conciliable? When entire foundations of countries across the Arctic are built on extractive ownership of land at the expense of local communities, the implementation of sustainability will encounter the deep contradiction of the liberal colonial state. (SDG Norway)