The Arctic This Week Take Five: Week of January 3, 2022
Norway Closes Main Military Airbase Above Arctic Circle
The Independent Barents Observer reported on January 2 that the Norwegian government will shut down its main military airbase, located in Bodø, Northern Norway. The decision comes as part of the Norwegian government plan to decommission the F-16 fighter jets used by the Royal Norwegian Air Force (RNoAF) and transition to a new fleet of F-35 jets to be operated out of the larger Ørland Air Base to the south. The Bodø Air Station will continue operating civilian flights, and house a squadron of rescue helicopters operating on behalf of the Joint Rescue Coordination Centre of Northern Norway (JRC NN). (The Independent Barents Observer)
Take 1: Closing the airbase forms a part of the military modernization efforts by Norway as its air force seeks to make the more advanced F-35 aircraft its new main fighter jet. The modernization efforts are partially a response to the increased military upgrade by Russian air forces in the region, as demonstrated by Russia’s Arctic Trefoil northernmost military base completed in 2017 on Franz Josef Land. With the expansion of the airstrip at the base, the Russian air force is now able to operate all of its aircraft out of the region. The response by the Norwegian air force has been the rapid expansion of its F-35 aircraft fleet, now set to stand at 52 strong by 2025. More broadly, the development can be seen as part of the increasing militarization within the Arctic. In this context, the Norwegian purchases are part of a larger North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) focus on the region, with the Norwegian-led allied wargame Cold Response 2022 set to go ahead in March and April of this year. The 40,000 strong force to be deployed in the region during the game will see the biggest military exercise carried out in the Arctic Circle since the Cold War. The Norwegian armed forces are already calling its air force one of the most important aspects to be tested in this “ environment characterized by high intensity conflict.” However, how Russia reacts will be the most important result of the exercise. (CNN, The Independent Barents Observer, Norwegian Armed Forces – Forsvaret)
Alaska Governor Accepts Conditional Trump Endorsement
CNN reported on December 31 that Alaskan Governor Mike Dunleavy has accepted Donald Trump’s conditional offer of endorsement for his 2022 governor re-election campaign. Trump’s endorsement comes on the condition that Governor Mike Dunleavy refuses to support current Alaskan Senator Lisa Murkowski in her campaign for re-election. In the endorsement memo released by Donald Trump, the former president blamed Murkowski for the moratorium on oil exploration and drilling at the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) implemented by the Biden administration in June, 2021. (CNN, Fox News, The Seattle Times)
Take 2: The conditional endorsement by Trump highlights his continued control over the agenda of the Republican party. The supposed role of Murkowski in the current suspension of ANWR oil development has been key to Trump’s demand for non-endorsement, with the senator described by Trump in the memo as a “disaster for Alaska, who singlehandedly blew ANWR.” However, the former president’s claim that Murkowski is responsible does not hold up under examination- as a Republican representative, she has in fact consistently been in favour of the oil leases, and even criticised the moratorium at the time. Instead, Trump’s decision likely hinged on her role as the critical vote in confirming President Joe Biden’s nominee for the United States Secretary of the Interior Debra Haaland, who is known to opponents as a ‘radical environmentalist.’ The consensus among most major news outlets remains that the alienation of Murkowski is revenge for her impeachment vote against Trump following the January 6 Capitol attack. However, it is telling that Trump-approved primary senatorial challenger to Murkowski, Kelly Tshibika, has associated her candidacy with the benefits of drilling in the ANWR. This suggests that if the republicans gain control of the senate, a first order of business will be to restart the oil leases in Alaska. The ANWR area is therefore becoming a key partisan issue in the United States, with the safety of the refuge largely hedging on which party is in control of the federal legislature. (Alaska Governor Website, CBS News, CNN, Fox News, Murkowski Senate Website, Refuge Association)
European Human Rights Court Take Up Court Case by Climate Activist Against the Norwegian Government for Harmful Arctic Drilling
Bloomberg reported on January 3 that the European Court of Human Rights has requested the Norwegian government to respond to the case put forward against them by environmental activists in June 2021. The latest application argues that allowing new oil drilling in Norway’s Arctic waters during an ongoing climate crisis is a breach of fundamental human rights. The independent youth climate-activist led lawsuit, supported by Greenpeace Nordic and Young Friends of the Earth Norway, claims that the new oil drilling to be conducted in the Barents Sea violates articles 2 and 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights. The court has given the Norwegian government until April 13, 2022 to make a response. (Bloomberg-Quint)
Take 3: The decision to take up the court case ‘the People vs. Arctic Oil’ against the Norwegian government could prove historic. Of particular importance are the protests by Indigenous Sámi activists, who argue that the destruction of the ecosystems on which they depend would directly threaten their way of life. Consequently, the case also carries importance for the relations between the Norwegian government and its Sámi minority. Furthermore, the lawsuit has been designated by the European Court of Human Rights as a potential “impact” case, meaning it could have broad ramifications beyond Norway. If deemed as such, the length of the lawsuit would be shortened substantially, which could currently take as long as six years to reach a ruling. The lawyer representing the applicants in the case has spoken out on such a designation, hopeful that it would set the grounds for a “pan-European application of the European Convention on Human Rights in climate cases.” Such a result would likely see an increasing amount of legal battles being fought by climate activists and organisations, which until recently have experienced little success in the courts. (BloombergQuint, European Convention on Human Rights, Greenpeace, Greenpeace)
Excavation in Northeast Sweden Uncovers Evidence of Advanced Metalworking 2000 years Ago
Science News reported on January 3 that an archaeological survey by a team at the Luleå University of Technology has uncovered evidence that hunter-gatherer societies in the Arctic region were conducting advanced ironworking in the years 200-50 BC. The excavations carried out at Sangis and Vuvungi in northeastern Sweden uncovered multiple furnaces, firepits and tools, indicating a more socially organised and sedentary local society than previously thought. The findings were published in the archaeological journal Antiquity. (Science News)
Take 4: The discovery of advanced metallurgy in pre-Viking age Fennoscandia is a significant development for the anthropological and archaeological study of the region. The new study upends the traditional assumption that advanced metallurgy was a product of agricultural civilizations far to the south which were then exported to Scandinavia. It emphasises that the ancient people of the region were not merely adopting simplified versions of more sophisticated technology developed elsewhere, but were actually inventive and technologically advanced in their own way. At the same time, the study also has wider implications beyond the Arctic region, as it shows evidence of hunter-gatherer communities being able to establish advanced metallurgy absent a well-established agricultural and centralised society. The implications of this overturns the teleological assumption that agricultural development preceded most societal advancement. The development is situated within a broader surge of interest for Arctic historical studies and a growth in tourism to the region. As museums like Tromsø University’s Arctic University Museum and Sweden’s Norrbottens Museum exhibit the rich history and anthropology of the region, new finds like this will be at the core of our evolving understanding of Arctic history. However, the development of increased Arctic tourism itself also provides a threat to the region’s fragile ecosystems and the lifestyles of local people like the Indigenous Sámi people. The study showcases the impact that Arctic studies can have on our broader understanding of human civilization- both past and present. (Arctic Council, Arctic University Museum, Norrbottens Museum, The Arctic Institute, Science News)
First Pipe Shipments Arrive in Dudinka for Rosneft’s Major Arctic Oil Project “Vostok”
The Independent Barents Observer reported on January 4 that the Turukhan and Tersky Bereg supply ships owned by Russian oil company Rosneft have arrived at the Northern Sea port Dudinka with the first pipe material for the company’s new Vostok Oil project. Unloading a combined tonnage of 11,000 in supplies, the ships form the first of a projected 50,000-ton supply shipment to be conducted during the winter as works progress. The project is expected to be fully operational by 2030, producing over 100 million tons of oil annually. (The Independent Barents Observer)
Take 5: The development of the Vostok Oil Project showcases the intense interest Russia has in the Arctic. The development of the project is a cornerstone of Russia’s aspirations for the Northern Sea Route (NSR), and a significant challenge to both the oil fields being developed by Norway in the Barents Sea, as well as the Suez Canal’s dominance of oil shipments. Situated at the Yenisay Bay close to the Kara Sea, the outlet for the explored oil fields would offer easy access for Russian ships transporting oil both East and West. The megaproject will include 13 simultaneous gas and oilfields and is estimated by Rosneft to generate over 100,000 jobs and a 2% GDP hike, a significant boost to a struggling Russian economy. The intention to partner up with Chinese firms to develop wind energy to power the day-to-day operations of the Vostok facilities is also significant for the megaproject. If successful, this might see Russia’s introduction to competing in the renewable energy market with other Arctic nations, like Denmark, through utilising the environmental conditions in northern Krasnoyarsk. (Rosneft, Rosneft, The Independent Barents Observer, The Moscow Times, The Moscow Times)