The Arctic This Week Take Five: Week of June 25, 2018
US Defense Secretary says US needs to “up its game” in the Arctic
The United States Defense Secretary Jim Mattis called for an increased presence in the Arctic this past week. He pointed out that not only will warming open up new shipping routes, but that it will open new opportunities for drilling. Russia and China have recently been pushing for similar expansion in the region, and Secretary Mattis has called for the U.S. to keep up (Reuters).
Take 1: While President Trump has recently been more concerned with establishing a ‘space force’ branch of the military, Mattis’ suggestion to increase the United States’ presence in the Arctic appears to be more of a down to earth priority. America’s recent absence in the Arctic is becoming more obvious as other nations are preparing to take advantage of the region in the coming years.
Canadian pot legalization official, but Indigenous leaders are worried
The Prime Minister of Canada, Justin Trudeau, announced that cannabis will become legal in Canada on October 17, 2018. The legalization date is later than expected, but Trudeau cited a variety of concerns from many people across the country as the reason for delay. At the same time, a bill was passed to give police more power towards stopping impaired drivers (CTV).
Take 2: Concerns from First Nations groups over health and community impacts of marijuana threatened to push back legalisation just before voting on the bill took place. The federal Health Minister and Indigenous Services Minister made a number of promises to the Senate’s Aboriginal Peoples’ committee to garner their support for the bill. These promises included increased funding for Indigenous addiction support and special assistance for Indigenous-owned cannabis businesses (Toronto Star). Concerns remain for some northern Indigenous communities where leaders are worried marijuana legalization will affect the progress made against alcohol and drug abuse (CBC).
Human remains, artifacts anonymously returned to Inuit organisation
Last week a box containing a human jawbone and Inuit artifacts was anonymously dropped off at the Ottawa offices of Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami, an Inuit advocacy organization. The box was accompanied by a cryptic note, alleging that the contents had been taken from the Frobisher Bay (now Iqaluit) area around the 1950s and that the current owner wanted to return them. The organization now has the difficult task of returning the remains to their original resting place (EOTA).
Take 3: The vagueness of the source location will make the task of returning these items to their rightful place difficult and emotional, as Inuit people place a spiritual significance on human remains. Unlike the USA, Canada currently has no official guidelines on how to return human remains to Indigenous communities which makes situations like these, where only a vague source location is given, tricky (EOTA). Unfortunately, even in the USA, where such laws exist, they are still tested and subverted today (Scientific American).
Greenhouse of the future could improve Arctic food security
Researchers from Tomsk Polytechnic University in Russia are developing the greenhouse of the future. The Russian scientists are using novel materials to construct the greenhouse, which will be more effective at converting UV light into stable light sources, with the intention that this will be more conducive to plant growth. The greenhouse will also include robotic support systems to water and pollinate plants, making it self-sufficient. The researchers believe the greenhouse will be useable in a variety of environments, including the Arctic (EurekAlerta).
Take 4: This greenhouse offers several benefits, mostly relating to its automation. Humans would not necessarily have to travel to and from the greenhouse, which can be expensive in the Arctic. This could be especially useful during extreme weather events when it is too dangerous to travel. On the other hand, creating a more complicated greenhouse also means making one that is harder and more expensive to repair in the case of damage (EurekAlerta).
Ancient climate change contributed to human settlement of Alaska’s interior
New research from the University of Alaska-Fairbanks proposes that 15,000 years ago, climate change motivated the first human migration to the interior of Alaska. Researchers found that around the time people began to migrate inwards, the conditions began to become warmer and wetter. This research helps complete the story of when and why people began to move into North America (APM).
Take 5: Using collections of bug and plant fossils, along with sediment cores, researchers created an 18,500 year timeline of the landscape. Researchers believe that humans may have followed caribou herds, which moved inland as mosquito populations grew near the coast in the warmer conditions. This research also shows how empirical data can inform climate models by filling in gaps in the climate record (APM).