Unusually warm weather and storms are keeping the Arctic sea ice extent at record lows.
Arctic
Online teaching tool incorporates Bering Strait community members in oil spill response
Communities near the Bering Strait now have access to a new teaching tool and will be able to share information with various organizations and agencies about threats to arctic marine life, such as oil spills. The Bering Strait Response Teaching Tool is now available online, thanks to a University of Alaska Anchorage student and the Defenders of Wildlife organization.
Local residents lead the change to more renewable energy in the Arctic
Isolated communities across the Arctic are looking at relying more on renewable energy. Instead of bringing in experts, Arctic Remote Energy Networks Academy, or ARENA, is relying on local residents to lead the change.
Chukchi Sea polar bears are thriving but only in the short term
The study establishes a relationship between sea ice reduction and polar bear population numbers. The researchers then used that trend to predict how the world’s 26,000 polar bears will fare in the future.
“Polar Code” a Step In The Right Direction?
According to the IMO’s website, the goal of the Polar Code is to “provide for safe ship operation and the protection of the polar environment, by addressing risks present in polar waters.”
Trump team met with Native leaders before inauguration
Before Trump’s inauguration, his transition team met with Native leaders to ask what they wanted out of the new administration.