We hope the news and information you receive here will encourage discussion and debate on the important policies needed to protect the Arctic environment and ensure development that is sustainable and beneficial to local communities. In the future we expect to list events and include space for organizations to post press releases. In the meantime, we'd be very grateful for your thoughts and suggestions.

Many thanks from the editorial team!

John Bennett
Kieran Cooke

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Indigenous Groups Left Out in the Cold at Next 'Arctic Five' Meeting
Economic development and environmental protection in the Arctic region will be the main topic under discussion when foreign ministers from Arctic Ocean coastal countries meet in Quebec at the end of March. But indigenous groups haven't been invited.

China Looking for a Seat at the Circumpolar Table
China's participation at the recent Arctic Frontiers meeting in Norway underscored Beijing's interest in being a player in the region. China says it's interested in the impacts of climate change and access to new shipping lanes. Others say the country has its eyes on valuable natural resources.

Russian Environmental Groups Feeling the Heat
Environmental groups in Russia are coming under increased pressure from the authorities, according to a Norwegian NGO report, which says the presence of properly organized and strong environmentalists in Russia's northern regions is vital if issues of climate change and resource exploitation are to be tackled.

The Multi-Trillion Dollar Costs of Air Conditioner Breakdown
While the world's finance ministers and big bankers discussed the global economy at a meeting in Igaluit on Baffin Island recently, a leading climate research group was issuing dire warnings about the financial costs of Arctic warming. If the planet's "air conditioner" stops functioning, the bill could reach more than $20 trillion by 2050.

Related Stories

New Arctic institute opened in Arkhangelsk
NOAA to establish climate center in Alaska
Handheld field computers record Inuit knowledge

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