In closing hours of the Bush Administration, new National Security and Homeland Security Presidential Directives were issued that address arctic region policy for the United States. A key statement found in the documents reinforces the notion that the United States is an Arctic nation.
Efforts to stabilize greenhouse gas emission levels combined with reductions in other stress factors related to Polar bears, like pollution, tourism and hunting, could help preserve the species.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Fisheries Service has announced a proposed framework to accomplish this need and are asking the public to comment on the plan for fishing in the Chukchi and Beaufort Seas.
The rapidly advancing erosion of shoreline is an obvious threat the existence of coastal villages in Alaska. This threat effects both wildlife habitat and culturally important sites.
A comprehensive survey of Arctic sea ice shows that shows there has been dramatic thinning between the years of 2004 to 2008. The once dominant and thicker multi-year ice is being supplanted by thinner seasonal ice.
The Arctic is experiencing some of the world’s most dramatic and rapidly evolving effects from climate change. Increasing air and ocean temperatures, thawing permafrost, loss of sea ice, and shifts in ecosystems are evidence of widespread and dramatic ongoing change. Critical environmental, economic, and national security issues are emerging that affect lives and livelihoods in coastal communities and inland areas across the region. NOAA’s diverse capabilities to address these emerging issues are the backbone of the strategy.
Scientists with the USGS believe sea-surface temperatures that existed during the mid-Pliocene era that were too warm to support sea ice during the summer season.
“As part of the Administration commitment to ensuring that offshore oil and gas decisions are based on science and sound information, the U.S. Geological Survey will examine and summarize what information is available about the Arctic and what knowledge gaps may exist regarding environmental sensitivities, including impending climate change, and other factors that would be considered in decisions about potential future development in the Chukchi and Beaufort Seas.”
