Expert commentary, op-eds & interviews on the arctic

Community & Insight

Read the latest commentary, Q&As and opinions from the Arctic Deeply community.

Economy
Infrastructure
Northern People & Health
Community
Op-Eds

Charting a Path for Churchill to Become a Sustainable Arctic Community

Douglas Clark Associate Professor, University of Saskatchewan’s School of Environment & Sustainability

The northern Canadian town of Churchill, Manitoba, may be an early casualty of climate change, but it could become an Arctic sustainability pioneer, says Douglas Clark, an associate professor at the University of Saskatchewan. almost 3 years ago

Northern People & Health
Community

Literary Norway: Roaming Hearts, Family Secrets and Childhood Recollections

In Norway, on the final stop of her literary tour of the Arctic, the World Wildlife Fund’s Margaret Williams finds an amalgam of writers providing a unique sense of place and home.almost 3 years ago

Environment
Research
Q&A

Unlocking the Secrets Stored in Arctic Lake Mud

John Smol with Canada’s Paleoecological Environmental Assessment and Research Laboratory sees in lake sediment the stories of dramatic environmental changes underway in the Arctic.almost 3 years ago

Environment
Research
Q&A

Answering Some Burning Questions About Arctic Wildfire

Climate change is leading to bigger, more frequent wildfires in the North American Arctic. These fires will have wide-ranging impacts on northern peoples and wildlife, warns author Ed Struzik.almost 3 years ago

Northern People & Health
Q&A

Songs for Decolonization: A Q&A With Saami Singer Sofia Jannok

The Saami singer Sofia Jannok from Sweden combines traditional joiking with modern electronic music. Her lyrics, sung in three languages, aim to overturn colonial attitudes and express Indigenous views.almost 3 years ago

Northern People & Health
Q&A

Talking Art and Activism With an Accomplished Inuit Carver

Meet Billy Gauthier, an acclaimed artist from northern Canada who participated in a hunger strike last summer to to protest the environmental impacts of a new hydroelectric dam in Labrador.almost 3 years ago

Governance
Northern People & Health
Op-Eds

Breaking the Ice for Indigenous Voices on the World Stage

Malina Dumas

The Arctic Council may be helping advance the idea of allowing Indigenous groups to play a more central role on the world stage, writes Malina Dumas, a J.D. candidate at the University of Washington School of Law.almost 3 years ago

Health
Northern People & Health
Q&A

A Small Arctic Community Wins a Big Fight in Canada’s Top Court

The former mayor of Clyde River reflects on lessons learned from his community’s legal battle to stop seismic tests they feared would harm marine life and jeopardize ancient hunting traditions.almost 3 years ago

Northern People & Health
Q&A

The Forgotten Indigenous Women of Robert Peary’s Arctic Expeditions

When Robert Peary set out to reach the North Pole, he took along entire Indigenous families. New research looks at the experiences of the women who came along, whose stories have until recently gone largely untold.almost 3 years ago

Northern People & Health
Q&A

Creating Northern Canada’s Next Cohort of Young Leaders

Melaina Sheldon will soon lead the Jane Glassco Northern Fellowship, which teaches young northern Canadians about public policy. The idea, she says, is to help empower the next generation to tackle issues that affect their communities.about 3 years ago

Geopolitics & Security
Op-Eds

Russia’s Arctic Ambitions: Hype vs. Reality

Lukas Trakimavicius

Offshore oil production in Russia’s Arctic waters will be much more challenging than is often acknowledged, writes Lukas Trakimavicius, an intern in the Energy Security Section of NATO’s Emerging Security Challenges Division.about 3 years ago

Geopolitics & Security
Op-Eds

Canadian Defense Review Depicts Russia as an Arctic Adversary

Rob Huebert Associate Professor, the Department of Political Science at the University of Calgary

Justin Trudeau’s Liberals have framed the security threats in the Arctic posed by Russia in the starkest terms seen in more than 30 years, says Rob Huebert, a fellow with the Canadian Global Affairs Institute.about 3 years ago

Energy & Natural Resources
Governance
Op-Eds

China Loops the Arctic Into Its Belt and Road Vision

Marc Lanteigne Senior Lecturer, Centre for Defence and Security Studies

China has played down its commercial interests in the Arctic in recent years. But it’s increasingly confident in pursuing northern resource development and shipping opportunities, says Massey University’s Marc Lanteigne about 3 years ago

Economy
Energy & Natural Resources
Q&A

An Uneasy Alliance: The Limits of the China-Russia Arctic Partnership

China isn’t as eager to invest in the Russian Arctic as once hoped, and it only seems inclined to do so if it’s able to drive a hard bargain, says Ekaterina Klimenko, a researcher with the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute.about 3 years ago

Geopolitics & Security
Infrastructure
Op-Eds

What Canada’s New Defense Policy Means for the Arctic

Adam Lajeunesse Irving Shipbuilding Chair, Arctic Marine Policy at StFX

Canada plans to upgrade the gear that underpins its Arctic military operations, including satellite links, radar systems and snowmobile fleets, says Adam Lajeunesse, Irving Shipbuilding chair in Arctic marine security at St. Francis Xavier University. about 3 years ago

Economy
Solutions
Q&A

Svalbard’s Russian Coal Town Tries Its Hand at Tourism

Russia’s Arctic settlement of Barentsburg has long depended on coal production. But tourism now supports a growing share of the economy, says Sergey Shirokiy, manager of Arctic Travel Company Grumant.about 3 years ago

Geopolitics & Security
Governance
Q&A

Some Arctic Reflections on U.S. Plans to Exit the Paris Climate Pact

It’s not wise for the U.S. to cede global leadership on curbing carbon emissions while Alaska witnesses the impacts of dramatic warming, says Mike Sfraga of the Woodrow Wilson Center’s Polar Initiative and the University of the Arctic’s Institute for Arctic Policy.about 3 years ago

Infrastructure
Northern People & Health
Q&A

Iqaluit Mayor: Slow Internet Holds Back Canada’s Eastern Arctic

Without a high-speed fiber-optic link, Nunavut remains dependent on a sluggish, satellite-based internet service. That’s increasingly a problem for the territory’s economy and government, says Madeleine Redfern, the mayor of Nunavut’s capital, Iqaluit.about 3 years ago

Environment
Research
Solutions
Q&A

What Indigenous Cultures Can Teach Us About Managing Arctic Change

As climate change ushers new plants and animals into the Arctic, new conservation models are needed, and we’d be wise to learn from the region’s original inhabitants, says Finnish geographer Tero Mustonen.about 3 years ago

Governance
Northern People & Health
Solutions
Q&A

Arctic Council Launches New Fund for Indigenous Groups

The Algu Fund aims to raise $30 million to help ensure that northern Indigenous groups are better able to participate in the Arctic Council’s workings, says Jim Gamble, the fund’s acting chair.about 3 years ago

Infrastructure
Northern People & Health
Solutions
Q&A

Grappling With Low Living Standards in Canada’s North

From internet speeds to graduation rates, Canada’s northern regions lag behind the rest of the country. In her new report, Mary Simon, the Canadian government’s special adviser on Arctic issues, presents some ideas about how to close those gaps.about 3 years ago

Infrastructure
Q&A

Venture Will Bring High-Speed Internet to Western Alaska

After laying more than 1,600km (1,000 miles) of undersea cable on Alaska’s coast, Quintillion is preparing to offer faster internet to six communities along the route. And the company has even bigger plans in store, says Kristina Woolston, V.P. of external relations.about 3 years ago

Governance
Q&A

What to Expect From Finland’s Arctic Council Leadership

Technological know-how, post-secondary education and weather forecasting are all priorities for the Nordic nation as it assumes the council’s chairmanship, says Heather Exner-Pirot, the managing editor of the Arctic Yearbook.about 3 years ago

Infrastructure
Q&A

Climate Change Drives Up the Cost of Canada’s Northernmost Highway

Chris Burn at Carleton University is tracking the growing cost of maintaining Yukon’s Dempster Highway as warmer weather brings more landslides, washouts and other challenges.about 3 years ago

Environment
Geopolitics & Security
Op-Eds

Taking on a Radioactive Issue in the Arctic

Derek Ritsma Graduate of the Master’s Program in Political Science at York University

From collisions between nuclear-powered submarines to worries about Russia’s floating power plants, Arctic nations have many reasons to make a formal agreement to protect against a nuclear disaster, writes Derek Ritsma, a political science graduate from York University.about 3 years ago

Economy
Governance
Op-Eds

Northern Norway Is the Solution, Not an Opportunity

Arne O. Holm Editor-in-Chief, High North News

Norway’s new High North Strategy could help bring focus to the country’s economic development efforts, even if many details have yet to be worked out, writes Arne Holm, editor of the High North News.over 3 years ago

Geopolitics & Security
Q&A

Cold War of Words: the Barents Observer Editor Barred from Russia

Thomas Nilsen, the editor of Norway’s Barents Observer, recently learned he has been barred from entering Russia. He vows that won’t stop his widely read Arctic publication from covering tough issues across the border.over 3 years ago

Environment
Q&A

The Arctic Is Ready for Its Close-Up

Photographer Diane Tuft captures a landscape transformed in her new photo book “The Arctic Melt.”over 3 years ago

Geopolitics & Security
Q&A

The Big Chill: Norway and Russia’s Icy Rift

Longstanding friendly relations between the two countries have become frosty over the past few years. To understand why, we spoke to two experts at the Royal Norwegian Embassy in Washington.over 3 years ago

Economy
Energy & Natural Resources
Geopolitics & Security
Op-Eds

The Pivot to the Arctic: Implications for the Gulf Cooperation Council

Theodore Karasik Adjunct Fellow, Lexington Institute

Alexander Murinson Faculty Member, BAU International University

The Arctic is of growing geopolitical importance, and not just for Arctic nations. The interests of the monarchies of the Arabian Peninsula are also at play, say Theodore Karasik of the Lexington Institute and Alexander Murinson of NATO Defense College.over 3 years ago

Geopolitics & Security
Op-Eds

Russia’s Arctic Militarization: A Reality Check

Adam Lajeunesse Irving Shipbuilding Chair, Arctic Marine Policy at StFX

Whitney Lackenbauer Professor of History and Co-director, Centre on Foreign Policy

Russia is not looking to carve up the circumpolar North and the region is not in the midst of an arms race, writes Adam Lajeunesse and P. Whitney Lackenbauer.over 3 years ago

Environment
Governance
Shipping
Op-Eds

Doubts Remain About Polar Code’s Ability to Protect the Environment

Mia Bennett National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellow, University of California

New rules are in effect for ships traveling in Arctic waters, but big questions remain about whether it’s enough to protect a fragile ecosystem from the increasing incursions of cruise ships, writes Mia Bennett, a research fellow in the Department of Geography at UCLA.over 3 years ago

Environment
Research
Q&A

Canada’s Melting Ice Caps Are a Big Driver of Rising Sea Levels

The Queen Elizabeth Islands’ glaciers – forming the third biggest contributor to sea-level rise after Antarctica and Greenland – are melting at a dramatically increasing rate. Journal author Romain Millan explains why it started happening in 2005.over 3 years ago

Geopolitics & Security
Op-Eds

Keeping the Gunpowder Dry

Marc Lanteigne Senior Lecturer, Centre for Defence and Security Studies

The practice of countries ‘checking their grievances at the door’ during Arctic diplomacy is unlikely to get easier as Russia remilitarizes its northern regions, writes Marc Lanteigne.over 3 years ago

Geopolitics & Security
Op-Eds

Why U.S. Republicans’ Russia Envy in the Arctic is Misplaced

Mia Bennett National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellow, University of California

It’s economic development, rather than military aggression, that drives Russia’s growing activity in the Arctic, writes Mia Bennett, a research fellow in the Department of Geography at UCLA.over 3 years ago

Environment
Research
Q&A

Taking the Measure of Tumultuous Changes at the Top of the U.S. Arctic

As station chief of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)’s Barrow Observatory, Bryan Thomas has had a front-row seat to the dramatic changes taking place in the Arctic.over 3 years ago

Geopolitics & Security
Op-Eds

Canada Needs to Get Serious About Russia’s Competing Arctic Claims

Aurel Braun Professor of International Relations and Political Science, University of Toronto

Stephen Blank Senior Fellow for Russia, American Foreign Policy Council

Canada’s relatively weak Arctic capabilities only creates temptations for a Russia that is both unstable and opportunistic, warn Aurel Braun and Stephen Blank for Canada’s Macdonald-Laurier Institute.over 3 years ago

Environment
Research
Q&A

Arctic Gulls Give New Meaning to Avian Long-Distance Relationships

Canadian biologists have discovered a pair of Sabine’s gulls that mate in the High Arctic and then split up to over-winter at opposite oceans in the southern hemisphere. Mark Mallory, a Canada Research Chair at Acadia University, explains this and other new findings.over 3 years ago

Environment
Research
Op-Eds

Scientist at Work: Tracking Muskoxen in a Warming Arctic

Joel Berger Barbara Cox Anthony Chair in Wildlife Conservation, Colorado State University

While cold-adapted species have figured out how to survive across thousands of generations, we humans must modify our behavior in a far shorter period to dampen climatic challenges, writes Joel Berger of Colorado State University.over 3 years ago

Shipping
Op-Eds

Canada Needs More Coast Guard Icebreakers

Colonel Pierre Leblanc (retired) Former Commander, Joint Task Force North

As the ice is receding in the Arctic, human activity has been on the rise. Pierre Leblanc, a retired colonel and a former commander of the Canadian Forces in the Arctic, says growing demand for rescue and research means building more icebreakers.over 3 years ago

Thank You, Deeply

Charting a Path for Churchill to Become a Sustainable Arctic Community

Douglas Clark Associate Professor, University of Saskatchewan’s School of Environment & Sustainability

Literary Norway: Roaming Hearts, Family Secrets and Childhood Recollections

Unlocking the Secrets Stored in Arctic Lake Mud

Answering Some Burning Questions About Arctic Wildfire

Songs for Decolonization: A Q&A With Saami Singer Sofia Jannok

Talking Art and Activism With an Accomplished Inuit Carver

Breaking the Ice for Indigenous Voices on the World Stage

Malina Dumas

A Small Arctic Community Wins a Big Fight in Canada’s Top Court

The Forgotten Indigenous Women of Robert Peary’s Arctic Expeditions

Creating Northern Canada’s Next Cohort of Young Leaders

Russia’s Arctic Ambitions: Hype vs. Reality

Lukas Trakimavicius

Canadian Defense Review Depicts Russia as an Arctic Adversary

Rob Huebert Associate Professor, the Department of Political Science at the University of Calgary

China Loops the Arctic Into Its Belt and Road Vision

Marc Lanteigne Senior Lecturer, Centre for Defence and Security Studies

An Uneasy Alliance: The Limits of the China-Russia Arctic Partnership

What Canada’s New Defense Policy Means for the Arctic

Adam Lajeunesse Irving Shipbuilding Chair, Arctic Marine Policy at StFX

Svalbard’s Russian Coal Town Tries Its Hand at Tourism

Some Arctic Reflections on U.S. Plans to Exit the Paris Climate Pact

Iqaluit Mayor: Slow Internet Holds Back Canada’s Eastern Arctic

What Indigenous Cultures Can Teach Us About Managing Arctic Change

Arctic Council Launches New Fund for Indigenous Groups

Grappling With Low Living Standards in Canada’s North

Venture Will Bring High-Speed Internet to Western Alaska

What to Expect From Finland’s Arctic Council Leadership

Climate Change Drives Up the Cost of Canada’s Northernmost Highway

Taking on a Radioactive Issue in the Arctic

Derek Ritsma Graduate of the Master’s Program in Political Science at York University

Northern Norway Is the Solution, Not an Opportunity

Arne O. Holm Editor-in-Chief, High North News

Cold War of Words: the Barents Observer Editor Barred from Russia

The Arctic Is Ready for Its Close-Up

The Big Chill: Norway and Russia’s Icy Rift

The Pivot to the Arctic: Implications for the Gulf Cooperation Council

Theodore Karasik Adjunct Fellow, Lexington Institute Alexander Murinson Faculty Member, BAU International University

Russia’s Arctic Militarization: A Reality Check

Adam Lajeunesse Irving Shipbuilding Chair, Arctic Marine Policy at StFX Whitney Lackenbauer Professor of History and Co-director, Centre on Foreign Policy

Doubts Remain About Polar Code’s Ability to Protect the Environment

Mia Bennett National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellow, University of California

Canada’s Melting Ice Caps Are a Big Driver of Rising Sea Levels

Keeping the Gunpowder Dry

Marc Lanteigne Senior Lecturer, Centre for Defence and Security Studies

Why U.S. Republicans’ Russia Envy in the Arctic is Misplaced

Mia Bennett National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellow, University of California

Taking the Measure of Tumultuous Changes at the Top of the U.S. Arctic

Canada Needs to Get Serious About Russia’s Competing Arctic Claims

Aurel Braun Professor of International Relations and Political Science, University of Toronto Stephen Blank Senior Fellow for Russia, American Foreign Policy Council

Arctic Gulls Give New Meaning to Avian Long-Distance Relationships

Scientist at Work: Tracking Muskoxen in a Warming Arctic

Joel Berger Barbara Cox Anthony Chair in Wildlife Conservation, Colorado State University

Canada Needs More Coast Guard Icebreakers

Colonel Pierre Leblanc (retired) Former Commander, Joint Task Force North

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Theodore Karasik Adjunct Fellow, Lexington Institute

Alexander Murinson Faculty Member, BAU International University

Adam Lajeunesse Irving Shipbuilding Chair, Arctic Marine Policy at StFX

Whitney Lackenbauer Professor of History and Co-director, Centre on Foreign Policy

Aurel Braun Professor of International Relations and Political Science, University of Toronto

Stephen Blank Senior Fellow for Russia, American Foreign Policy Council