Background Articles

Otto Florschutz, a candidate in the 2022 U.S. House special election, was found dead following a landslide in Wrangell, Alaska, that also claimed the lives of four members of the Heller family.

The Inuit Circumpolar Council is advocating for a greater role in international climate discussions, highlighting the severe climate impacts in the Arctic and seeking access to global climate funds.

More than a dozen states, including several in the Pacific Northwest, are reporting outbreaks of a new respiratory illness. There have also been increases in canine respiratory illness cases at a clinic in Southeast Alaska and another in Southcentral, but there’s no indication yet if those were due to the mystery illness.

Health officials in Sanikiluaq, Hudson Bay, warn against consuming fermented meat due to a suspected botulism outbreak and urge vigilance for related symptoms.

Alaska's chief veterinarian warns of a mysterious respiratory illness affecting dogs in the Lower 48 and advises local pet owners to take precautions.

Experts argue that transforming food systems through structural changes, Indigenous knowledge, and data sharing is essential for long-term food security and sustainable development.

Alaska experts are grappling with the challenge of controlling the highly invasive Japanese knotweed, which is resistant to conventional eradication methods and threatens local ecosystems.

The Little Diomede school is closed indefinitely after a collapsing city building, with rotted stilts, leaned on it, causing no injuries but prompting a switch to video conference classes and relocation of teachers.

Steller sea lions are the most affected by human activities in Alaska, leading to hundreds of deaths, primarily due to entanglement in fishing gear.

Siberian reindeer herders and scientists are working together to figure out how to predict rain-on-snow events that turn tundra into deadly ice.

Anchorage faces record snowfalls and plowing challenges, raising concerns about its preparedness for future extreme precipitation events linked to climate change.

Due to declining salmon returns, Russia may halt commercial salmon fisheries next year to protect the species. This drastic reduction has raised concerns about the sustainability of the fisheries and the need for conservation measures. The situation is so dire that the salmon catch in 2021 was the lowest in the last 16 years, and projections for the 2024-2026 period suggest a continued downward trend.

Northern states are implementing measures to prevent the spread of invasive "super pigs" from Canada, which are a crossbreed of wild boar and domestic swine, causing significant ecological and agricultural damage.

The world surpassed the 2-degree warming threshold for the first time, signaling an urgent need to address greenhouse gas emissions as climate impacts worsen.

Alaska communities are facing significant challenges due to climate change, including the disappearance of snow crabs, threats to subsistence hunting and fishing, and difficulties in processing and storing food, but some communities are taking action and developing local climate adaptation plans with the support of funding and collaboration between different governments and agencies.

Residents in Western Alaska are experiencing a salmon crisis that is not only affecting their physical health due to the lack of exercise from salmon harvesting, but also their mental health and cultural well-being, as salmon harvesting is seen as a vital part of their way of life and recovery from substance abuse.

Wolves in Katmai, Alaska, have been observed hunting sea otters and seals, suggesting a significant ecological link between land and marine life.

Four unsheltered people, two of whom were in wheelchairs, have died outdoors in Anchorage over the past week as winter weather hits the city, highlighting the ongoing issue of homelessness and the need for preventative measures.

An emergency phase has been declared and the town of Grindavík in Iceland has been evacuated due to increased volcanic activity and damage from earthquakes, with residents being urged to seek safety in emergency relief centers.

An extreme outbreak of salmon lice in Iceland has resulted in an average of 96 lice found on each salmon, causing outrage and protests against Norwegian fish farming companies.