The Northern Climate Observer

The Northern
Climate Observer

River Awakenings Northerners who live along rivers spend a lot of time talking about ice conditions and the breakup we may expect. Everyone enjoys a dramatic river show, but not the flooding that can happen when an ice jam or glacial Jökulhlaup occurs. Here in Alaska the southern rivers are mostly open, and the Arctic rivers are mostly frozen. A lot could happen in the next week. In the Northwest Territories, a lot has happened in the past week, especially for communities along the Mackenzie River in the South Slave and Dehcho regions. Flooding has forced evacuations in Fort Simpson and Jean Marie River. You can read about this event and see aerial footage of Fort Simpson taken on May 11th. From the Resilence Desk, see the story about the transition in Old Crow, from diesel to renewables, and how the new solar farm is generating pride and hope. Mike Brubaker - Editor

	'The people are fine. Our little community is not': Communities deal with flooding along Mackenzie River Jean Marie River, Northwest Territories, Canada CBC / May 8, 2021 CBC News hasn't been able to reach people in Jean Marie River on Saturday, but Paul Simon was able to find cell phone service on a drive and posted photos of the flood waters on social media. Read article on CBC
	Vuntut Gwitchin First Nation's solar farm now generating electricity Old Crow, Yukon, Canada Julien Gignac / CBC / There will be something noticeably different in Old Crow, Yukon in a few months. The hum of diesel engines will be gone, as the community's solar farm is now generating power. "The symbolism in shutting down those generators will be, we're becoming more sustainable and we're becoming more self-sufficient like our ancestors were," said Brandon Kyikavichik, the First Nation's heritage interpreter. Read article on CBC
	Landslides deemed "significant" but pose no danger to village in Arctic Quebec Kuujjuarapik, Quebec, Canada Eye on the Arctic / April 26, 2021 Two landslides near the village of Kuujjuaraapik in Arctic Quebec have been deemed "significant" by authorities but pose no immediate danger to the community. The events happened on Thursday and affected a thick clay soil zone near the village. Read article on Eye on the Arctic
	300 reindeer found dead in Kamchatka Tigil’, Kamtsjatka, Russia Alena Gerasimova / Reindeerherding.org / April 28, 2021 Because of the changeable weather an ice crust arose on the snow and reindeer could not get food on their own. Reindeer herders fed the main herd with compound feed. The dead reindeer, most likely, have strayed from the main herd. Read article on Reindeerherding.org
	Brush Fires Break Out in Bone Dry Capital Area Reykjavík, Capital, Iceland Iceland Review / May 10, 2021 Firefighters put out brush fires in Hafnarfjörður and Reykjavík May 9th, while police responded to several other reports of open flames.Weather has been unseasonably dry in Iceland’s capital area in recent weeks and in other parts of the country. Read article on Iceland Review
	European Green Crab: Will they be the next aquatic invasive species in Alaska? Ketchikan, Alaska, United States Tammy Davis / Alaska Department of Fish and Game / As ocean temperatures trend warmer than average, green crab larvae dispersed in ocean currents from more southern latitudes will find more suitable habitat along the Alaska coast. Recently, adult green crabs have been detected in Skidegate Inlet on Haida Gwaii, British Columbia, and larval crabs have been found in Prince Rupert, both less than 100 miles south of Ketchikan. Read article on Alaska Department of Fish and Game

The Northern Climate Observer is published by the Center for Climate and Health. We track news coverage from across the circumpolar north and provide readers with a curated roundup of climate change related events. Thank you for reading our newsletter and for paying attention to our changing world.

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Northern Climate Observer

The Northern Climate Observer is published weekly by the Center for Climate and Health. We track news from across the circumpolar north and provide readers with a curated roundup of climate change related events.

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Northern Climate Observer

The Northern
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