The Northern Climate Observer

The Northern
Climate Observer

A Climate Emergency - Each year the Alaska Federation of Natives holds a convention where thousands of delegates and other participants gather to discuss important social and political issues and to pass resolutions that guide AFN's activities. On Thursday October 17th the convention convened in Fairbanks. The temperature reached a balmy 41 degrees F, about ten degrees above the average. It was at this meeting that a delegation of Alaska Native youth brought forth a resolution proclaiming that a state of climate change disaster has at last arrived. The youth delegates spoke about the impacts on ice conditions, subsistence and their communities. In the words of Quannah Chasing Horse Potts, age 17, "I’m worried for our generation”. The delegates heard the youth, and after some debate, passed the resolution with the establishment of a climate change action leadership task force. You can read about the AFN convention in this edition, about emerging food safety concerns during our record warm summer, and how the people of Newtok have at last begun their exodus to a new home in nearby Mertarvik. Mike Brubaker, Editor

	A Western Alaska village, long threatened by erosion and flooding, begins to relocate Newtok, Alaska, United States Marc Lester / Anchorage Daily News / October 19, 2019 Moving Newtok residents to the new village of Mertarvik has been planned for decades. This month, several families moved into new homes. Read article on Anchorage Daily News
	Pushed by young people, AFN declares a climate emergency Alaska, United States Zachariah Hughes / Alaska Public Media / October 21, 2019 The convention's final day saw a lot of attention on climate change, as well as shortcomings in public safety, and remarks by both U.S. senators. Read article on Alaska Public Media
	Concerned about Safety of Harvested Salmon After Warm Season Golovin, Alaska, United States Carol Oliver / LEO Network / October 16, 2019 Warmer summers in Alaska means that extra precautions are needed to keep fish cool from the time of harvest until it has been processed and put away. Read post on the LEO Network
	The Gulf Of Maine Is Warming, And Its Whales Are Disappearing Gulf of Maine NPR / October 6, 2019 Waters off the coast of Maine are warming faster than 99 percent of the world's oceans. That's forcing whales northward in pursuit of prey, threatening some of their already dwindling populations. Read article on NPR
	Sea urchin explosion decimates kelp forests off Pacific coast Coastal Oregon and California The Associated Press / CBC / October 24, 2019 Similar to what has happened in B.C., tens of millions of voracious purple sea urchins have chomped their way through towering underwater kelp forests in California. Read article on CBC
	500 earthquakes recorded in northeast Öxarfjörður Area, Iceland RÚV / October 21, 2019 An earthquake swarm that started on Saturday night just off the coast in the Öxarfjörður area of northeast Iceland is still going strong. Some 500 quakes have now been registered, including 60 over magnitude 2.0. The epicentre of most of them is around 30 kilometres west-north-west of Kópasker. Read article on RÚV
	Lutselk'e man says he saw a grizzly bear near Yellowknife Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, Canada Avery Zingle / CBC / October 29, 2019 The Department of Environment and Natural Resources says that although it's not typical for grizzlies to live in the Yellowknife area, there are cases in which an animal will leave its normal range. Read article on CBC

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.

Please forward this newsletter or share it on social media. Join the LEO Network to share your own stories of environmental change.

You may subscribe or unsubscribe from this newsletter by clicking here.

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.

Explore Posts

Submit a Post

Directory

About

My LEO

The NorthernClimate Observer

Northern Climate Observer

The Northern
Climate Observer