Long distance from Alaska to Arendalsuka

John Crump

By GRID-Arendal

August 19^th, 2016

A warm meeting room on a sunny late summer day in Arendal seemed an unlikely place for a discussion about the Arctic.

But it was a reminder of what Sturla Henriksen, CEO of the Norwegian Ship Owners’ Association referred to as shared “existential challenges” between Alaska and Norway.

Henriksen was speaking at the USA/Alaska and Norway Roundtable: Fostering a Social and Economic Agenda for the next 20 years which took place in the GRID-Arendal Green Knowledge Centre. It was a wide ranging session that covered energy, transportation, tourism and how to create a “green economy.”

Henriksen opened the discussion by talking about rapid changes now underway in the Arctic. “My five-year-old twin grandchildren will be the first generation to experience an open polar sea,” he said. “The consequences of this are profound.”

The rationale for the meeting is that the changes now underway affect different northern nations in similar ways. And the disappearing Arctic sea ice has implications for the future of the planet.

It wasn’t news to any of the Arctic residents at the event, but it was important for Henriksen to remind the audience that the Arctic is melting due global warming at twice the average rate of the rest of planet. This rapid change has created a lot of discussion about what will happen when the thick, multi-year Arctic sea ice disappears for good. As the ice disappears, the Arctic is increasingly seen as the next resource frontier.

“Economic growth, shipping lanes, access to resources,” Henriksen said. “Vast amounts of oil, gas, timber, minerals, fresh water – everything the growing world will demand more of.”

Nearly 90% of all global trade goes by sea. A polar journey would reduce that trip by one-third, making an ice-free Arctic an attractive potential shipping route. But increased ship traffic through this environmentally sensitive region create nightmare scenarios of uncontrollable oil spills in the long, dark Arctic winter.

Many of these issues are discussed at the eight-nation Arctic Council which includes Norway and the United States. However, a number of speakers emphasized the importance of bilateral relations between Norway and Alaska.

“Norway is an old country, established, mature, diversified,” said Alice Rogoff publisher of the Alaska Dispatch. “When it comes to the Arctic, we are beginners, we are in preschool and you’re all at the college level.”

Alaska is looking for ideas, inspiration, new ways of thinking, Rogoff said. “Alaska has lots to learn from Norway.”

The Arctic has many special challenges, Henriksen said. It’s dark and cold, it has violent storms, not much infrastructure, a sparse population and it’s far from population centres. Its environment is fragile, “as are cultures and livelihoods of Indigenous Peoples.”

Samuel Heins is the U.S. Ambassador to Norway. He said his government wants to see “sustainable, responsible economic development … Development is coming and it must be managed and managed soundly.”

Long distance from Alaska to Arendalsuka

“For Norway most important thing in the Arctic is peace and stability,” said Else Berit Eikeland from the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Eikeland served as the Senior Arctic Official to the Arctic Council for several years and said the success of that body, depends on cooperation.

Nevertheless, she said, there is room for other kinds of discussions. “I formally propose a dialogue between Alaska and Norway.”

With nearly two dozen speakers, it was inevitable there would be a great variety of perspectives brought to the table.

Eirik Sivertsen is with Arbeiderpartiet in the Stortinget (Norwegian Parliament). He’s from northern Norway and he chairs the Standing Committee of the Conference of Arctic Parliamentarians.

“Northerners like Alaskans and Norwegians share similar attitudes and perspectives,” Sivertsen said. “We need to figure out ways to solve energy problems in different parts of the Arctic that are off grid. How could solar be part of the solution – of course not during the dark times of the year – wind, biofuels, etc.?”

Tara Sweeney, Chair Arctic Economic Council and Executive Vice President of External Affairs for Arctic Slope Regional Corporation, saw education as key to the long-term future – “beyond our own kids.”

She said it was important to look beyond resource development and work with networks like the University of the Arctic “to create next generation of tech executives.”

The roundtable was sponsored by Arendalsuka, the Norwegian Parliament, University of the Arctic, High North Center for Business and Governance, Arctic Economic Council-Norway, Institute of the North (Alaska), GRID-Arendal, and Nord University.

The roundtable will be followed by another Arctic event called Arctic Council 20 years of successful cooperation to be held in the Kulturhus on Friday from 15:00 - 16:30.