Our North - SSE Policy Update Megathread

[GR66]

In terms of food security - it is probably easier to transfer the skills necessary to raise caribou and ptarmigan so that the locals can eat the meat their bodies are designed for than it is to teach their bodies how to eat Coco Puffs.

Importing, or even cultivating, carbohydrates that the caribou, the geese and ptarmigan, or even some fish can exploit and convert into food that the Inuit need, to my mind, makes a lot of sense.

There is a lot of literature and practical knowledge available on domesticating animals like elk, reindeer, deer generally, geese, ducks, salmon and sheep. The musk ox is just a really big sheep.

Keep in mind that most Northern communities have extremely small populations. In Nunavut for example where the total population in the almost 2 million square km territory is just 41,000, Iqaluit has about 7,500 people and nothing else is over 3,000 people. If you're talking about significantly increasing infrastructure and resource extraction, etc. in the territory you're likely to see the population expand greatly...and these new people will primarily be Southerners who will have little interest in eating Inuit Country Foods.

 

[Kirkhill]

Keep in mind that most Northern communities have extremely small populations. In Nunavut for example where the total population in the almost 2 million square km territory is just 41,000, Iqaluit has about 7,500 people and nothing else is over 3,000 people. If you're talking about significantly increasing infrastructure and resource extraction, etc. in the territory you're likely to see the population expand greatly...and these new people will primarily be Southerners who will have little interest in eating Inuit Country Foods.

I agree. How many southern immigrants will the northern culture tolerate?

In the meantime two things are happening to the Inuit that echo historical trends.

1. The Inuit population is becoming more sedentary - they have to bring food to town rather than follow the food
2. The Inuit population is expanding - more people have to be supplied with food

And thus the conversion of the nomadic hunter to the farmer (skipping the nomadic pastoralist step).

 

[daftandbarmy]

Curious....how many young Inuit want to eat the same diet as their grandparents did? Might want to ask that question before you go and start dictating their menu choices. Genetic research is one thing...personal choice is another.

As I recall, the 'Northern stores' offered a pretty wide selection of Muktuk and other native meats. The local villages were also decorated with hundreds of drying arctic char hanging on lines, animal skins, and butchered seal and other game.

I'm thinking their traditional food choices aren't going to change much.

 

[Furniture]

As I recall, the 'Northern stores' offered a pretty wide selection of Muktuk and other native meats. The local villages were also decorated with hundreds of drying arctic char hanging on lines, animal skins, and butchered seal and other game.

I'm thinking their traditional food choices aren't going to change much.

I think that the trends of young people moving out of the small communities runs counter to that narrative. In Ontario the Inuit population went from 100 in 1987 to over 3800 in 2017.

I suspect that the young Inuit aren't that much different from the rest of us, and want to enjoy the modern world and experience new things. I know I'd be pretty annoyed if a bunch of people in Ontario tried to force me to eat and live the same way my grandparents did back on PEI in the 1950s.

 

[dimsum]

I think that the trends of young people moving out of the small communities runs counter to that narrative. In Ontario the Inuit population went from 100 in 1987 to over 3800 in 2017.

I suspect that the young Inuit aren't that much different from the rest of us, and want to enjoy the modern world and experience new things. I know I'd be pretty annoyed if a bunch of people in Ontario tried to force me to eat and live the same way my grandparents did back on PEI in the 1950s.

I can’t remember which documentary I was watching, but what struck me was that the Inuit family in that episode was eating muktuk with soy sauce.

So while yes, it’s not a bad thing to know about traditional foods and methods, it’s not always “better back in the day”.

 

[dapaterson]

I think that the trends of young people moving out of the small communities runs counter to that narrative. In Ontario the Inuit population went from 100 in 1987 to over 3800 in 2017.

I suspect that the young Inuit aren't that much different from the rest of us, and want to enjoy the modern world and experience new things. I know I'd be pretty annoyed if a bunch of people in Ontario tried to force me to eat and live the same way my grandparents did back on PEI in the 1950s.

You don't look good in a red wig?

 

[lenaitch]

or even dwellings.

Yup. We should suggest that to them. That'll make us popular.

 

[daftandbarmy]

I can’t remember which documentary I was watching, but what struck me was that the Inuit family in that episode was eating muktuk with soy sauce.

So while yes, it’s not a bad thing to know about traditional foods and methods, it’s not always “better back in the day”.

There are pros and cons, of course:

Inuit cuisine​

Traditional Inuit diets derive approximately 50% of their calories from fat, 30–35% from protein and 15–20% of their calories from carbohydrates, largely in the form of glycogen from the raw meat they consumed. This high fat content provides valuable energy and prevents protein poisoning, which historically was sometimes a problem in late winter when game animals grew lean through winter starvation. It has been suggested that because the fats of the Inuit's wild-caught game are largely monounsaturated and rich in omega-3 fatty acids, the diet does not pose the same health risks as a typical Western high-fat diet. However, actual evidence has shown that Inuit have a similar prevalence of coronary artery disease as non-Inuit populations and they have excessive mortality due to cerebrovascular strokes, with twice the risk to that of the North American population. Indeed, the cardiovascular risk of this diet is so severe that the addition of a more standard American diet has reduced the incidence of mortality in the Inuit population. Furthermore, fish oil supplement studies have failed to support claims of preventing heart attacks or strokes.

Inuit cuisine - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[Underway]

Arctic policy update with CDA.

Overall good work to develop an appropriate Arctic policy, keep working on those negotiations and building relationships. This is a win for the Government of Canada. Now to fund and follow through.

 

[Kirkhill]

US "democratizing" military intelligence

'Never been done': Army to test out new integrated data layer on classified networks at Convergence - Breaking Defense

"We're pulling live data and then integrating it in all the different warfighting functions. So it's a pretty big, pretty big push,” Col. Matt Skaggs told Breaking Defense.

breakingdefense.com

US and Norway resolving High Arctic comms issues.

Eyes on the High North | Northrop Grumman

The remote, isolated Arctic gives the phrase “going dark” a whole new meaning.

www.northropgrumman.com

....

How are Canada's projects progressing?

Full spectrum communications in the Arctic - Canada.ca

The full spectrum communications in the Arctic challenge is seeking solutions to support and command when engaged in domestic and continental defence, security, and safety missions in the Arctic. This page includes all details regarding the specific challenge.

www.canada.ca

Enhanced Satellite Communication Project - Polar - Defence Capabilities Blueprint

Enhanced Satellite Communication Project - Polar - Defence Capabilities Blueprint

apps.forces.gc.ca

 

[Kirkhill]

More interest in the Arctic - the Arctic as a bargaining chip in Great Powers Competition
Allowing Russia and China to develop Arctic sea lanes in exchange for peace in Ukraine.

A. I don't like the thought of rewarding bad behaviour.
B. I don't like the thought of our interest in the Arctic being diluted by it becoming a United Nations issue, potentially.

Trump can leverage the Arctic to end Ukraine War

Russia and China want to trade in the Northern Sea Route. Consider it a bargaining chip that could benefit the West, too.

responsiblestatecraft.org

PS Responsible Statecraft I find to be almost always irresponsible. Not the first time it has published pro-Russian and Chinese articles.

....

Breaking the Naval Impasse on the U.S. Icebreaker Program | Center for International Maritime Security

cimsec.org

The Arctic, after all, is no longer just vast icebergs floating around like sentinels of death, surrounded by silence more oppressive than its cold—it is now a major geopolitical prize in the Great Power Competition between the United States, China, and Russia.

The Arctic has relevance to every facet of this struggle. Energy? The U.S. Geological Survey estimates that one-eighth of the world’s untapped oil reserves and one-third of its natural gas reserves lie in the Arctic. Trade? The Arctic’s three trade routes—the Northwest Passage (above Canada), the Northern Sea Route (above Russia), and the Central Arctic Route (between Iceland and the Bering Strait, through the North Pole)—will soon subsume a substantial share of shipping, by some accounts five percent of global maritime traffic in 2030 and with no sign of slowing down. Political-military risk? The Russian Navy’s elite Northern Fleet recently expanded its area-of-responsibility specifically to secure the Northern Sea Route, and China proclaimed itself a “near Arctic” state as it begins to establish a “Polar Silk Road” of influence and commerce in the region (“near” does a lot of work there). In fact, China and Russia are cooperating in the Arctic, as evidenced by their joint naval patrol near the U.S. Aleutian Islands in 2023.

The argument for Harry de Wolf.

The Great Power Competition in the Arctic will be won with icebreakers—highly specialized naval vessels capable of slicing directly through polar ice that would crush traditional ships and withstanding “storms that can ice over superstructures until ships become so top-heavy they capsize.” Currently, complete exploration, shipping, and patrol of the Arctic is impossible without them.

without an active icebreaker presence in the Arctic, the Navy is voluntarily denying itself full access to the Arctic leaving gaps for its adversaries—namely Russia and China, to aggressively expand and militarize their icebreaker presence.

“the navy of a superpower (any power) that aspires to protect commerce and international order globally has no responsible choice other than to pursue excellence virtually wherever military science takes it, however serendipitously.” Russia and China are actively moving the Great Power Competition to the Arctic: Russia is arming its icebreakers with anti-ship weapons and cruise missiles, both nations are regularly patrolling the Arctic seas with icebreakers, and heavily investing in nuclear technology for these vessels. While icebreakers are certainly necessary for the Coast Guard’s missions—including search and rescue, navigation, environmental protection, interdiction, and ice operations—Russia and China have embraced icebreakers as dual-use assets that squarely address the Navy’s purpose. Moreover, the Navy and Air Force’s existing submarine and aircraft presence in the Arctic is inadequate for the Great Power Competition. Submarines and aircraft alone cannot “clear a path for critical shipping, respond to oil spills, or conduct maritime safety and security boardings in the U.S. Arctic”—let alone accomplish more strategic goals of sea control and power projection in the region.

....

This summer, the United States recently signed the ICE Pact with Finland and Canada to build seventy to ninety new icebreakers over the next decade. While this agreement will help expand America’s icebreaker fleet, it relies on Finland—which can build a polar-class vessel in two years at just 25 percent of the cost of in America (or Canada?) —to handle construction. This outsourcing is, frankly, an embarrassment.

Aker Arctic | The Ice Technology Partner

Aker Arctic is a private company that develops designs and related solutions powered by state-of-art technology. Our goal is to help customers better succeed in the world´s ice covered regions.

akerarctic.fi

Aker Arctic - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

STX Finland - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Curiously Aker is related to Seaspan, the Svalbard and thus the HdW, the Finnish Double Acting Tankers, Kvaerner and STX which had Korean interests that assisted Seaspan in upgrading their yards. The Aker shipyard in Philadelphia has also just been sold to Hanwha, supplier of submarines to the RCN, potentially.

Hanwha closes $100M deal to take over Philly Shipyard - Breaking Defense

The deal is part of a series of aggressive moves Hanwha has taken to solidify its presence in the American defense industrial base this year.

breakingdefense.com

 

[Colin Parkinson]

Part of the reason the Arctic was inhospitable to ships, was due to the size and horsepower of previous ships. It really was not till the 1960's that you saw really powerful icebreakers that could operate much later in the season. Even now using the PC ice class rating, there is 1x PC2 (with 4 more planned, 2 Canadian) and no PC1 icebreakers. There are only 8x PC3. There are 7x PC 4 with Canada planning 16 more.

 

[Maxman1]

Part of the reason the Arctic was inhospitable to ships, was due to the size and horsepower of previous ships. It really was not till the 1960's that you saw really powerful icebreakers that could operate much later in the season. Even now using the PC ice class rating, there is 1x PC2 (with 4 more planned, 2 Canadian) and no PC1 icebreakers. There are only 8x PC3. There are 7x PC 4 with Canada planning 16 more.

"Something something something slushbreaker something something 25mm"

 

[calculus]

"Something something something slushbreaker something something 25mm"

Not sure how you would categorize the "slushbreakers". PC5+ perhaps (PC5 hull, PC4 bow).

 

[Colin Parkinson]

I like the find the person who came up with that and kick them in the balls. They are the equivalent to the CCG 1100 class light icebreakers and their Ice Class puts them just into the higher 50% of icebreakers. There are a number of things to be critical of, but certainly not their ice capability.

 

[Underway]

I like the find the person who came up with that and kick them in the balls. They are the equivalent to the CCG 1100 class light icebreakers and their Ice Class puts them just into the higher 50% of icebreakers. There are a number of things to be critical of, but certainly not their ice capability.

Senator Hugh Segal was the first to use the term IIRC in a Defense Sentate Committee Meeting. But it was quickly popularized by Michael Byers in a Globe and Mail ariticle and then used all over the media.

 

[Kirkhill]

Russia concerned about unfriendly, anti-Russian, countries militarizing the arctic...

Risks of Military Confrontation in Arctic Increasing, Say U.S. and Russian Officials - USNI News

The Arctic is “where the confrontation of the world’s leading states is unfolding,” the head of the Russian Navy said at a recent forum in St. Petersburg where regional cooperation had traditionally dominated the agenda. “In addition to political and economic measures to contain Russia in the...

news.usni.org

the build-up along the sea route and Arctic Zone as an update of the Soviet’s “Bastion” strategy.

“Bastion is a multi-domain, multilayered ‘protective dome’ of air defense, sea denial, coastal defense systems, and domain awareness capabilities located along critical choke points of the [Russian Arctic Zone]. It aims to heavily deny adversary military operations and degrade the operating environment at sea, in the air, and in the electromagnetic spectrum.”

At the Navy League event, Caudle said Beijing’s continuing need for minerals, natural gas and oil to sustain its manufacturing sector explains China’s immediate Arctic economic goals with Russia. “They want their fair share” of those resources.

On the military and constabulary side, Caudle added the Chinese and Russian navies have conducted joint operations and Beijing’s Coast Guard and Moscow’s Border Guard have also patrolled together in northern waters.

Caudle, speaking as the component commander for Northern Command, said, “my goal is for the Navy to have a footprint there” with the capabilities to operate in a region where navigation systems are under stress and communications difficult.

He added, “we have a team up there” to contain Russian’s Arctic ambitions. He was referring to allies like the United Kingdom, Norway, Sweden and Finland. He specifically mentioned the Harry S. Truman carrier strike group conducting joint operations with Royal Navy carrier strike groups in October in the North Sea as an example of regional allied cooperation

“We want to do things on the surface,” not just with submarines in the Arctic and northern waters. Caudle added, “I’m all behind” the recently signed memorandum of understanding between the United States, Canada and Finland to build icebreakers. Called ICE Pact, “what I would like to see is them delivered” to demonstrate year-round presence.

The United States Coast Guard in its first posture statement, released this year, called for eight U.S. icebreakers. The service in its 2023 force mix analysis identified the need for eight or nine, Lt. Krystal Wolfe, a Coast Guard spokesman said. Four years ago, Congress authorized six with some funding for three. The United States has two operational icebreakers now.

...

Related - China as a near arctic state

 

[Kirkhill]

https://www.realcleardefense.com/2024/12/30/americas_case_for_greenland_1081470.html

As global competition intensifies and the Arctic emerges as a critical geopolitical battleground, the United States must assert greater control over Greenland to safeguard its national security interests.

President-elect Trump’s vision of American ownership of Greenland is not merely a whimsical notion; it is grounded in the historical and legal framework established by the 1951 Defense of Greenland Agreement. This agreement empowers the U.S. to significantly influence and potentially control this strategically vital territory, making a compelling case for action that Congress and diplomats cannot ignore.

The article lays out the US case for greater involvement in Greenland and the Arctic generally. The arguments apply equally to Canada's arctic. Especially the bits about US investing to thwart other foreigners if the locals won't.

Shortly after the end of World War II, Charles J. Hubbard of the United States Weather Bureau aroused interest in the United States and Canada for the establishment of a network of Arctic stations. His plan, in broad perspective, envisaged the establishment of two main stations, one in Greenland and the other on the archipelago, which could be reached by sea supply. These main stations would then serve as advance bases from which a number of smaller stations would be established by air. The immediate plans contemplated the establishment of weather stations only, but it was thought that a system of weather stations would also provide a nucleus of transportation, communications, and settlements, which would greatly aid programs of research in many other fields of science. It was recognized that ultimate action would depend on international cooperation, since the land masses involved were under Canadian and Danish control.

Following negotiations between the United States and Canadian governments, a group of five weather stations was established, known as the Joint Arctic Weather Stations (JAWS). On the Canadian side, the stations were to be operated by the Department of Transport (DOT). The locations for each station were surveyed in 1946, and a cache of supplies was dropped at Alert in 1948 by USS Edisto. Alert was the last of the five to be settled when the first twelve personnel (eight permanent staff and four to assist with construction) arrived on April 9, 1950 Construction began immediately, with the first priority being the creation of an ice runway on Alert Inlet before work began on the permanent all-season runway on Cape Belknap. Until its completion, supplies were parachuted in.

Alert, Nunavut - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Occupation of Denmark by German - April 9, 1940
Occupation of Iceland by Britain - April, 1940
Argentia - 1940
Occupation of Iceland by the US - July 7, 1941
Kuujjuaq - 1941
Iqaluit (Frobisher) - 1942
Pituffik (Thule) - 1943
Resolute - 1947
Eureka - 1947
Isachsen - 1948
Mould Bay - 1948
Alert - April 9, 1950
Defense of Greenland Agreement - 1951
Defense of Iceland Agreement - 1951.....

Time passes

Joint Expeditionary Force - 2014 (concurrent with the NATO 2% pledge)

The JEF is not part of NATO but it does intend to complement it. At a summit in October 2023 JEF leaders outlined this relationship as follows:

For all JEF Participant Nations, NATO is the foundation of collective security in the Euro-Atlantic area. The JEF, from its inception, has been designed to complement both NATO and Participant Nations’ own response capabilities. The JEF needs to be ready to respond in scenarios ranging from below the threshold of NATO’s Article 5 through to full-spectrum interventions during times of crisis or conflict, operating seamlessly with NATO.

https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/research-briefings/cbp-10074/

The UK leads an alliance with Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Norway and Sweden.
The alliance is committed to Ukraine and to Poland.
Their primary area of interest is the Baltic Sea, the North Atlantic and the High North, in other words overlapping interests with both Canada and the US



Committed to real time current hybrid warfare engagement with Russia - (sabotage, violence, cyber and electronic interference, disinformation etc all to be countered). US Multi-Domain Task Force established that also aims to counter these threats.



UK, Denmark, Sweden, Finland, Poland and Estonia to challenge and board Shadow Fleet Vessels for insurance verification. Russian vessels definitely but, possibly, also enablers (DPRK, Belarus, Iran and China are named separately in paragraph 3.



Reiteration of defence commitment above 2% of GDP with some actively calling for 5% (not just The Donald).



In March Denmark announced an immediate spending boost and a 10 year plan to get to 2%. That has been superceded by the December 17, 2024 commitment.

https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/denmark-boost-defence-by-59-bln-over-next-five-years-2024-03-13/

Denmark to revamp defence plan agreed just 8 months ago

Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen admits April coalition deal will have to be changed

www.ft.com

Special emphasis on defence industries.




Reiteration of the transatlantic nature of NATO and JEF's role within it.






....

Our arctic interests need to be asserted. Strongly. Other wise other will manage those interests for us.

 

[Kirkhill]

The view from the other side

Starmer visits British-NATO troops in Estonia, pushes war agenda

Starmer has made 16 international trips since Labour formed a government in July, with the most common reason being to escalate the imperialist-backed war against Russia.

www.wsws.org

Starmer visits British-NATO troops in Estonia, pushes war agenda​

Thomas Scripps​

https://www.wsws.org/en/authors/Thomas-Scripps

Starmer has made 16 international trips since Labour formed a government in July—more than any of his predecessors in the same timeframe—spending more than six working weeks out of the country. The most common reason for Britain’s Member of Parliament for NATO’s trips is to escalate the imperialist-backed war in Ukraine against Russia.

Speaking at the summit, Estonian Defence Minister Hanno Pevkur told the media, “My main message is that paying 2 percent of GDP [spent on the military] to secure the peace is not very much. We don’t have time to wait to go up to 3 percent or even to 2.5 percent. We need to do it immediately… it should be at least 5 percent”.

Starmer responded, “Not many people in the UK are keen on their taxes going up again and they are right about that. Nor are they very keen on having their public services cut. So there’s no point pretending that this isn’t a real debate.

“But the first duty of government is obviously national security, to keep our people safe. And that is why defence spending, NATO, working with our allies and JEF is so important.”

 

[Kirkhill]

China and Russia plotting military stranglehold on Arctic, warns Pentagon​

Growing naval cooperation between two nations in waters north of Alaska may mean US increases its own patrols

Tony DiverUS Editor, in Washington
Related Topics

• Arctic,
• China,
• Russia,
• US Navy

05 December 2024 10:53pm GMT

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China is increasingly turning its attention to the Arctic as warmer temperatures open up new shipping routes Credit: Xinhua News Agency via Getty
China is working with Russia to increase its presence in the Arctic and could pose a threat to the US from the north, the Pentagon has warned.

A senior Department of Defense official said on Thursday that new “military cooperation” between Russia and China north of Alaska could see the US hold more military drills as a deterrent.

Iris Ferguson, the deputy assistant secretary of defense, raised the alarm over increased cooperation between Russia and China’s coastguards and a joint bomber patrol off the coast of Alaska in July.

She told an audience at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington that China was “one of the newer entrants on the scene” but was likely to expand its presence in the coming years.

“Over time, the strategic interests that they have in the region are … giving us pause,” she said.

“We’ve long had exercises that operate in the region, but we’re really looking at how we can use those as a deterrent effect, working alongside our allies and partners.”

The US has always been concerned about the proximity of Alaska to Russia, with just 55 miles separating the two territories at the narrowest point of the Bering Strait.

In September, the US Army increased the size of its deployment on the Aleuthian islands, which span the Bering Sea, and sent a High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (Himars) unit.

Officials said the move was a “force projection operation” to deter increased military activity from Russia and China near US territory.

Ms Ferguson said the US was aware of new military cooperation between Russia and China in the region, spurred by the war in Ukraine and also climate change, which has opened up more of the Arctic for military deployments.

Protecting interests​

“This kind of increasing level of military cooperation is new,” she said. “Certainly, it’s new within and around Alaska.”

“We really just need to be clear-eyed about some of their intentions and how we can be like thinking about their long-term interests and how we can best protect ours.”

Although China does not neighbour the Arctic, rising temperatures in the region have opened up economic opportunities for Beijing, including new shipping routes.

The US and Nato allies conduct regular joint operations in the Arctic, known to the alliance as the “High North” to practise operating in cold conditions and to deter Russian aggression.

The Pentagon’s Arctic strategy, published earlier this year, warned that the Arctic was “becoming a venue for strategic competition,” arguing that the US “must stand ready to meet the challenge”.

It warned that China operates three icebreakers in the region, which serve a “dual civil-military” purpose and have been used to test underwater drones and aircraft that can operate in Arctic conditions.

Chinese Navy vessels have also conducted exercises with the Russian fleet “over the last several years”, it said.