Sustainable Living in Remote Arctic Communities

IPY 2012: Knowledge to ActionDavid G Malcolm, PhD PEng CMC

Taking IPY Education Outreach and Communication (EOC) to Communities During EOC efforts, it was concluded that “the

public, students, teachers, media, artists and musicians want to be actively engaged in science”

Communicate IPY research to circumpolar communities to aid in sustainable living

Go beyond EOC to apply IPY research results

Human Security in the Arctic: The GAPS Project

Studying the impacts of Oil and Gas Activity on Peoples of the Arctic

Both positive and negative impacts Adaptation to rapid change requires inclusive,

community based processes Effects include increasing homelessness, lack of

mental health services, insufficient support for governance – must be addressed by sustainable living responses

CAVIAR: Community Adaptation and Vulnerability in Arctic Regions

Led by the University of Guelph and CICERO (Center for International Climate and Environmental Research – Oslo)

Broad goal: “to enhance the theory, empirical understanding, and practical application of processes that shape adaptation and vulnerability in communities across the polar region” through community-based vulnerability assessment, which starts with the interests and observations from the communities themselves

Define Sustainable Living: Doing Sustainability! Do those things that

enable individuals, families and communities to live in a healthy and secure lifestyle

Reducing dependency through Innovation and entrepreneurism – both goods and services

Entrepreneurial Sustainable Living is producing goods and services within your community to replace imports – both goods and services (The new ESL!!)

Why “Entrepreneurial”?

To quote Muhammad Yunus of Grameen Bank and father of microcredit and social business: “all human beings are entrepreneurs. No exceptions. No one lacks entrepreneurial capability,” and “we should build another kind of business based on selflessness --- for others, to benefit the world, to solve problems.”

Why “Entrepreneurial”? And further to quote Iqbal Z Quadir, Director

of the Legatum Center for Development and Entrepreneurship at MIT, Cambridge, MA: “A mind-set that low-income countries need help exclusively in policy design and bureaucracy, not in commercial dynamism, maintains an imbalance in education that is increasingly diverging from real-world conditions.”

Reducing Dependencies: Many dependencies: Ten of them will be

mentioned here from Malcolm (2010)1) The energy we use: some hydro, some

natural gas, but mostly diesel electric generation, along with fuel oil for home heating

IPY contributions: primarily through the Arctic Energy Summit, IPY Project #299

Reducing Energy Dependency Core of the Arctic Energy Summit project was the

Arctic Energy Technology Conference, Anchorage, Alaska, October 2007: http://www.institutenorth.org/programs/arctic-advocacy-infrastructure/arctic-energy-network/2007-arctic-energy-summit1/

Principle sessions on Renewable and Rural Energy and Environmental, Socio-Economic and Sustainability Impacts, as well as Extractive Energy Development (oil, gas, coal bed methane, gas hydrates, coal)

Reducing Dependencies:2) Climate change impacts and adaptation:

infrastructure, flooding, health and safety, wildlife habitat

IPY contributions: many contributions under such major efforts as CAVIAR. Also refer to a report entitled NWT IPY Results Conference Inuvik January 2011: http://ipy.nwtresearch.com/Documents/IPY_Conference_Report.pdf and the Arctic Report Card Update for 2011: http://www.arctic.noaa.gov/reportcard/press_conf/ARC2011_finalvisuals.pdf

Reducing Dependencies:

3) Health and wellness: climate warming impacts, lack of trained health practitioners

IPY contributions: GAPS, CAVIAR, and the NWT IPY Results Conference, Inuvik, January 2011: http://ipy.nwtresearch.com/Documents/IPY_Conference_Report.pdf

Reducing Dependencies:4) Education: curricula and teachers are

imported from southern locations IPY contributions: A considerable number of

curriculum components were created during the EOC efforts of the IPY science projects, as discussed in the report at http://library.arcticportal.org/1484/1/ICSU_IPY_EOC_Report_2011.pdf . Teacher training is also discussed in this report.

Reducing Dependencies:5) Employment: Northern businesses must

currently attract skilled workers and many professionals from the south

IPY contributions: Training leading to skills for community residents are discussed in the EOC report of the previous slide, as well as in the Arctic Energy Summit reports mentioned previously in the discussion of energy dependency

Reducing Dependencies:6) Housing: currently manufactured in the south

to southern codes of design and construction IPY contributions: The Cold Climate Housing

Research Center at University of Alaska Fairbanks has carried out housing research during IPY. Also refer to the 2009 report of the National Round Table on the Environment and the Economy (NRTEE): True North: Adapting Infrastructure to Climate Change in Northern Canada

Reducing Dependencies:7) Transportation: road and air transportation

links with the south for the import of most retail goods, fuel, and commodities

IPY contributions: No direct contributions of IPY research have been noted. However airship research has been carried out independently for Arctic applications that are near economic viability with lower greenhouse gas emissions: http://www.airshipstothearctic.com/

Reducing Dependencies:8) Ecology and environment: dependent upon climate

warming that is primarily caused by southern influences

IPY contributions: Research is noted throughout the major groups of IPY research, such as CAVIAR, GAPS, and Education Outreach and Communication, regarding environmental and ecological impacts of climate warming. Also see: http://ipy.nwtresearch.com/Documents/IPY_Conference_Report.pdf

Reducing Dependencies:9) Policy and governance: often dictated by federal

departments and agencies far removed from the North without inclusion and consultation of northerners

IPY contributions: Discussion on governance as it relates to research and communities was discussed at the NWT IPY Results Conference in January 2011. Also see other work on governance issues by Irlbacher-Fox (2009): http://findingdahshaa.ca/

Reducing Dependencies:10) Appropriate technologies: current technologies in

communications, transportation, infrastructure, construction, and renewable energy usually developed in the south for less remote and more temperate climates

IPY contributions: The Cold Climate Housing Research Center and the Arctic Energy Summit, both at the University of Alaska Fairbanks, showcased many technology innovations and research projects

Inuit Experience

Mark Anielski in The Economics of Happiness, p95: “The Inuit have long understood that the strength of their communities depends on the capacities of one or more individuals to be a good hunter, a good singer, a good healer, a good storyteller and a good builder of igloos, dog sleds or utensils. All skills are needed to flourish and to be self-sufficient.”

Further Reading and References: Malcolm (2010) in Pimatisiwin:

http://www.pimatisiwin.com/online/?page_id=730 NWT IPY Results Conference, Inuvik, January

2011: http://ipy.nwtresearch.com/Documents/IPY_Conference_Report.pdf

Participation through eSustainablePlanet.com website: www.eSustainablePlanet.com