The U.S. Interior Department on Wednesday granted Royal Dutch Shell two final permits to explore for crude in the Arctic this summer, but said the company cannot drill into the oil zone until required emergency equipment arrives in the region.
Alaska Senator Lisa Murkowski introduced this month the bipartisan Icebreaker Recapitalization Act with Washington Senator Maria Cantwell that would authorize the U.S. Navy to construct up to 6 heavy icebreakers. The new icebreakers would be designed and operated by the Coast Guard, since under US law it is the sole service responsible for icebreaking missions.
Research icebreaker Polarstern left its home port in Bremerhaven on Tuesday setting a course for the Arctic. Led by Dr Ilka Peeken from the Alfred Wegener Institute, Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research (AWI) a team of 53 researchers from 11 countries will investigate the effects of climate change in the Arctic, from the surface ice floes down to the seafloor
The International Maritime Organization (IMO) has adopted the Polar Code aimed at regulating shipping in Polar Regions. Several environmental groups have criticized the measures for not going far enough to protect the Arctic and Antarctic environments, arguing that while the new code is a positive step forward, it is insufficient to properly protect Polar environments from the anticipated increased levels of shipping activity.
The Association of Arctic Expedition Cruise Operators (AECO) and the International Association for Antarctica Tour Operators (IAATO), in cooperation with Lindblad Expeditions, have found a way for cruise operators to share years of depth soundings from the Arctic and Antarctica.
Finland-based Arctech Helsinki Shipyard has been contracted to build three icebreaking stand-by vessels for Russian shipping company Sovcomflot, for a total cost of 380 million dollars.
The British government will fund a new £200 million polar research ship to put UK scientists at the forefront of climate and ocean research in both Antarctica and the Arctic, Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne announced on Friday in a speech.
Gazprom has started producing oil from the Prirazlomnoye field, which is the first Russian project for developing the Arctic shelf and the commencement of their large-scale activities aimed at creating a large hydrocarbon production center in the region, according to the company.
The United Kingdom government set out its approach and policy on the Arctic in a paper released on Thursday and titled: Arctic Policy Framework - Adapting To Change: UK policy towards the Arctic.
After becoming the first cruise operator to implement a brand new social media tracking service on their remote voyages to Antarctica and the Arctic earlier this year, Aurora Expeditions has now taken home an award at the 2013 TRAVEL + LEISURE SMITTY (Social Media in Travel and Tourism) Awards.