The Northern Climate Observer

The Northern
Climate Observer

Enjoying the Green Air - The first leaves are dropping from the birch trees and the last fireweed flowers are blooming. Signs that summer is winding down in Southcentral Alaska. The weather is mild and a stretch of rain across the State has calmed the wildfires and brought back the good air, as signaled by the green dots across the Purple Air Map. We are big fans of Purple Air at LEO Network, and have been working, with the help of local LEO members, to expand the use of these direct reading air quality sensors across Alaska. Until recently the only air monitoring equipment in Alaska was a few large stations located (mostly) in urban centers. In the past five years, however, the use of these devices has exploded. The EPA is supporting the use of low cost air monitoring devices to improve air quality monitoring. We see the opportunity for expanding a network of air sensors across Alaska in the coming year, with funding from EPA and support from the statewide network or Tribal air quality programs. We hope this will help us to have a better measure for environmental health locally, but also improve our regional understanding of large-scale events like transboundary dust storms, wildfires and volcanic eruptions. We are also excited by the opportunity to have a better view of what is happening in neighboring regions, and across the north. Looking at the Purple Air map, we take stock that at least for this day in the first week of August, the sensors for Alaska, Northern Canada, Greenland, Iceland and Scandinavia are mostly green. Russia remains mostly behind a purple curtain. There are only two sensors online in Russia, one in Moscow and one in Nadym, a town in the northern region of Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug, where the air quality is currently in the red zone. Otherwise, in many northern towns, it is a good time to get outside, count our blessings, and enjoy these green air days of summer. Mike Brubaker, Editor

	Evidence of invasive crab that could wreak havoc on Alaska fisheries found near Metlakatla Metlakatla, Alaska, United States Alaska Public Media / July 25, 2022 The European Green Crab are a threat to ecosystems and commercial fisheries. They uproot eelgrass beds in search of food, which serve as habitat for herring and salmon. Read article on Alaska Public Media
	Dolphin Species Never Before Seen in Iceland Beaches in Northwest Hrútafjörður, Iceland Larissa Kyzer / Iceland Review / July 28, 2022 Two Risso’s dolphins washed ashore in Hrútafjörður in Northwest Iceland last week. Risso dolphins are a warm-water species found a bit to the east of Ireland and Northwest Scotland. But the largest number is found further south, in warmer seas. Read article on Iceland Review
	Intense Flooding Hits Russia's Black Sea Resort Sochi Sochi, Krasnodarskiy, Russia The Moscow Times / July 25, 2022 Local power supplies were cut off, apartment buildings were flooded, cars were seen being washed away and a river overflowed, leading to one civilian death and several injuries. Read article on The Moscow Times
	Tale of two salmon fisheries: Bristol Bay breaks record, but Yukon River collapses Bethel, Alaska, United States Yereth Rosen / Alaska Public Media / July 22, 2022 The booming Bristol Bay salmon run has broken the record set just last year, while on the Yukon River, Chinook are too scarce to harvest. Read article on Alaska Public Media
	Coastal fishermen report dramatically smaller herring catches in the Baltic Sea Baltic Sea Sveriges Radio / July 26, 2022 Fishermen fishing close to the shore in the Baltic Sea have seen a steady decline in herring and Baltic herring catches over many years. Large-scale trawling further out at sea could be one of the reasons behind it. Read article on Sveriges Radio
	Large forest fire hits Upper Gullies, C.B.S. Conception Bay South, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada Joseph Gibbons / Saltwire / July 17, 2022 Amid intense smoke, flames and temperatures up into the high 20s C, Conception Bay South Fire Department (CBSFD) firefighters and provincial forestry crews along with a waterbomber fought a major forest fire in the town on Sunday afternoon. Read article on Saltwire
	Hunters seeing lower quotas for Fortymile, Nelchina caribou herds Fairbanks, Alaska, United States Maisie Thomas / Fairbanks Daily News-Miner / August 3, 2022 08-03-22 In response to declining numbers of Fortymile and Nelchina caribou, the Alaska Department of Fish and Game is taking a more conservative approach to both harvests this fall. Read article on Fairbanks Daily News-Miner

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