An Initial Estimate of the Cost of Lost Climate Regulation Services Due to Changes in the Arctic Cryosphere

Outlines how arctic sea ice and snow cover help maintain the global climate and ecosystems, the impact of changes in sea and land reflectivity and methane emissions, research on the social cost of carbon, and the estimated economic cost of climate change

Observations on the Utility of the Semi-directive Interview for Documenting Traditional Ecological Knowledge

Traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) offers ecological information and insight relevant to ecological management and research that cannot be obtained from other sources. Its use is hindered by difficulties of access, in that TEK is typically not available to a wide audience. Documentation can overcome this obstacle, allowing TEK to be considered with other forms of easily disseminated information. This paper describes the author's experience using the semi-directive interview to document TEK about beluga whales in Alaska. This method allows the participants as well as the researcher to guide the interview, so that associations made by the participant, and not just those anticipated by the researcher, are discussed. Using maps as the starting point for discussions with individuals or groups, the interviews covered expected topics, such as migration and feeding behavior, as well as unanticipated topics, such as the possible influence of beavers on beluga distribution. The primary research session was followed a year later by a review session to verify the accuracy of the draft report, add missing information, or remove information the publication of which might harm community interests. The author found the semi-directive interview to be an effective and powerful method for accurate and comprehensive documentation of TEK. It worked especially well in group interviews, which allowed participants to stimulate and validate each other.Le savoir écologique traditionnel (SET) offre de l'information écologique et une opinion pertinente à la gestion et à la recherche écologiques qu'on ne peut obtenir d'autres sources. Un accès difficile gêne l'utilisation du SET, vu qu'en général il n'est pas disponible à un vaste public. On peut surmonter cet obstacle en créant de la documentation, ce qui permet de tenir compte du SET parallèlement à d'autres formes d'information facilement diffusée. Cet article décrit l'expérience de l'auteur qui s'est servi de l'interview semi-dirigée pour documenter le SET sur les bélougas de l'Alaska. Cette méthode permet aux participants autant qu'au chercheur de guider l'interview, de sorte que les associations faites par le participant, et pas uniquement celles anticipées par le chercheur, sont discutées. Des cartes servant à démarrer la discussion avec des individus ou des groupes, les interviews couvraient des sujets prévus comme la migration et le comportement alimentaire, en même temps que des sujets imprévus, comme l'influence possible des castors sur la distribution du bélouga. La recherche primaire était suivie un an plus tard d'une session de récapitulation afin de vérifier l'exactitude de l'ébauche du rapport et d'ajouter de l'information manquante, ou d'éliminer de l'information dont la publication aurait pu nuire aux intérêts de la collectivité. L'auteur a trouvé que l'interview semi-dirigée était une méthode efficace et puissante pour documenter le SET de façon précise et détaillée. Elle fonctionnait particulièrement bien dans les entrevues en groupes, qui offraient aux participants la possibilité d'échanges stimulants et de validation mutuelle

Climigration? Population and climate change in Arctic Alaska

Residents of towns and villages in Arctic Alaska live on “the front line of climate change.” Some communities face immediate threats from erosion and flooding associated with thawing permafrost, increasing river flows, and reduced sea ice protection of shorelines. The term climigration, referring to migration caused by climate change, originally was coined for these places. Although initial applications emphasized the need for government relocation policies, it has elsewhere been applied more broadly to encompass unplanned migration as well. Some historical movements have been attributed to climate change, but closer study tends to find multiple causes, making it difficult to quantify the climate contribution. Clearer attribution might come from comparisons of migration rates among places that are similar in most respects, apart from known climatic impacts. We apply this approach using annual 1990–2014 time series on 43 Arctic Alaska towns and villages. Within-community time plots show no indication of enhanced out-migration from the most at-risk communities. More formally, there is no significant difference between net migration rates of at-risk and other places, testing several alternative classifications. Although climigration is not detectable to date, growing risks make either planned or unplanned movements unavoidable in the near future