Alaska trends.

• Author: Miller, Amy

Arctic Sea Ice Loss

* Record low extents of Arctic sea ice in 2012 and 2007 have focused scientific and policy attention on climate changes in the high north and to the implications of projected ice-free seasons in the Arctic within decades. The Arctic has been projected by several scientists to be ice-free in most late summers as soon as the 2030s.

* The melting of Arctic ice raises the possibility of saving several thousands of miles and several days of sailing between major trading blocs.

Arctic Safety

The Coast Guard has no designated air stations north of Kodiak, which is almost 1,000 miles from the northernmost point of land along the Alaska coast in Point Barrow. Although some of the communities have airstrips capable of landing cargo planes, no roads connect these communities. Vessel infrastructure is also limited. The nearest major port is in the Aleutian Islands, approximately 1,300 miles from Point Barrow.

* Given the location of current U.S. Coast Guard operating bases, it could take Coast Guard aircraft several hours, and Coast Guard cutters days or even weeks, to reach a ship or a downed aircraft in distress in Arctic waters.

Arctic Energy Resources

* The USGS stated that the "extensive Arctic continental shelves may constitute the geographically largest unexplored prospective area for petroleum remaining on Earth." In the report, the USGS estimates that 90 billion barrels of oil, nearly 1,700 trillion cubic feet of natural gas, and 44 billion barrels of natural gas liquids may remain to be discovered in the Arctic (including both U.S. and international resources north of the Arctic Circle). An article published in Science magazine indicated that 30% of the world's undiscovered natural gas and 13% of the world's undiscovered oil may be found north of the Arctic Circle.

* Currently, areas offshore of Alaska encompassing more than 1 billion acres and more than 6,000 miles of coastline-more coastline than in the rest of the United States combined-are considered to have potential for energy development. These Arctic regions include the Beaufort and Chukchi Seas, the Bering Sea, Cook Inlet, and the Gulf of Alaska.

* In terms of U.S. resources specifically, DOI's Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) estimated in 2015 that the Alaska portions of the U.S. outer continental shelf (OCS) contain undiscovered, technically recoverable resources of approximately 27 billion barrels of oil and 131 trillion cubic feet of natural gas (although not all of these resources may be economically viable to recover).

ALASKA TRENDS By Amy Miller Indicator Units Period GENERAL Personal...