by Mingming Shi
1) As RÚV reported, this year the inhabitants of the Vestmannaeyjar archipelago in southern Iceland have assisted over 5,000 pufflings in guiding the way to the sea. Young puffins tend to be misled by artificial lighting in towns, rather than making their way to the sea, and therefore, humans often have to intervene to help the avians find their way.
2) A two-part article, entitled Small and Non-Aligned: Sweden’s Strategic Posture in the Arctic was published by the Arctic Institute. The first part summarizes the background of Sweden’s foreign policy and the country’s primary interests and challenges in Arctic affairs, as well as how Sweden has been interacting with the three major regional players, namely Russia, China and the United States. The second part focuses on examining how Stockholm has coped with security concerns and threats, by presenting case studies such as how the country has cooperated with NATO.
3) According to the Barents Observer, an online petition, calling for the halting of mining activities in the region of northern Finland where Sámi peoples oversee reindeer husbandry, has accrued over 37,000 signatures. The campaigners believe that mining causes environmental damage in fragile areas, and threatens local animal herding.
Over the Circle 