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The present paper seeks to lay bare how the grim realities of settler colonialism and petro-capitalism have a tolling effect on the indigenous ways of life. The present era, termed the 'Anthropocene' or 'Capitalocene,' as it is the capitalist concern of some of the privileged anthropos that inflict socio-economic and ecological injustices on earth, heralds the birth of cautionary literature that deconstructs anthropocentric fixation to purge the earth off the catastrophic impacts of rapacious human activities. In order to examine how capitalism and its resultant climate emergency have spurred environmental activists and authors to reflect upon this theme, the paper undertakes a close textual analysis of The Breathing Hole (2020) by Colleen Murphy (b. 1954), a contemporary Quebecois playwright. By employing indigenous ecocriticism and non-human turn in literary studies, the study examines how the playwright jettisons the standardised category of the Anthropos by prioritising the non-human character, Angu'ruaq, an anthropomorphised polar bear. Attempts have been made to highlight how the capitalist motive of the neo-colonial agents leaves a breach in the fabric of the succouring connection between the indigenous Inuit existence and the non-human beings in the Nunavut territory of the Canadian Arctic. The findings of the paper demonstrate how the playwright approaches contemporary eco-crisis using indigenous ecodrama. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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The paper is concerned with thermal disturbances in continuous permafrost due to open pit mining and tailings impoundment in the cold regions of Northern Canada. Numerical simulations were conducted to investigate issues of thermal regime changes and permafrost degradation in both the short term and the long term in connection with the proposed Kiggavik project in Nunavut, Canada. The results of numerical simulations indicate that no open talik would form below the East Zone and Center Zone pits during the estimated mining and milling operation period of 14 years, although a thin thawed zone would develop surrounding the open pits. For the Main Zone pit where the excavation would break through permafrost, the open talik remains following an extended operation period of 25 years with a 5 to 30 m thawed zone along the pit side walls. In the long term, with a plausible climate change scenario of 5 °C increase in the mean annual ground surface temperature during the next 100 years, the permafrost surrounding the in-pit tailings management facilities (TMFs) would reduce greatly in about 500 years. However, an approximately 40 m thick permafrost layer would remain on the top of the TMFs, which is impervious and would prevent any tailings pore water from migrating upward to reach the ground surface. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Marine tourism in Arctic Canada has grown substantially since 2005. Though there are social, economic and cultural opportunities associated with industry growth, climate change and a range of environmental risks and other problems present significant management challenges. This paper describes the growth in cruise tourism and pleasure craft travel in Canada's Nunavut Territory and then outlines issues and concerns related to existing management of both cruise and pleasure craft tourism. Strengths and areas for improvement are identified and recommendations for enhancing the cruise and pleasure craft governance regimes through strategic management are provided. Key strategic approaches discussed are: (1) streamlining the regulatory framework; (2) improving marine tourism data collection and analysis for decision-making; and (3) developing site guidelines and behaviour guidelines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change has broad ecological implications for species that rely on sensitive habitats. For some top predators, loss of habitat is expected to lead to cascading behavioral, nutritional, and reproductive changes that ultimately accelerate population declines. In the case of the polar bear (Ursus maritimus), declining Arctic sea ice reduces access to prey and lengthens seasonal fasting periods. We used a novel combination of physical capture, biopsy darting, and visual aerial observation data to project reproductive performance for polar bears by linking sea ice loss to changes in habitat use, body condition (i.e., fatness), and cub production. Satellite telemetry data from 43 (1991–1997) and 38 (2009–2015) adult female polar bears in the Baffin Bay subpopulation showed that bears now spend an additional 30 d on land (90 d in total) in the 2000s compared to the 1990s, a change closely correlated with changes in spring sea ice breakup and fall sea ice formation. Body condition declined for all sex, age, and reproductive classes and was positively correlated with sea ice availability in the current and previous year. Furthermore, cub litter size was positively correlated with maternal condition and spring breakup date (i.e., later breakup leading to larger litters), and negatively correlated with the duration of the ice‐free period (i.e., longer ice‐free periods leading to smaller litters). Based on these relationships, we projected reproductive performance three polar bear generations into the future (approximately 35 yr). Results indicate that two‐cub litters, previously the norm, could largely disappear from Baffin Bay as sea ice loss continues. Our findings demonstrate how concurrent analysis of multiple data types collected over long periods from polar bears can provide a mechanistic understanding of the ecological implications of climate change. This information is needed for long‐term conservation planning, which includes quantitative harvest risk assessments that incorporate estimated or assumed trends in future environmental carrying capacity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present a year‐round time series of dissolved methane (CH4), along with targeted observations during ice melt of CH4 and carbon dioxide (CO2) in a river and estuary adjacent to Cambridge Bay, Nunavut, Canada. During the freshet, CH4 concentrations in the river and ice‐covered estuary were up to 240,000% saturation and 19,000% saturation, respectively, but quickly dropped by >100‐fold following ice melt. Observations with a robotic kayak revealed that river‐derived CH4 and CO2 were transported to the estuary and rapidly ventilated to the atmosphere once ice cover retreated. We estimate that river discharge accounts for >95% of annual CH4 sea‐to‐air emissions from the estuary. These results demonstrate the importance of resolving seasonal dynamics in order to estimate greenhouse gas emissions from polar systems. Plain Language Summary: The primary cause of recent global climate change is increasing concentrations of heat‐trapping greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. Ongoing rapid Arctic climate change is affecting the annual cycle of sea ice formation and retreat; however, most published studies of greenhouse gases in Arctic waters have been conducted during ice‐free, summertime conditions. In order to characterize seasonal variability in greenhouse gas distributions, we collected year‐round measurements of the greenhouse gas methane (CH4) in a coastal Arctic system near Cambridge Bay, Nunavut, Canada. We found that during the ice melt season, river water contains methane concentrations up to 2,000 times higher than the wintertime methane concentrations in the coastal ocean. We utilized a novel robotic kayak to conduct high‐resolution mapping of greenhouse gas distributions during ice melt. From these data, we demonstrate that the river water containing elevated levels of methane and carbon dioxide (CO2) flowed into the coastal ocean, and when ice cover melted, these greenhouse gases were rapidly emitted into the atmosphere. We estimate that in this system, more than 95% of all annual methane emissions from the estuary are driven by river inflow. Key Points: Methane concentrations in an Arctic estuary show strong seasonality; river inflow at the start of the freshet drives elevated concentrationsObservations with a novel robotic kayak demonstrate that methane and carbon dioxide in the estuary are rapidly ventilated following ice meltRiver discharge is estimated to account for >95% of annual methane emissions from the estuary [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Anthropogenic noise associated with shipping has emerged as a major disruptor of aquatic animal behavior worldwide. The Arctic marine realm has historically experienced little noise‐generating human activity; however, the continual loss of sea ice has facilitated a dramatic increase in shipping activity. Here, we use a combination of acoustic telemetry and modeling of ship noise to examine the temporospatial habitat use of key Arctic forage fish, Arctic cod (Boreogadus saida) in the presence and absence of vessels in Resolute Bay, Nunavut, Canada. The presence and movement of vessels induced a horizontal shift in the home ranges of Arctic cod with low core overlap when compared to periods without vessel activity. Home range displacement occurred near the vessel. Individuals also altered their swimming behaviors in response to vessel presence with searching decreasing and travelling increasing in proportion. Results indicate that Arctic cod perceive vessel noise and presence as a threat and react by moving away and decreasing exploratory activities. These changes in fish behavior also coincide with the critical open water feeding period suggesting an interruption in exploitation of important and seasonally abundant food resources, and carry broader implications for dependent seabirds and marine mammals, and indirectly for all Arctic indigenous peoples' subsistence and long‐term cultural traditions. Our study implies that strategic management is required for aquatic acoustic disturbance as an environmental stressor in the Arctic marine ecosystem, and highlights ecologically and socially important impacts that require timely conservation action. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Food security is a complex topic defined not just by having enough nutritious food to eat but also by cost, safety and cultural considerations. In Arctic Inuit communities, food security is intimately connected to culture through traditional methods of harvesting country food. In Chesterfield Inlet, Nunavut, community-based research was conducted in collaboration with Chesterfield Inlet community members using interviews and community engagement. Community members were consulted about the design of the interview guide, recruitment of participants, analysis and validation of results. This study aims to develop a theoretical framework of how food security, cultural continuity and community health and well-being are interconnected to allow for a richer understanding of how increased shipping, climate change and social changes are impacting community members. In Chesterfield Inlet, harvesting and consuming country food (e.g., seal) is perceived as the mechanism that connects food, culture and community health. Sharing of freshly harvested country food supports the food security of community members without hunters in their families, aligns with hunters’ cultural beliefs and promotes community health and well-being. Changes that reduce a hunter’s success in harvesting country food limit her or his ability to share country food, which negatively impacts community health and well-being. The results of this study support existing community efforts to adapt to changes that impact harvesting success. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Linear depolarization measurement capabilities were added to the CANDAC Rayleigh-Mie-Raman lidar (CRL) at Eureka, Nunavut, in the Canadian High Arctic in 2010. This upgrade enables measurements of the phases (liquid versus ice) of cold and mixed-phase clouds throughout the year, including during polar night. Depolarization measurements were calibrated according to existing methods using parallel- and perpendicular-polarized profiles as discussed in McCullough et al. (2017). We present a new technique that uses the polarization-independent Rayleigh elastic channel in combination with one of the new polarizationdependent channels, and we show that for a lidar with low signal in one of the polarization-dependent channels this method is superior to the traditional method. The optimal procedure for CRL is to determine the depolarization parameter using the traditional method at low resolution (from parallel and perpendicular signals) and then to use this value to calibrate the high-resolution new measurements (from parallel and polarization-independent Rayleigh elastic signals). Due to its use of two high-signal-rate channels, the new method has lower statistical uncertainty and thus gives depolarization parameter values at higher spatial-temporal resolution by up to a factor of 20 for CRL. This method is easily adaptable to other lidar systems which are considering adding depolarization capability to existing hardware. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change, the global demand for energy, and the depletion of easily accessible natural resources has led to an increase in mining activities in the Arctic, including in Nunavut, a region rich in resources but remote in comparison to the rest of Canada. Nunavut is a predominantly Inuit socio-political region created in 1999 via the Nunavut Act and the Nunavut Land Claims Agreement (NLCA) (1993). The NLCA also enshrined the Inuit right to manage the region's minerals and other natural resources. Yet, despite this power to "steer their own ship," Inuit communities struggle to maximize the benefits from resource development. Pond Inlet is a coastal hamlet on Baffin Island close to the newly operational Mary River iron ore mine, an open-pit mine with the potential to bring significant economic opportunities to the region. Using a framework developed by the Harvard Project on American Indian Economic Development, a case study of Pond Inlet highlights factors that contribute to and hinder Arctic Aboriginal communities' successful local development. A total of 47 semi-structured interviews were conducted with key informants in Pond Inlet and in the territory's capital, Iqaluit. Findings underscore the importance of Indigenous community self-determination, effective and culturally relevant governing institutions, and clear visioning for the future. In Pond Inlet, key barriers to maximizing local benefits relate to institutional and governance challenges. Evidence from this study suggests that Pond Inlet will better succeed with local community development by strengthening its governance mechanisms to support the goals of self-determination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change has been identified as a major driver of habitat change, particularly for sea ice-dependent species such as the polar bear ( Ursus maritimus). Population structure and space use of polar bears have been challenging to quantify because of their circumpolar distribution and tendency to range over large areas. Knowledge of movement patterns, home range, and habitat is needed for conservation and management. This is the first study to examine the spatial ecology of polar bears in the Foxe Basin management unit of Nunavut, Canada. Foxe Basin is in the mid-Arctic, part of the seasonal sea ice ecoregion and it is being negatively affected by climate change. Our objectives were to examine intrapopulation spatial structure, to determine movement patterns, and to consider how polar bear movements may respond to changing sea ice habitat conditions. Hierarchical and fuzzy cluster analyses were used to assess intrapopulation spatial structure of geographic position system satellite-collared female polar bears. Seasonal and annual movement metrics (home range, movement rates, time on ice) and home-range fidelity (static and dynamic overlap) were compared to examine the influence of regional sea ice on movements. The polar bears were distributed in three spatial clusters, and there were differences in the movement metrics between clusters that may reflect sea ice habitat conditions. Within the clusters, bears moved independently of each other. Annual and seasonal home-range fidelity was observed, and the bears used two movement patterns: on-ice range residency and annual migration. We predict that home-range fidelity may decline as the spatial and temporal predictability of sea ice changes. These new findings also provide baseline information for managing and monitoring this polar bear population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous studies have identified finely laminated, or layered, features within Arctic clouds. This study focuses on quasi-horizontal layers that are 7.5 to 30 m thick, within clouds from 0 to 5 km altitude. No pre-selection for any particular cloud types was made prior to the identification of laminations. We capitalize on the 4-year measurement record available from Eureka, Nunavut (79.6 ∘ N, 85.6 ∘ W), using the Canadian Network for the Detection of Atmospheric Composition Change (CANDAC) Rayleigh–Mie–Raman Lidar (CRL; 1 min, 7.5 m resolution). Laminated features are identified on 18% of all days, from 2016–2019. Their presence is conclusively excluded on 12% of days. March, April, and May have a higher measurement cadence and show laminations on 41% of days. Individual months show laminations on up to 50% of days. Our results suggest that laminations are not rare phenomena at Eureka. To determine laminations' likely contribution to Arctic weather and climate, local weather reports were obtained from the nearby Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) weather station. Days with laminated clouds are strongly correlated with precipitating snow (r = 0.63), while days with non-laminated clouds (r = −0.40) and clear sky days (r = −0.43) are moderately anti-correlated with snow precipitation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]