Josh Edge, APRN – Anchorage
Yesterday’s Arctic Council meeting in Greenland was a historic one, not only because it signed off on its first binding agreement in 17 years, but also because it was the first time that a Secretary of State and a member of Congress – Senator Lisa Murkowski – attended the meeting.
Murkowski saw this as an encouraging sign of the U.S.’s role in the Arctic.
Murkowski says that while it’s difficult to convince others in Congress that America is indeed an Arctic nation, the U.S. must shoulder the responsibilities that come with it. But with the geography and climate of the Arctic changing so quickly, the process of educating others about these issues will become easier.
The agreement that the council signed is an international arrangement, lying out Search and Rescue regions and in the Arctic.
Download Audio (MP3)
