Danielle Bochove

More countries and companies are launching satellites orbiting near the North Pole.

The Biggest Arctic Carbon Sink Is Increasingly Unstable

The Arctic has warmed four times faster than anywhere else on the planet, and today’s newsletter takes you to Alaska for a firsthand view. There, researchers are racing to understand what’s happening to permafrost and the 1.4 trillion tons of carbon it stores. Nothing less than the fate of the climate hangs in the balance.

Europe’s top climate diplomat said the US skipping the COP30 summit is a blow but doesn’t close down paths to progress.

Canada plans to send a massive Russian cargo plane to Ukraine if it wins legal proceedings to formally seize the aircraft.

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney Stands by His Climate Agenda

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said he’s focused on climate policies likely to have the greatest impact at a time of strained resources and multiple crises, denying criticisms that he’s backpedaling on actions to protect the environment.

Happy Friday! We’ve got your weekly debrief of what went on in Washington, DC, amid the government shutdown. But first, sea otters.

The Arctic is thawing, but navigating its icy waters is still a major concern. As nations from the US to China and Russia look to tap minerals, oil, and gas fields at the top of the world — and gain a military edge — they’re building out their fleets of icebreaker ships.

The US and Canada want more icebreakers to counter Russia and China in the Arctic, as the polar region — and competition for it — heats up.