#arctic

What happened: On Oct. 15, Greenland's parliament, Inatsisartut, told the government to bring a law in early 2027 that suspends seabed mining until at least the end of 2029. It could then be extended by two years. All 17 members present voted yes, across party lines. Inuit Ataqatigiit's Pipaluk Lynge first proposed it in February, citing worries about foreign interest in deep-sea mining and harm to fishing and game animals.

Why it matters: More than 90% of Greenland's exports come from fishing. Jenseeraq Poulsen of Oceans North Kalaallit Nunaat says anything that risks those waters is "a wager against the part of [the economy] that already works." The vote came a day after U.S. President Donald Trump said "massive" oil, gas and mineral exploration was about to begin in Greenland.

How much agreement is there? Some disagreement. Poulsen calls it "a decision to decide," not protection, because the actual law is still to come. Centrist MP Juno Berthelsen says the pause balances protecting the sea with staying open to future opportunities.

What happened: Researchers from Cornell and partners in Norway, Denmark and Canada tested blood from 109 polar bears taken by Inuit subsistence hunters near Ittoqqortoormiit (Scoresby Sound), East Greenland, from 2016 to 2025. Samples up to 2023 showed no flu antibodies. Then 3 of 14 bears in 2024 and 6 of 14 in 2025 had influenza A antibodies. Four 2025 bears had antibodies to the H5 bird flu strain that has been spreading worldwide, meaning they were exposed and survived. Hunters reported no sick bears. The study appears in Emerging Infectious Diseases.

Why it matters: Shrinking sea ice means polar bears spend more time on land, near the bird colonies that carry the virus. A young polar bear in Svalbard reportedly died of bird flu in 2026, and Alaska recorded a death in 2023.

How much agreement is there? Broad agreement that this is worth watching. The open questions are whether Greenland's virus has changed in ways that make it spread more easily in mammals, and whether bears could pass it to each other, for example at carcasses.