Prime Minister Stephen Harper toured Canada's Arctic last week for the fifth time since he took office, in an effort to reaffirm Canada's claims to the region. In 2009, Harper's tour resulted in the establishment of an official Northern strategy and the creation of CanNor, a regional economic development agency, in the interest of supporting socio-economic development, Canada's Northern sovereignty, the improvement of Northern governance, and the protection of the Northern environment. This year Harper's weeklong tour demonstrated that the federal government aims to reinforce these goals.

Researchers from the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs at Princeton University have concluded a study drawing on ten years of data quantifying the effects of climate change on migration patterns in North America. Specifically, the study analyzes Mexico-US emigration statistics from 1995 to 2005 and examines the correlation between climate change, crop yields and migration.

In preparation for high level climate change talks set to take place in Mexico at the end of this year, the Mexican government launched its COP 16: Mexico 2010 website in early July.  On November 29, 2010 leaders from around the world will descend on the resort city of Cancun, Mexico for the two week COP 16 United Nations Climate Change Conference. The meeting will build upon negotiations that took place in Copenhagen at the end of 2009.