Science and Research committee  I think that's the solution: Weigh more heavily on the outcomes in the proposals and funding allocations. Again, research proposals I have evaluated are very focused on the methodology. You have to say, “Give me two pages on your methodology.” We've become obsessed with the methodology.

Science and Research committee  It is our approach of shifting energy systems to things that are critical minerals-intensive, rather than things that we have in Canada, which are uranium and nuclear power that doesn't require enrichment, and fossil fuels, for which you could use carbon capture to make them carbon neutral.

Science and Research committee  That's a great question. The reason I'm not too worried about too much shipping is that it is still so expensive to get metals and minerals out of the Arctic. There aren't the discovered deposits. There aren't the projects that would indicate that we're going to see, for example, another Mary River iron mine or another Raglan Mine in the Canadian Arctic anytime soon.

Science and Research committee  The biggest economic driver in the territories is actually public sector funding from government and federal transfers. That creates dependence.

Science and Research committee  That's a problem. It creates dependence. It creates, I would say, a Dutch disease. The public sector is absorbing all the talent and money, rather than the private sector. The other bright spot would be mining. For example, that one iron mine is 25% of Nunavut's GDP. The diamond sector in the Northwest Territories is 25% of its GDP, and we know the diamond sector is closing.

Science and Research committee  I agree. If you look at the Canadian research system and the environment, how much money is put into actual proposals and to getting the funding? It's kind of a waste of human resources, and we're all fighting over the same small pie. You're not getting more value from more people competing for that same small pie.

Science and Research committee  I mentioned that I worked at the University of the Arctic. I still participate in this university, which is a consortium; it's not an actual university. I think probably the best and smartest thing it's done is what is called thematic networks: It brings together Arctic research across the eight Arctic countries and elsewhere to focus on a particular issue or a particular theme.

Science and Research committee  Some of it is environmental for sure, and understanding it. I also want to point out that understanding climate change in the Arctic isn't mitigating climate change. You still need to reduce carbon emissions and greenhouse gas emissions. Understanding how it's affecting the Arctic doesn't do anything to mitigate it.

Science and Research committee  Okay. Economics would be the last one.

Science and Research committee  Thank you very much for the question. I think government changes in policy, going from black to white and white to black, are a challenge for many people. In the research that I do, which is more focused on political science and social science, there could be a greater overlap with defence, with indigenous communities and with Arctic research.

Science and Research committee  There's clear evidence. You'd say objectively and quantitatively that it's very disproportionate. I appreciate how expensive it is to do natural science research in the Arctic. I don't even know if I'd say there's enough natural science research in the Canadian Arctic either, considering how much territory we have.

Science and Research committee  I would think so. Maybe even list the different sections or the different disciplines for which you would hope to fund research, so they don't all funnel into the same silo.

Science and Research committee  The answer is yes. There are many things that we should be applying.

Science and Research committee  Number one for me is economic development. That's what I focus on. However, I think there is a bias towards looking at resource development and economic development as normatively bad, maybe as capitalism or exploitation—yet when you talk to people in the territories or indigenous communities, they would like to see development.

Science and Research committee  Exactly. It could be funding. Again, I think we need some graduate students. As I say, there are no economists I know of who look at the Arctic. There are very few political scientists, like me, who look at the political economy. We need to build some of that capacity, even statistical analysis—things that are left to the territories themselves right now.