Arctic

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/4354036.stm

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2007/08/070823-arctic-oil.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Territorial_claims_in_the_Arctic


I saw some articles regarding this a few weeks ago. The articles mainly discussed which countries would have the most reasonable claims for the region (Canada, Russia, and Denmark). But as of today, after seeing the above articles, I'm starting to think that the issue is of much greater magnitude than I had previously fathomed.

First of all, I'd like to make a prominent exhibition of my disgust with the opportunistic nature of our worlds nations. Since I first became well aware of the issue of global warming I have always considered it a monumental issue. One not to be ignored. I have always been critical of the fact that our country has not done all it can to contribute to the solution (Including it's failure to agree to the Kyoto Protocol). As a result (and no, I'm not pinning the issue solely on the US) of the failure by our entire planet to prevent global warming from reaching such extremes, polar ice caps in the Arctic. Consequently, countries around the world are scrambling to find some sort of connection to the region so that they may lay claims to it and with it whatever natural resources may be found there.

Similar to the technique of licking or touching food I used a toddler to lay claims to the last cookie in the cookie jar or possibly the last slice of pizza, Russia has already sent a submarine to plant a capsule containing it's flag at the seabed of the North Pole. Most entertaining of all is the fact that Russia dumped tons of nuclear waste in the Arctic Ocean years ago. If they do end up annexing the region I hope they clean it up well. Denmark has taken no physical action to stake their claim but has vocalized it. Last, Canada is creating two new military bases in the Arctic to protect it's claims as well as budgeting Roughly 5.25 Canadian Dollars for eight icebreakers to map out the region.

One of the articles calls the Arctic the new Saudi Arabia. Let's hope not. If only so much effort were put forth to protect natural resources rather than for exploiting them, our world would be a far better place.