Arctic Warming Means Battles for Shipping and Riches

 

At the top of the world, under the ice, lies a large number of natural resources. Gas, coal, uranium and other minerals, even diamonds, sit under the ice inside the Arctic Circle.

As climate change pushes the cold and ice farther north each year, discussion increases about how to get to those resources. Less ice also means possible new business in shipping¹, tourism and fishing.

But, industry experts, researchers and people in the far north say there are many problems in reaching those rich resources. People who want to protect the environment are against any large effort to take Arctic resources. They warn that the fragile environment could be harmed past repair.

The Northwest Passage, between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans is one of the last unexplored areas of the planet. But, that is changing as more companies seek business possibilities in the frozen north. Ships are now taking passengers through the Arctic Circle. Last year, the cruise ship Crystal Serenity² sailed through the passage. On board were 500 crew and 1,100 “adventure tourists,” who paid at least $22,000 each for the four-week trip.

The trip was unusual, however. Fewer than 500 ships have sailed through the passage since the first in 1906. Such trips require approval of almost 30 Canadian agencies, including Nunavut territory officials.

In addition to tourism, shipping companies may start using the passage to save on fuel costs.

Sailing through the passage cuts the travel distance between East Asia and Western Europe by more than 10,000 kilometers. Such travel usually moves through the Panama Canal.

However, businesses may want to do more than move through the area, like mine for resources.

“As the world demand for raw materials is ever increasing, and (with) a realization³ that a large part of the unexplored deposits are in the Arctic, there is a natural shift to focus on that area,” said Mads Boye Peterson, head of Denmark’s Nordic Bulk Carriers Shipping.

Petersen noted⁴ that rising temperatures make operations more difficult because the moving ice floes are less predictable than solid ice sheets.

The Arctic is a 14.5 million square kilometer area around the North Pole. But, it is not all ice and ocean. It also has a mix of plant and animal life.

The U.S. Geological Survey estimates that up to 30 percent of the world’s undiscovered gas and 13 percent of its undiscovered oil are inside the Arctic Circle.

But there could be other resources also, like diamonds, uranium, phosphate, nickel, platinum⁶ and other minerals. Morten Smelror is the director of the Geological Survey of Norway.

He also said lithium and cobalt have been found in important amounts in the Arctic regions of Russia, the Nordic countries and Greenland. Lithium and cobalt are used to make batteries that power the growing number of electric cars and small electronic devices.

And the Arctic’s huge Baffin Island holds large amounts of pure iron, which is used to make steel.

“The Arctic is certainly among the last frontiers with respect to undiscovered mineral resources, along with the deep oceans,” Smelror said.

Countries in the Arctic region are making claims to land and resources in the area.

Greenland claims the Lomonosov Ridge⁷, an underwater ridge, 1800 kilometers long. But Russia disputes the claim. The United Nations is working to settle the disagreement.

Russia also has claimed ownership of a large Arctic Ocean area and, ten years ago, placed a Russian flag underwater at the North Pole.

Canada and the United States also dispute ownership of parts of the Arctic region.

In April, U.S. President Donald Trump⁸ signed an executive order that cancelled restrictions⁹ on oil exploration in the Arctic and other places.

I’m Anne Ball.

And I'm Caty Weaver¹⁰.

Words in This Story

fragile – adj. easily broken or damaged

cruise – adj. a kind of boat or ship that travels to a number of places for vacation

adventure tourism – n. tourism that involves travel to remote areas and usually involve physically¹¹ challenging activities

realization – n. the state of understanding or becoming aware of something

deposit – n. an amount of a substance (such as oil or coal) that exists naturally in the ground

icebreaker – n. a special ship that can move through icy water by cutting the ice

complicated – adj. something that is sure to happen or be successful

Nordic – adj. of or relating to Sweden, Norway, Denmark, and sometimes Finland and Iceland, or to the people who live there

ice floe⁵ – n. a large, flat area of ice floating in the ocean

ice sheet – n. a very large and thick area of ice that covers a region

frontier – n. a distant area where few people live

ridge – n. a long area of land that is on top of a mountain or hill

1 shipping   

n.船运（发货，运输，乘船）

参考例句：

• We struck a bargain with an American shipping firm.我们和一家美国船运公司谈成了一笔生意。
• There's a shipping charge of ￡5 added to the price.价格之外另加五英镑运输费。

2 serenity   

n.宁静，沉着，晴朗

参考例句：

• Her face,though sad,still evoked a feeling of serenity.她的脸色虽然悲伤，但仍使人感觉安详。
• She escaped to the comparative serenity of the kitchen.她逃到相对安静的厨房里。

3 realization   

n.实现；认识到，深刻了解

参考例句：

• We shall gladly lend every effort in our power toward its realization.我们将乐意为它的实现而竭尽全力。
• He came to the realization that he would never make a good teacher.他逐渐认识到自己永远不会成为好老师。

4 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

5 floe   

n.大片浮冰

参考例句：

• Two penguins are standing on ice floe.两只企鹅站在一块浮冰上。
• Somehow the seal manages to reach a tiny ice floe.不知何故，海豹设法到达了一块小浮冰上。

6 platinum   

n.白金

参考例句：

• I'll give her a platinum ring.我打算送给她一枚白金戒指。
• Platinum exceeds gold in value.白金的价值高于黄金。

7 ridge   

n.山脊；鼻梁；分水岭

参考例句：

• We clambered up the hillside to the ridge above.我们沿着山坡费力地爬上了山脊。
• The infantry were advancing to attack the ridge.步兵部队正在向前挺进攻打山脊。

8 trump   

n.王牌，法宝；v.打出王牌，吹喇叭

参考例句：

• He was never able to trump up the courage to have a showdown.他始终鼓不起勇气摊牌。
• The coach saved his star player for a trump card.教练保留他的明星选手，作为他的王牌。

9 restrictions   

约束( restriction的名词复数 )； 管制； 制约因素； 带限制性的条件（或规则）

参考例句：

• I found the restrictions irksome. 我对那些限制感到很烦。
• a snaggle of restrictions 杂乱无章的种种限制

10 weaver   

n.织布工；编织者

参考例句：

• She was a fast weaver and the cloth was very good.她织布织得很快，而且布的质量很好。
• The eager weaver did not notice my confusion.热心的纺织工人没有注意到我的狼狈相。

11 physically   

adj.物质上，体格上，身体上，按自然规律

参考例句：

• He was out of sorts physically,as well as disordered mentally.他浑身不舒服，心绪也很乱。
• Every time I think about it I feel physically sick.一想起那件事我就感到极恶心。