As the ice cap melts, the war for the North Pole is heating up
By louisehartmann
The oil barons of the world – and the militaries that rely on that oil – are seeing new opportunities in the North Pole as global climate change kicks into high gear. Warming weather is leading to the Northern ice cap melting – uncovering a treasure trove of oil and natural gas reserves. Scientists believe that the Arctic is storing 13% of the world’s untapped oil – and nearly a third of the world’s undiscovered natural gas.
As the ice melts – access to these resources becomes easier and shipping lanes open – so now Northern nations are scrambling to stake out their chunk of Arctic resources as well as running military operating in the area should they have to fight for these resources in the not too distant future. Two months ago – military leaders from the United States, Canada, Russia, Iceland, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, and Finland met to discuss security issues around the Arctic.
But Greenpeace sees what’s happening in the Arctic as a tragedy for the planet. As the organization reported last year, “The terrible irony of it is that instead of seeing the melting of the Arctic ice cap as a spur to action on climate change, the leaders of the Arctic nations are instead investing in military hardware to fight for the oil beneath it. They’re preparing to fight to extract the very fossil fuels that caused the melting in the first place. It’s like putting out fire with petrol."
Comments
#2
It's a sad reality that if they put as much money and activity into cleaner, greener industries, and alternatives as they put into feeding their greed, this world would be a whole lot better off. This planet is all we have. We all know what happens in space when take away life support. Greed = destruction. It's just sick and wrong!!!
#3
Canada and Russia have been doing their best, jointly might I add, for many years now, to protect and observe the actions of those with bad intent. Our military is focused there primarily. Many other countires are on board as well, to preserve and protect the Artic. Yes, we continue to have vested interest of the oil there, but approached improperly is the end of oil and much much more. Tar Sands Project in Canada and the Pipeline is attempting to lay claim to everything - land - water - and of course, the oil in a rushed and exploitive manner that can result in nothing good. I trust we who are genuinly active in our pursits, and there are many, shall not let this project bear any fruit from the get-go. The development is already underway, but we're hoping the money wasted will - never be recuped, because we all know, the earth can't be if they succeed. Can't happen. Period.
#4
Only the physical presence of the masses can stop this. We have a duty to fulfill and it's NOT to the government, the military or any other specail interest group. It's to the earth. Be ready to walk, many miles, possibly without water, for an extended period and distance, if you want to participate in stopping this. Pass it along so you have good company on the journey.
#5
We just can't seem to wait to rape & pillage our beautiful earth.
#6
Like ALL animal species - and humans are an animal - we need clean water, clean air, and clean food in order to exist. We need these more than anything else...Even more than oil. Sure we have become somewhat dependent on this "black gold" over the last century or so, and in many ways crude oil is a resource that has been key in our daily lives more so than just fuel for your car. However, biding over melting polar caps and going to war over oil certainly proves that we (society) view "life" as being cheap. Talk about having our priorities backwards! It's time for ALL Nations to stop trying to "rule" the world...Change our way of thinking so people and planet last.
#7
Ownership is a temporary fiction.It is an invention of the mind and like all mental constructions,it is temporary,having nothing to do with ultimate reality.
As with all social conventions,the idea of ownership arises from the fallacies that we hold as firm beliefs-in this case,the Second Fallacy About Life,which is that there is NOT ENOUGH of whatever it is we think we need to be happy.
Life seeks always to sustain itself .That is a Basic Life Principle.We as AN EXPRESSION OF LIFE will seek to do the same thing,so we have built a mental construct around how to do this and it plays itself out as a social convention that we call ownership.
We claim ownership over all those things that we wish to see sustained.Seeking to express the LIfe Principle of Sustainability, we claim ownership of our own body,then the body of our mate,then of our children,we say that our children are ours and we treat them like we own them.
So too,with land ,and other articles and property.We have it that the very planet on which we live is something that we actually OWN at least in parcels.
We have decided that this perfect sphere this celestial element ,does not belong to life itself,but rather to individual human beings,so we have divvied up the very earth itself,placing imaginary boundaries on that which has no boundaries and claiming personal ownership not only of the land itself,but of the ground and minerals and resources within it.
The truth is we are all merely stewards ,seeking to take GOOD CARE of that over which we have been given stewardship-including our bodies,our mates and children,the land on which we live and all else that we have in our care .
These are not our possessions,but simply articles that have been placed in our care ,They are ours temporary,only for safekeeping.We are asked by Life itself to sustain them,to express the Life Principle of Sustainability,but not to declare that we own them,this thought is not in any lasting sense FUNCTIONAL.
Nothing that is possessed by anyone is possessed by them forever thus ownership is a fallacy.
This is really harming humans doing so much damage to our planet and each other.
namaste,
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How do we stop this? Greed continues it's march to the Artic! You are right that we should own our own national resources but we would still drill in the Artic! I'm afraid there is no stopping it from happening no matter how many are against it as long as it benefits the 1% and corporations. What they seem to be ignoring is that their money will not buy back our clean air, clean water, wilderness and wildlife. They are not only sealing our fate but also their own.