Though it was previously thought we would not see ice-free Arctic summers until the end of the current century, increasing pressures of climate change show that it may be coming sooner than we had hoped. Worldwide temperature trends show the Arctic region experiences climate change at a faster pace than any other place on Earth. Warming of the region causes larger areas of the dark sea to be exposed; the sea is then able to absorb more heat and continue the process of melting even more ice. Simply put: the polar regions are opening up at a concerning rate, bringing increased navigation of the Northwest Passage and other routes that could someday out compete the Panama Canal.
The provided visual is but a representation of plans to continue this use through military might.
The Northwest Passage and Northern Sea Route remain the most frequented routes in the North due to current ease of travel. Running along the top of Canada and Russia respectively, the claims of both these states are being increasingly challenged by countries such as China, following innocent shipping travel as outlined by UNCLOS, who seek shorter, cheaper means of travel. It has quickly become important for boundaries to be set and official laws to be signed in order to prevent conflict rising from miscommunication.
The visual on the left, provided by the US Navy, shows the possible routes which would open up as ice fluctuates. Having not signed onto UNCLOS, the United States has maintained an ability to pursue maritime interests relatively unhindered. |
The above infograph is but an example of US plans to assert the same longterm through military might, but it also brings fear for some environmentalists. Fear that the country may view the possible ramifications of climate change as a positive, allowing the process to persist if only to widen our economic gain.