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Talks aim to avert Arctic oil rush

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Five Arctic powers are holding a summit in Greenland on Wednesday to forestall a confrontation over the Polar region’s mineral resources and discuss how to protect its fragile environment.

When Russia planted its flag on the seabed 4km under the North Pole last August it raised fears of a rush to grab the Arctic’s mineral resources, particularly its oil and gas deposits, which could total up to a quarter of the world’s undiscovered reserves.

In the future, rising global temperatures could leave much of the Arctic ice-free in the summer, enabling easier exploration and opening up the North-west passage from the Atlantic to the Pacific. Soaring oil prices and improved technology also make exploration more viable.

Russia, Canada, Norway and Denmark (through the semi-autonomous territory of Greenland) are all collecting evidence to show their continental shelves extend towards the Arctic and that therefore their territorial waters should be extended beyond 200 miles offshore. The US has not signed the UN convention, making it impossible for it to even lodge a claim.

“I hope the meeting will send a clear political signal that the Law of the Sea is sufficient to sort out all the legal issues in play,” said Peter Taksoe-Jensen, undersecretary for legal affairs at the Danish foreign ministry.

Commercial interest in exploiting the Arctic is hotting up. Denmark recently attracted the likes of ExxonMobil and Chevron, the two biggest US energy groups, along with several smaller players, to explore off its western coast. Alaska, meanwhile, garnered aggressive bidding by Royal Dutch Shell, Europe’s biggest energy group, which earlier this year won the right to explore the remote part of the state’s Arctic North Slope.

Russia has promoted the development of its Arctic resources by appointing Total, the French oil major, as its partner for the giant Shtokman gas field. And on Tuesday the country’s lawmakers moved forward a bill that would cut exploration taxes for companies venturing into risky areas, including its Arctic regions of Yamal and Timan-Pechora.
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And there you have it. Waiting for the Earth to melt to carve up the spoils for themselves... Only, how irresponsible are they? Once the ice in the Arctic is gone we will enter an irreversible series of environmental consequences that will make their gold bars look pale in comparison. The fact that greed has now blinded so many to the potential consequences of this melting ice is a stark example of humanity as it stands now. Instead of countries working on signing a global pact to stop this now, they continue it to take it for themselves. Despicable.
JanforGore

28 responses // Talks aim to avert Arctic oil rush

  • thank you so much for all your excellent postings.

    the corporations such as those above will not stop - they are psychologically/spiritually geared to wreck things until there is nothing else left (including people - although they haven't thought that far ahead yet, who will be their slaves and feed them?). however, conscious individual people and responsible businesses can do a lot by themselves and turn things around. i implore those individuals and businesses that can at this timing (whilst you have a bit of dosh left) - to go install those solar panels, get a wind turbine or two (PACWIND manufactures small, bird friendly, quiet, and not too expensive (well that is relative i know) brilliant wind turbines), please stop your ground cleaning people from using leaf blowers (gas powered or electric) - not only are they a health hazard to the user and environment in general, but totally destroy the permaculture necessary for all stages of life to keep nature in balance (los angeles has millions of those little buggars going on at any one time of the day), know where your products come from, try and buy organic and locally grown produce and try growing your own - its easy and even do-able in containers if you live in an apartment or have a small piece of property... figure out how to drive less if you can't afford an electric vehicle or live in a city that has not much for public transportation... most of the readers know this already, but it is how "the people" can take charge of their own lives and environment - its like turning one's back and placing one's energy positively elsewhere and thereby not "feeding" the insatiable appetite of those that keep preying on the vulnerabilities of the average hard working human. we don't have all the perfect solutions yet, but we could, with mutual co-operation from individuals, reduce in a major way. as a native american once stated - you can't eat your money when the rivers are either poisoned or run dry and the natural world has gone (paraphrased, but makes the point). don't buy junk and don't buy junk food anymore.... and plant trees.... billions and billions of them are needed now!
    SeaJade
  • great post. Agreed - much irony here.
    jwhitcom
  • I think that many people here does not know how to vote!

    Here folks, when you read an article that it is bad for the environment, we all understand your feelings against it but your vote should be positive to bring these news up to the general mass public! When you vote negative, your are actually barring the news from reaching more people along the way!

    Are you sure that it is what you want?
    stopnoise
  • So part of the summit will talk about how to protect the fragile environment... The best way I can think of is to leave it alone.
    jefftego
  • Yes, it does seem bizarre... I can hear them now: 'let's discuss ways to protect this fragile environment... from exploitation by anyone but us.'
    JanforGore
  • Stopnoise: Thankyou.
    JanforGore
  • Good post.
    current89
  • Maybe by the time we have taken all the natural resources from here the ice will have melted from Antarctica and we can look to exploit resources from there. And by the time that is gone, maybe we will have the ability to exploit resources from other planets. Or maybe we can just find sustainable sources of energy and leave the arctic alone.
    jefftego
  • besides possible oil reserves, i'm really excited about the scientific discoveries to be had once the ice melts.

    i'm sure Santa's elf army will keep everyone in check.
    pressrecord
  • Good luck, have fun Russia.
    75thDeadMan
  • This will only be fun for those looking to make a profit off of exploiting a pristine wilderness and its species. And I fear this will only stall progress on working to mitigate the very conditions that caused the ice to melt in the first place. Personally, I don't see how anyone can look at this as a good thing.

    The Arctic is the mirror of our planet. Once that ice is gone there will be no more to reflect the sun's rays off into space, and that will cause the waters to become even warmer. We may already have reached a tipping point in ice melt in the Arctic, and it seems almost surreal that the only thing these governments are concerned about is which one of them will have dibs on the resources there. How will we ever see alternate energies as viable if we continue to look to new places to defoul and suck dry?

    And when the Arctic is dry, then where? Will we even be here by then? How much will we destroy to satisfy our addiction? No doubt about it: The human race needs an intervention.
    JanforGore
  • These scumbags will stop at nothing.
    Unless they kill themselves off, I fear something drastic may need to happen.
    onechance
  • Making agreements over resources is better than having wars over them.
    BentFranklin
  • Protecting and preserving the Arctic for future generations and the continued sustainability of this planet should be the foremost concern. And that means leaving it alone. With oil companies already exploring its coasts, I doubt that is what they will ultimately be doing.
    JanforGore
  • Great Post Jan! Thanks for watching over of things that really matters for all of us!
    stopnoise
  • Talks wont do much. If there is something there and someone stronger wants it- they're going to take it. Talks wont matter. (Although I wish they did)
    BetterWatching
  • Thank-you for keeping up on the word on the race for oil in Alaska/Artic. I admit I was worried when I read about Russia setting a flag down to the Artic seabed. I also wonder about DeBeers diamond mining up there. What kind of land mess they are doing?
    cibalin
  • There is hope for your planet yet...
    And Jan... You make it possible...
    PlanetBJR
  • There is nothing more important than preserving this planet's balance for us and our children. Without it we have nothing else and it all looks so insignificant. And what is happening in the Arctic is a test to the human race for sure. Will we work to preserve what we have left, or will we pillage it leaving ourselves thinking we have it all when we have nothing? Those countries that plant flags in ice beds need to reflect much more on the symbolism of it and the repercussions of it. I truly hope they do.
    JanforGore
  • Sadly, until and unless people are willing to insist on alternative energy solutions, and demand for energy from oil remains high, the destruction of the Arctic and is inevitable as are the concomitant effects on the environment, spcies depletion, and even Man. How many are willing to sacrifice and give up their way of life to preserve a place they've never seen and save animals they know only from books and zoos?
    barkway
  • Is it worse to have the worlds natural resources in the hands of the Middle East or Russia? That is a dangerous situation. Despite what people believe many of the world's problems are about oil and who has it.
    atommccree
  • Yes, so where are the people? Why do supporters of presidential candidates defend and cover for them instead of demanding they do the right thing? If we don't speak out now forcefully, how will they know what we want and what this planet needs? I am beginning to think that for all of their soundbites and their talk about global warming to keep up appearances that they don't really know themselves.
    Of course, that then goes back to the corporate interest stranglehold on Washington Dc. How can the people demand the right thing from politicians when corporations own them?

    And it is not really a "sacrifice" and perhaps it is the wording in this that is turning people off. In no way is preserving this planet a sacrifice to me. It is what is to be expected of us as stewards of her. I don't see it as sacrificing but bettering my own life and that of my child. How is planting a tree to absorb Co2 a sacrifice? Slowing down on the highway while driving to save gas which saves you money? Writing a letter to a representative to demand higher fuel standards? Installing bulbs and other devices that actually lower your electricity bill? The semantics of all of this I think has done a real mind job on people.They think they need to change their entire way of life to sustain it and that is simply not true. I would then say those not even willing to do those simple things then need to become more informed about what their lack of action will bring to their own children.
    JanforGore
  • The definition of sacrifice that I go with is when you give up one good for a greater good. We've got to think of the greater good i.e. preserving the planet for future generations. Actually, the planet will survive - human beings may not.
    philbangs
  • -- and the real irony is, that for the planet to survive, it may become essential that humans do not.
    shelchak
    1 response to this
  • I guess we all will eventully die according to them
    2thought
  • shelchak: Unfortunate but I have to at this point admit true.
    JanforGore
  • The Earth has acquired a natural predator. Mankind.
    Greg_Bunker

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