Arctic: Norway-Russia conflicts on oil etc.

This is a video about polar bears in Svalbard in Norway.

Not only in Alaska are there conflicts on the beautiful Arctic region.

See:

Growing international tension over the Arctic

By Niall Green

23 November 2005

Strained relations between Norway and Russia in the Arctic region have in recent months produced a series of territorial and environmental disputes.

Though this has mainly expressed itself in conflicting claims over fishing rights, both countries are vying to control oil and gas extraction and transportation rights in the still largely pristine Arctic Ocean.

The Arctic region is estimated to contain 40 billion barrels of oil and as much as a quarter of the world’s natural gas reserves.

Due to the extreme environmental conditions, polar drilling has been considered largely uneconomical until recently.

However, Arctic reserves are now being considered more seriously as other oil and gas fields become exhausted.

See also here.

NATO chiefs met in Reykjavik on Thursday to discuss the threat of future resource wars over the thawing Arctic circle: here.

Mounting tensions between Canada and Russia over control of the immense natural resources of the Arctic and a potential transcontinental Arctic seaway, the Northwest Passage, have found expression in recent weeks in a series of diplomatic spats: here.

Things are heating up in the Arctic. Several large military exercises undertaken by the United States and NATO are proof of growing tensions between the major powers: here.

Warm Arctic 55 million years ago: here.

Polar bears and global warming: here.

The Canadian military is planning to conduct “anti-submarine warfare” exercises during its annual Arctic sovereignty operation, which begins this week near Baffin Island: here.

NATO will need a military presence in the Arctic as global warming melts frozen sea routes and major powers rush to lay claim to lucrative energy reserves, the military bloc’s chief said Thursday: here.

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