[Vision2020] Canada Upping Arctic Presence

[Ted Moffett]

All-

So as human induced global warming melts the arctic ice opening the
Northwest passage, along with allowing development of more potential oil and
gas resources, national sovereignty disputes erupt over the shipping lanes
and the exploitation of these fossil fuel resources, the use of which will
induce further human induced global warming.

And they call it "progress!"

Ted Moffett

On 7/14/07, Tom Hansen <thansen at moscow.com> wrote:
>
> First Iraq.  Then Iran.  Now Canada.
>
> Canada intends upon preserving its sovereign right over the Northwest
> Passage which is estimated to contain access to "25 percent of the world's
> undiscovered oil and gas."
>
> >From the July 10, 2007 edition of the Spokesman Review -
>
> "U.S. Ambassador David Wilkins has criticized Harper's promise to defend
> the
> Arctic, claiming the Northwest Passage as 'neutral waters.' But Wilkins
> declined to comment on Monday, said U.S. Embassy spokesman James Foster."
>
> ---------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Canada upping Arctic presence
>
> U.S.: Oil-rich area is international territory
> Rob Gillies
> Associated Press
> July 10, 2007
>
> TORONTO - Canada announced plans Monday to increase its Arctic military
> presence in an effort to assert sovereignty over the Northwest Passage - a
> potentially oil-rich region the United States claims is international
> territory.
>
> Prime Minister Stephen Harper said six to eight patrol ships will guard
> what
> he says are Canadian waters. A deep water port will also be built in a
> region the U.S. Geological Survey estimates has as much as 25 percent of
> the
> world's undiscovered oil and gas.
>
> "Canada has a choice when it comes to defending our sovereignty over the
> Arctic. We either use it or lose it. And make no mistake, this government
> intends to use it," Harper said. "It is no exaggeration to say that the
> need
> to assert our sovereignty and protect our territorial integrity in the
> North
> on our terms have never been more urgent."
>
> U.S. Ambassador David Wilkins has criticized Harper's promise to defend
> the
> Arctic, claiming the Northwest Passage as "neutral waters." But Wilkins
> declined to comment on Monday, said U.S. Embassy spokesman James Foster.
>
> As global warming melts the passage - which now is only navigable during a
> slim window in the summer - the waters are exposing unexplored resources
> such as oil, fishing stocks and minerals, and becoming an attractive
> shipping route. Commercial ships can shave off some 2,480 miles from
> Europe
> to Asia compared with current routes through the Panama Canal.
>
> The disputed route runs from the Atlantic to the Pacific through the
> Arctic
> archipelago. It gained historical fame among European explorers who longed
> to find the shorter route to Asia but found it rendered inhospitable by
> ice
> and weather.
>
> Canadians have long claimed the waters. But their government has generally
> turned a blind eye to the United States, which has sent naval vessels and
> submarines through what it considers an international strait.
>
> The U.N. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change says the ice cap is
> warming faster than the rest of the planet and ice is receding partly due
> to
> greenhouse gases.
>
> "The ongoing discovery of the north's resource riches coupled with the
> potential impact of climate change has made the region a growing area of
> interest and concern," Harper said.
>
> Professor Anthony D'Amato, who teaches international law at Northwestern
> University, said Canada's attempt to secure future economic gains as the
> area thaws and becomes more navigable was unlikely to change the
> international community's view of sovereignty in the area.
>
> "For Canada to now come in and take advantage of the ice break-up is just
> unacceptable," said D'Amato. "Just because there's a change in the weather
> doesn't mean there's a change in the law."
>
> ---------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Seeya round town, Moscow.
>
> Tom Hansen
> Moscow, Idaho
>
> "We're a town of about 23,000 with 10,000 college students. The college
> students are not very active in local elections (thank goodness!)."
>
> - Dale Courtney (March 28, 2007)
>
>
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