Geopolitics Of Melting Ice Essay

The inuit have to understand the natural patterns of Arctic wildlife because of global warming. Global warming is causing problems because the number

America needs to take advantage of the melting ice in the Arctic to access the massive energy resources there and utilize those energy resources to buy itself time to develop sustainable large-scale energy options including nuclear fusion. We simply need more time to develop a good plan, one that can be well executed and will give America a chance to avoid dependency on other countries in order to meet its energy needs. The strategy of utilizing Arctic energy will enable America to maintain a standard of living that is equivalent to what the present generation of Americans enjoy and is an obligation we owe to future generations.

At the present rate of global warming most of the frozen portions of the Arctic may disappear by the end of this century.

The polar ice caps are melting at a pace few nations can afford to ignore, which is yielding potentially profitable sources of energy, minerals, and shipping. But debate is building over whether the Arctic can be developed peaceably. In the 21st century, many experts believe that climate change, technological advances, and ever increasing global demand for resources unlock the economic potential of the Polar North. The melting of Arctic sea ice to record lows in recent years has motivated many nations, mainly those with Arctic Ocean coastlines, such as the United States, Canada, Russia, Norway, and Greenland to reassess their engagements and interests in the icy polar reaches. Canada’s

As global warming has helped dissipate the glaciers and icebergs of the Arctic region, new areas are becoming accessible for commercial shipping, fishing and energy development. The Arctic Council (since 1996) has therefore taken up the challenge of mapping out sovereign bodies to legally allocate and utilize the Arctic region’s vast bounds of natural resources; to settle territorial disputes between the primary Arctic Nations. Today, countries such as the UK are discontented by the fact that the Arctic is not being treated as a country which should be divided among the international community.

The world warmed by about 0.7°C in the 20th century. Every year in this century has been warmer than all but one in the last century (1998). If carbon-dioxide levels were magically to stabilize where they are now (almost 390 parts per million, 40% more than before the industrial revolution) the world would probably warm by a further half a degree or so as the ocean, which is slow to change its temperature, caught up. But CO2 levels continue to rise. All this affect the ice pack in the Arctic. As temperature rises, ice melts. This causes many problems.

The polar bear lives up in the Arctic region where global warming and climate change are melting the ice caps that the bears thrive on. They use the ice as a platform from hunting and rest. The random pocket holes in the ice, where the seals pop up at, is where the polar bear catches its prey. With this reduction of ice, “the abundance of seals, and increases the amount of energy and time needed for hunting, leaving less energy for reproduction” (Endangered Species and Habitats).

There are many advantages of exploitation in the Arctic these are just a few of many. One advantage is that since the Arctic holds up to one quarter of the world’s undiscovered gas and oil; by using this by the time we are running low on oil we can use the oil from the Arctic to keep society going.

the last thirty years three quarters of floating ice cover has been lost, which has greatly affected the Polar Bears. This has been due to our use of fossil fuels. This photograph was captured in order to send the message that Polar Bears are losing their homes on the rapidly melting ice caps due to global warming and change has to be done.

In Jimmy Carter's foreword Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, the former president addresses the importance of protecting and preserving the beautiful arctic wildlife. Carter urges the American people to take on this issue by: providing imagery of the Arctic to illustrate its beauty and diverse wildlife for the audience to visualize, stressing the importance of the wildlife refuge's relationship to the country's heritage, and pointing out its significance and impact to the country. With these topics, Carter builds a strong argument that draws in the audience and convinces them.

Did you know that because of global warming, “vast riches” may be within reach now in the Arctic? The nations are racing to get as many valuables they can. This may lead to war. The Arctic’s opportunity has been giving resources, a war has already begun, and it is affecting the indigenous people.

Glaciers are one of the most fundamental phenomenon on the planet, and much of their purpose and impact on earth has been well documented and published. Ice sheets, Ice Caps and Glaciers trap nearly 90% of the world's fresh water, and are replenished by snowfall each year. Their existence on this planet dates back 650,000,000 years and yet they are always moving, always shifting and always melting. Before, human existence and even during the brief era of humans, ice dominated all of the earth's landmass and have regulated, created and altered many of the landscapes around the world.

Arctic sea ice has receded dramatically as a result of rising temperatures, and this will continue (Johannessen, Miles). As sea ice melts natural resources, sea life, and trade routes will become more accessible to humans. While conflict over Arctic regions remains confined to terms set in international agreements, countries with access to the Arctic are increasing their military presence in the region to control trade, extract natural resources, and secure their nations. Expect these trends to continue, as countries with Arctic access cement their claims with international treaties rather than military might.

Other components of new international agreements should also address the chief concern for polar bears. Perhaps this can be another mechanism to assist in promoting the reduction of emissions and rallying enhanced scientific research objectives to pursue alternative energies between the five Arctic nations. However, environmental changes affecting the Arctic are not expected to stop in the immediate future and are fixed for several decades regardless of reductions in emissions and polar bears must prepare to deal with habitat loss (Laidre, et al., 2015). The sovereignty issue over potential resources after the ice melts should also be an integral part of these new international agreements. There should be discussion over restricted industrial development and shipping routes that may affect polar bears for the future habitat structure of the Arctic

The Arctic is global warming’s canary in the coal mine. It is a highly sensitive area which is profoundly affected by the changing climate. The average temperature in the Arctic is rising twice as fast as elsewhere in the world (nrdc.org). Because of this, the ice cap is getting thinner, melting away, and rupturing. Here is an example of this; the largest ice block in the Arctic, the Ward Hunt Ice Shelf, had been around for 3000 years before it started cracking in 2000 (nrdc.org) By 2002, the Ward Hunt has cracked completely through and had started breaking into smaller pieces. The melting ice caps are affecting the earth and its inhabitants in many ways. In this paper, the following concepts and subjects will be