essence of possible arctic war in the future

 essence of possible arctic war in the future

The artic dispute is an exclusive economic zone that involves water, territorial seas, high seas above the Arctic Circle, and land. Zones experiencing such a unique nature include the United States, Russia, Norway, Iceland, Canada, Finland, and Sweden. For the conventional functioning system among these governments, there must be laws guiding the regions named above to avoid constant conflict. Therefore, this paper talks about the arctic dispute involving territorial claims, economic reasons, extraction of natural resources, Trump wanting to buy Greenland, China backing Russia to beat the US, and the impact on the ecosystem while the world still depends on gas and oil. The thesis statement depicted in this context describes the essence of possible arctic war in the future. That constant measure and guidelines should be enacted to promote peace across these countries.

Territorial Claims

Over the years, there have been claims on the ownership of the northern region in the sense that countries bordering these arctic regions want to have a portion of it. In early 2007, Russia led a submarine and planted a tricolor beneath the North Pole in a manner likely to suggest that the region marked Russian tricolor belongs to Russia. However, explorers from all countries are set to view these regions because of unfounded facts about the riches involved in the area. Norway and Russia were at conflict over ownership of these regions, and the arctic council who were influential in such matters settled the dispute. Late during the same year, Denmark emerged claiming the North Pole regions of the arctic in the sense that Greenland covers nine thousand square kilometers of the northern area and that Greenland is a part of Denmark. Also, the UN convention laws of the sea (UNCLOS) emphasized the above notion in 2004, and later Russia came into conflict with Denmark over ownership of the arctic region.

In other countries’ defense such as Canada, they play a significant role in sovereign assertion over parts of the continental scope in a manner likely to suggest that they are extending their continental shelf. In this regard, in December 2013, Canada forwarded their claim to UNCLOS that they deserve a part of the continental slope in the North Pole. Peter Mackey, the foreign affairs minister in Canada, established that Russia is fooling themselves thinking that if they mark the north pole with a Russian tricolor, then the portion belongs to the Russians. This narrative shows that there arctic disputes over territorial claims among the countries. The United States, on the other hand, sent its coast guard to mark seas floors of Alaska in the Arctic Ocean to administer claims over their region in the northern part. However, the US claimed that the marking is for geographical purpose and that they were not influenced by Russia’s move of planting their flag at the North Pole in the northern region. The narrative mentioned above among the named countries establishes that there territorial claims that can easily lead to arctic war in the future without proper guidance.

Economic reasons (EEZ)

The climatic conditions in the northern regions are changing fast due to attributes such as global warming across the globe. The ice caps and sheets are melting due to high temperatures emerging in the North Pole. With the rapid increase in temperature across these nations, countries believe that there are riches and resources to be explored. Also, states have been fighting over the same unfounded reasons and perception of riches for over one hundred years, and today nations are not ready to stop fighting over the perceived riches in the region. Many countries have adhered to laws, regulations, cooperation, and treaties over the past years, but when it comes to massive exploration of resources, conflict arises, primarily in developed countries.

In this regard, based on the subtopic economic reasons describes the idea of exclusive economic zones in the sense that despite other laws and regulations governing these countries, the economic reasons might lead to arctic war. Therefore, economic reason becomes one of the major conflicts and territorial claims over the northern region leading to arctic disputes. As described in the economic reasons, depict the exclusive economic zones (EEZ) involving living and non-living resources that these nations are eager to explore. The living resources include fisheries in most cases, and the non-living things involve the subsoil and the seabed. These are natural resources claimed to be in the North Pole, among others that are yet unfounded. One of the man exploration activities that can help in the growth of these countries is the production of energy from the water and current winds that can be used as energy production in windmills. Additionally, with unfounded natural resources, some countries believe that the bedrocks of the sea can be explored to mine oil and even gas soon. Despite being developed countries, these countries still want to have sustainable surplus resources hence the arctic dispute.

Extraction of natural resources and climate change being a factor

In no uncertain term, will one believe that the northern dispute is of the right course? People in the contemporary world believe that the reason behind the conflict is the extraction of natural resources. Such areas, such as the North Pole that are unexplored, are always full of supplies. The unfound funds in these regions involve gas, oil, and fisheries in other parts of the northern region. For example, fisheries, the arctic dispute has emerged in the past years because most of these countries believe that there is surplus production of fish in the northern region, especially the arctic ocean that the US has already marked in Alaska. Countries believe that the extraction of such resources, such as fish, will enhance sustainability in fish production in years and future storage. Oil and gas are also not an exception because these resources influence the economic revenue of most countries. When one extract oil from the northern region, then the country will have massive oil storage and production for years, thus the essence of arctic dispute among the countries mentioned above.

In light of climate change, global warming has become the primary factor in facilitating influence in arctic disputes across the globe. Global warming has affected the northern disagreement in a manner likely to suggest that there are shifts in marine species that the climatic conditions are moving twice as not expected. These climatic changes have influenced socioeconomic alteration, especially in fishery governance and policy formulation among arctic countries. Additionally, climatic change has also led to diminishing ice covers and ice caps in the Arctic Ocean, thus facilitating how people view the arctic region. In this prospect, most of these countries believe that the northern part is a region that will promote social development and investments in the future. Aspects such as globalization that affect the northerners and the indigenous people in the area will influence policy formulation upon the realization of resources in the arctic region, thus enabling arctic dispute in this context.

Trump wanting to buy Greenland

The idea that the President of the United States wants to buy the fortress Greenland has creating diplomatic rows over the past years. His obsession with the location is still unfounded in the sense that people believe that it is absurd and that they do not have a clue on whether the US will benefit from it or it is for personal gain. It is believed that Greenland is linked with the shipping business in the North Atlantic regions that are melting due to increasing temperatures hence increase in geopolitical in the US. Greenland is located in Denmark and that the main economic activities are tourism and fishing with vast land natural resources such as iron ore, copper, zinc, coal, and other minerals. Trump believes that the opening lines of shipping in Greenland due to the melting ice caps have influenced massive trading activities in the contemporary world. Mette Frederiksen, the Danish Prime Minister, believes that it is not logical for the US to buy the land just as it did with Alaska. Other countries such as China are in a position to block such moves by the US, perceiving that it will challenge their dominance in iron and metal production across the globe.

Greenland is a quarter size of the US and that the President of the US believes that like President Andrew Johnson, who engineered the purchase of Alaska from Russia centuries back. The move that Trump is about to make will challenge countries such as China and Russia in the sense that Russia will not be able to renew its military contract and ambitions in the region. And the Chinese government will not monopolize the production of metal in the contemporary world. Also, the deeper harbors of Greenland have rare metals such as dysprosium, neodymium, terbium, and praseodymium. Countries need economic independence and that the US believed that China is the sole supplier of precious metals used to make computers, mobile phones, and even electric cars. But when the Chinese started exploring parts of Africa for their resources, Trump advisors believe that it essential to purchase Greenland. The initiative mentioned above vividly establishes that there is an arctic dispute among the countries and even other nations who do not border the polar regions.

China backing Russia to beat the US

It is another new cold war in a manner likely to suggest that China, Russia, and the US are in the race to control the trillion-dollar initiative in the arctic region. It is a cold region and that the Russian government has control of over thirty-five trillion worth through its military and economic dominance in the area. The estimated net worth is due to the untapped natural gas and oil that is unfounded in the region. China, on the other hand, has joined the competitive race announcing its ambitions in building a polar silk road through the open sea lanes that will influence economic opportunities across the world. The untapped fuel and related minerals in the region involve diamond, silver, gold, graphite, copper, titanium, among other rare metals of the earth. These countries believe that with the melting ice in the region, the crystals will not be out of reach, and it will be easier to excavate them.

It is the race of arctic riches that has influenced China to back Russia and beat the US in the initiative of acquiring arctic wealth in the North Pole. For example, when Yamal LNG Company was sanctioned in Russia by the US, the Chinese government helped with a twelve billion dollar financing initiative that saw the company finish its projects. Close to one trillion dollars is needed to achieve a successful outcome and that Russia has three hundred billion worth of projects in the regions, and it is the leading country, which frontiers this initiative. Their economic and military prowess is what has influenced China to join hands with the nation and beat the US in achieving arctic wealth. Guggenheim, a company associated with Russia and is in Russia, has close to one hundred billion upfront for its projects that will influence the growth of Russia as a whole. This narrative has led to arctic disputes as the US has not been left behind. The US has tried to confiscate areas such as Alaska, where they have their infrastructures in place to begin their exploitations. On the other hand, countries such as Canada and Finland have their proposals on investments and infrastructure in the polar region. Besides, China does not have territorial claims over the northern region, but their presence boosts arctic disputes, thus fueling arctic war break out.

The world still depends on oil and gas (Impact on the ecosystem)

It is essential to note that the world is still dependent on oil and gas. As described earlier, oil and gas are the driving force for a country’s economic prowess in the contemporary world. Oil and gas are used in our day to day activities, especially in cars, cooking materials, power engines, industries, and other companies. It is what drives, and economic and country rich in oil is termed as one of the most powerful nations in the continent. Therefore, it is vital to note that the world still depends on these natural resources. However, these natural resources have an impact on the ecosystem. These are some of the effects caused by oil and gas in the world today, the incorporate global warming, depletion of the ozone layer, water pollution, especially in seas, lakes, and oceans, increase greenhouse gas emissions leading to climate change, and vessel combustion of engines. The narrative mentioned in this case shows both environmental and physical effects in our ecosystems.

In conclusion, the arctic dispute is a narrative that has been influenced by various factors, but according to the context, what stems out the most in the race to arctic wealth and exploration of natural resources. As described earlier, countries in the arctic region are Russia, the US, Canada, Finland, Denmark, and Norway at large. These are the countries that are at cold war with each other with the influence of the Chinese government and their resources. Over the past years, the arctic dispute has been there, but the one people see today has raised lots of eyebrows among individuals. Aspects such as climate change have facilitated the exploration of the northern region in the sense that global warming has facilitated the melting of ice caps in the area, thus making it easier for countries like Russia to initiate projects in those places. Additionally, Russia has dominated over all other countries in terms of human resources, military, economic, and financial resources. They have also planted their flag at the North Pole that signifies their territory, thus facilitating territorial ownership as described. Therefore, it is essential to note all the attributes facilitating the arctic dispute as described in this context.