World powers scramble for control as melting ice uncovers valuable resources: 'They really want to just take more and more'

As the ice in the Arctic melts, countries are vying to access the resources that lie beneath it.

According to the BBC, "The melting ice in the Arctic makes it easier to access the region's incredible natural resources — critical minerals, oil, and gas — around 30% of untapped natural gas is said to be found in the Arctic." 

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What's happening?

The BBC also said, "Climate scientists say the Arctic is warming four times faster than anywhere else."

Countries are also keen to open up more shipping routes as the ice is melting, because it's shortening the time ships can get between Asia and Europe.

Many countries want a piece of the Arctic, including the U.S., Russia, China, and India.

Countries are seeing the financial benefits of the consequences of a warming planet. They aren't the only ones using the climate for business calculations.

NASA scientist Dr. Kate Marvel noted on the Pablo Torre Finds Out podcast, "Every insurance company has a climate scientist on staff. And insurance companies are all pricing in climate risk."  

Why is Arctic land important?

Indigenous communities are being affected by all the jockeying for their land.

Greenland Youth Activist Miyuki Daorana said, "It's something we call green colonialism or developmental aggression where they really want to just take more and more from lands."

She added, "[The Arctic] is not just a topic for us. It's not just an interest, it's not a study. It's literally our lives and real struggles and emotions and very unfair injustices."

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While melting ice already poses a threat to local communities, wildlife, and ecosystems, taking natural resources from the land adds another threat.

Russia, in particular, has seemed to be increasingly aggressive along its borders with Norway.

Oil and gas extraction has already hurt local communities in the U.S. According to The Wilderness Society, more than 12 million people live within half a mile of dirty energy production sites, and are exposed to pollution daily.

More than 12 million acres are being used for these facilities, which also take away from vegetation that people and wildlife use.

The Wilderness Society noted, "The damage is often irreversible." Once these sites are abandoned, it can take centuries for the land to recover. 

What's being done about Arctic land?

In Norway, at least, the country is making it difficult for other countries to claim land in the Arctic. It has enacted laws prohibiting the transfer of business if it poses a security risk to the country.

What's going on in the Arctic is not always typically what you think of when you think of threats caused by a warming planet. That's why it's vital to explore critical climate issues to understand how to combat them.

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