John: New research shows that
climate change is causing the
Earth's ice sheets to shrink
much faster than previously
thought -- the annual rate of
sea ice loss has more than
tripled since the 1990's.
In the arctic, melting ice is
raising geopolitical tensions,
kickstarting a race for
potentially priceless minerals,
oil deposits and shipping
routes.
Lisa Desjardins takes us into
the global contest at the top of
the world.
Lisa: Ice in the arctic is
getting thinner by the day.
The endless, thick ridges of ice
and landscapes of snow are on
the way to being things of the
past.
That thinning is transforming,
making the arctic easier to
navigate, drill and mine,
bringing new possibilities.
Pres. Biden: The energy that's
going to be produced there
estimated would account to 1%,
1% of the total production of
oil in the world.
Lisa: But it's also bringing new
problems.
Edward: It's warming up four
times faster than any other part
of the world.
Lisa: Edward Struzik is with the
institute for energy and
environmental policy at queen's
university in Canada.
He's journeyed to the arctic
almost every year for the last
four decades.
Edward: I was in the arctic last
summer and what struck me was
the number of exploration sites,
rare Earth mining exploration
sites that dotted the landscape.
Lisa: And more are coming.
Sen. Murkowski: This is an
extraordinarily significant
project for the state of Alaska.
Dan: This is a really important
question, not just for Alaska,
but for America.
Lisa: Last month the Biden
administration gave final
approval for the willow drilling
project long sought by one of
, the country's biggest oil
companies, conoco Phillips.
On the one hand, it could be an
economic boon including an
, estimated $8 to $17 billion
for state and federal
governments, but environmental
and indigenous groups estimate
the oil produced will add
emissions equal to an extra 1.7
million cars on the road for 30
years.
Karen: This nation has a great
opportunity to invest in the
things that could build a
stronger economy, that could
help us be more prepared for the
impacts of climate change, that
can demonstrate our moral
authority and leadership in the
world.
Lisa: Alaskan Karen pletnikoff
runs the environment and safety
program at the aleutian pribilof
islands association, an area
directly affected by projects
like willow.
Pletnikoff worries how opening
up this region could impact
indigenous communities there.
Karen: The unangax people have
been on our islands and waters
for 10,000 years.
We want to see another 10,000
years.
Lisa: But now some world powers
increasingly are eyeing the
arctic and glaring at one
another.
Look at the map.
On one side of the arctic sits
Greenland, Canada, and the U.S.
Add up their northernmost
coastlines and they still fall
short of Russia's arctic border
of 15,000 miles -- 53% of the
arctic frontier.
And with Moscow's invasion of
Ukraine, Russia is moving away
from collaboration.
Edward: The Russians have been a
signatory to many international
agreements on monitoring
climate, weather, pollution,
search and rescue, polar bear
research, whale research,
peatland ecology.
And I find it really kind of
tragic, you know, that the
geography of hope is now turning
into the geography of despair.
Lisa: As Russia's slips away
from diplomatic ties, its
military forces are expanding.
In February, Russian bombers
flew over the bering sea, close
to Alaska and Canada's borders.
U.S. And nato allies responded
last month with a joint military
exercise in Norway.
It is a climate-driven, military
posture.
Prof. Klare: The arctic is
becoming very important as a
future battlefield.
Lisa: Michael Klare is the
author of "All hell breaking
loose" about the military and
climate change.
Prof. Klare: The more we look
into the future, climate change
is going to have an increasingly
severe impact U.S. -- On U.S.
National security.
And, of course, the arctic is
one area where that's especially
the case.
Lisa: That thought is echoing in
the halls of congress.
Alaska senator Lisa murkowski
recently warned --
sen. Murkowski: The reality is
that the threats that that we're
watching very very carefully --
where are they?
It's Russia.
It's China.
We are the eyes and ears.
We are protecting that front
line.
Prof. Klare: Remember the
balloon that came over the
United States, went across
Alaska on its way to the U.S.
Because that's the way planes or
missiles or balloons will travel
from China to the United States
or from Russia to the united
States.
The arctic is the shortest
route.
Lisa: Arctic water routes,
appearing for the first time in
recorded history, could cut
global shipping distances by
over 4000 miles -- about 2 weeks
of precious travel time.
Claims of ownership and
sovereignty are already being
tested in these new open waters.
For example, Canada claims
jurisdiction over the northwest
passage, but that ownership is
challenged by the U.S. And
others.
Edward: If China decides at some
point that they're going to test
those waters and pass through
what is Canada going to do?
, Prof. Klare: For China, the
arctic is important because it's
the leading shipper of goods,
imports and exports in the
world.
And a passage through the arctic
from the pacific ocean to the
atlantic ocean would be
extremely useful to them if that
were to open up.
Lisa: Is the whole map going to
change?
Will maps in the future look
significantly different?
Prof. Klare: I think we are
going to be looking at the map
differently.
There will be more traffic,
there'll be cruise ships going
into the arctic, more fishing
will be there.
And of course, you have this
military competition occurring
in a place where where that
never occurred before.
Lisa: The old arctic ice pack
stood and was elected the
isolated for thousands upon
thousands of years.
But now a new arctic is a modern
flashpoint for the world's
biggest struggles over resources
and the future of the Earth
itself.
For "Pbs news weekend," I'm Lisa
Desjardins.
♪♪