Canada's prime minister Stephen Harper is in talks with President Bush right now, and Harper is asserting his nation's claim to the Northwest Passage through the warming, resource-rich Arctic. An ice-free North Pole would offer important new shipping lanes and an estimated 175 billion barrels of oil and 912 trillion cubic feet of natural gas. Russia and Denmark are also staking their claims to the Arctic, but the United States insists it is international territory. Journalist McKenzie Funk joins us from an Alaskan icebreaker to talk about why cashing in on global warming could become the Great Game of the 21st century. Funk is the author of an article in the September issue of Harper's Magazine called "Cold Rush: The Coming Fight for the Melting North."
Guests:
McKenzie Funk
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Comments [5]
The artic circle belongs to America...
Interesting topic. Great radio piece - the ambient sound of the ice-breaker crashing through the arctic sea ice was wonderful, felt like i was there.
The US to raid Canada? Ali G suggested that to Gen. Brent Scowcroft during their interview in Season 1 of Da Ali G Show!
Depressing. That is all I can say.
Its reassuring North America's three executive powers are convening so readily to discuss this issue, but an urgent, meaningful policy debate about dealing with global warming itself as the threat it really constitutes remains to be seen.
What a pity it has come to this-- slicing up the North Pole like a little commodities pie with the same mentality that informed 19th century Imperialist slave traders and colony governors.
In fact, it is truly depressing.
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