Global Arctic

About this book As the Arctic undergoes strident change, it is becoming a hotly contested region attracting unprecedented international attention. Rising temperatures, accessibility to vital resources, questions of sovereignty and jurisdiction, and the need to secure national interests in a global e [...]
Visa längre beskrivning

About this book As the Arctic undergoes strident change, it is becoming a hotly contested region attracting unprecedented international attention. Rising temperatures, accessibility to vital resources, questions of sovereignty and jurisdiction, and the need to secure national interests in a global era has led to a host of states vying for Arctic dominance. Global Arctic puts the scramble for Arctic dominance in the context of sovereignty and jurisdiction, the supply of energy for expanding economies, sea lanes and the question of navigation, and the elements of militarization and securitization dispersed across a variety of Northern corridors. These and other questions are addressed: Do current trends over Arctic resource desires mean the securitization or militarization of this comparably less travelled area? How, and to what extent, will the prognosticated increases in Arctic interests influence the militarization of its contiguous regions? How have geopolitical and energy related issues pegged the Russian Federation against the United States (US), Canada, Greenland, Norway, Denmark, and Iceland?How does the establishment of current legal frameworks such as those established under the watchful eye of the United Nations prefigure in the adjudication of this dangerous contest? They illustrate how contesting claims are being brought inextricably to the forefront of international politics. Deployment of Arctic states' military forces to defend their claims, has begun. Ongoing military training, the development of formidable warships, and the construction of powerful icebreakers, suggests the future of the Arctic will be defined more so by competition and conflict rather than partnership and amity. Despite rhetoric by Canada, Russia, Norway, the United States, and Denmark that peaceful and cooperative efforts will define the future of the region, its value cannot be ignored.