The Arctic an incredibly rich area. It is about the same geographic size as the African continent – about 6% of Earth’s surface area – yet it holds an estimated 22 percent of Earth’s oil and natural gas resource. Most of this the Arctic is poorly explored for oil and natural gas. The United States Geological Survey estimates that the Arctic contains approximately 13 percent of the world’s undiscovered conventional oil resources and about 30 percent of its undiscovered conventional natural gas resources.
The Arctic is estimated to have over 90 billion barrels of oil reserves, 30% of the world’s untapped natural gas, and around one trillion dollars’ worth of rare earth minerals.
Greenland is a main front of the Arctic cold war. It has a US Space base and US air fields. It has about 60 billion barrels of oil. It has hundreds of billions in rare earth minerals. It is a key part of Arctic shipping routes.
The Arctic region has become a focal point of international interest and competition. As climate change melts the polar ice cap, new shipping routes are opening, and vast reserves of natural resources are becoming accessible. This has led to a scramble among nations to secure their interests in the Arctic, with Russia, China, the United States, Canada, and European countries all vying for influence and control.
The Arctic is becoming increasingly militarized.
In 2018, China linked its Arctic activities to its One Belt, One Road initiative underscoring its strategic ambition toward the region’s vast quantities of rare earth minerals, hydrocarbons, and fisheries.
Close to 25% of Russia’s gross domestic product comes from the Arctic region. Reflecting this, Russia is expected to continue investing in the region to advance its economy and bolster national identity. Russia’s recent Arctic initiatives include
refurbishing airfields and infrastructure, creating new bases, and developing an integrated network of air defense, coastal missile systems, and early warning radars to secure its northern approaches. Russia seeks to regulate maritime traffic on
the Northern Sea Route in ways that may exceed its authority permitted under international law.
Space Key to Arctic
Space assets (satellites like SpaceX Starshield and Starlink) reduce the need for a physical footprint in the demanding Arctic operating environment while supporting ISR, missile defense, satellite command and control, and all-domain awareness.
Shipping – Competition for Arctic Shipping Routes
The melting of Arctic sea ice is opening up new shipping routes that could significantly reduce transit times and costs between Asia, Europe, and North America. This has intensified competition among nations for control and access to these strategically important routes. The Arctic Ocean has shorter trade routes between 80 percent of the most industrialized nations, leading to less fuel consumption, reduced carbon emissions, and faster transportation of goods.
Northern Sea Route (NSR)
Russia has been actively promoting the Northern Sea Route (NSR) along its northern coast as a viable alternative to the Suez Canal. The NSR offers a shorter route between Europe and Asia, potentially reducing travel time by 10-15 days. Russia has invested heavily in infrastructure development along the NSR, including new ports, icebreakers, and navigation systems. Russia’s dominance in icebreakers, with a fleet of 40, gives it a significant advantage in navigating the icy waters of the NSR.
Northwest Passage (NWP)
The Northwest Passage (NWP) through the Canadian Arctic Archipelago offers a shorter route between Asia and the east coast of North America. However, it remains more challenging to navigate due to ice conditions and limited infrastructure. Canada claims sovereignty over the NWP, but the United States and other countries consider it an international strait.
Transpolar Sea Route (TSR)
A potential future route, the Transpolar Sea Route (TSR) would connect the Atlantic and Pacific oceans across the central Arctic Ocean. This route would offer the shortest distance but is currently not navigable due to ice conditions. However, as climate change continues to melt Arctic sea ice, the TSR could become a viable shipping route in the future, potentially reshaping global trade patterns and giving certain countries a strategic advantage17. The United States faces the challenge of balancing economic access to the TSR with the need to maintain a military presence and contain Russia’s ambitions in the region, a concept known as the Arctic Trilemma.
Brian Wang is a Futurist Thought Leader and a popular Science blogger with 1 million readers per month. His blog Nextbigfuture.com is ranked #1 Science News Blog. It covers many disruptive technology and trends including Space, Robotics, Artificial Intelligence, Medicine, Anti-aging Biotechnology, and Nanotechnology.
Known for identifying cutting edge technologies, he is currently a Co-Founder of a startup and fundraiser for high potential early-stage companies. He is the Head of Research for Allocations for deep technology investments and an Angel Investor at Space Angels.
A frequent speaker at corporations, he has been a TEDx speaker, a Singularity University speaker and guest at numerous interviews for radio and podcasts. He is open to public speaking and advising engagements.
Trumps comments, are vulgar, insulating and terrifying. To understand Trump you have to see (and observed over many years, unless you’ve been living under a rock), he has NO boundaries. No decency, respect for others, the rule of law, ANY interests but his own. He’s terrifying. Question’s please, for Trump voters. Was it “one issue, or statement he made”, that made you vote for him? His BS? (Saying things objectivity NOT true, but you liked what you heard?) Follow up w/that: Some people LIKE being bull s*****. If it perhaps supports but importantly, DOES NOT THREATEN what they WANT to believe? It has nothing to do when it comes to facts (translation: events that actually happened, which today, is NOT hard to get).
One big difference, between people defined as “right or left wing”, is a fundamental mindset. Far right wing people think of themselves as victims. Of that person, party, phases of the moon, who knows. All their unhappy realities, are NEVER their fault. IT MUST BE THEM!!. Scary? It should be when so many feel so helpless. No one is helpless, unless one choses to blame everyone else, for their own life. Yes, sometimes you get f*****. And if I get f*****? That person better hope I enjoy it.
The “mindset” is different “on the left”. They see problems and try to solve them (let me explain, I’m both left, and right of center. A moderate. Not reactionary or revolutionary. I believe in practical solutions to REAL problems). That said many on the “gentle left”, want to solve problems, not just bitch about them. OK, some of their ideas/solutions are, IMO, wacko. Some are creative, but not practical (for technical or political reasons), others are brilliant but they can’t get “the right people” to listen. But their more interested in solving problems, then bitching about them. I like that.
Thank you.
That was hilariously bad. For a start, you compared “far right wing people” not with “far left wing people” but just a general “mindset” that’s “on the left”. Nice strawman, er, person. Then there’s that howler – “The left aren’t reactionary or revolutionary.” I LMFAOed so much I couldn’t read the rest for the tears of laughter squirting out my eyes. Try visiting planet Earth sometime!
The world is changing. Renewables are already the cheapest option. They make nations’ energy secure and save them billions of foreign currency by not importing fossil fuels. Climate change is driving insurance companies out of key US states.
We are looking at yesterday’s industries by focusing on Greenland oil and gas.
This doesn’t change Greenland’s geopolitical strategic position.
The US has had military bases in northern Canada and Greenland just by having reasonably friendly relations with Canada & Denmark.
Every previous POTUS has managed that by not being a total a$$hole, unlike Trump.
Looks like an epic land grab: Canada + Greenland + shelf makes about half the Arctic. This progression asks for continuation: + Swalbard (which not Norway by treaty, whatever Norway may have like to say while no one really cared) + shelf around it, makes for about two-thirds of Arctic. In the end, two great powers will divide Arctic exclusively between them, while peasants will shut up and go home.
For those who have not noticed, this Trump’s land grab idea is not an anomaly, but a belated and rushed entry of USA into the era of power play for redrawing the map, and the unceremonious end of “international law” and all the peasants’ bs. You may not know this, but UN (International Seabed Authority) actually owns deep sea floor, and everyone must ask permission to mine it or do anything meaningful there. Question is: how many destroyers and attack subs does UN have to back that up? Zero. That is why peasants’ bs game is over and done, and Trump just wants his cut before others take everything.
So “as climate change melts the polar ice cap” we should….burn huge amounts of fossil fuel that used to be under the ice cap?
I dunno, for some reason I’m not convinced that’s actually a good idea.
Agree totally stupid , make no sense
The rest of the educated world agrees with you.