Ice sheet on North Pole is shrinking and with that the claims to occupy the oil rich area are spiraling. Among Arctic states, Russia now comes with a new logic that its Northern Arctic is connected to the North Pole via an underwater shelf.
The north pole region is a no man’s land where the five Arctic states (Russia, the US, Canada, Norway and Denmark) are restricted to 200 miles around their coasts.
The bone of contention between these countries is 10bn tones of gas and oil deposits that every Arctic country is eyeing. Russia, of course, is impatient to add the reserves to its fuel rich coffers to secure its hegemony over having the richest gas reserves and being the second largest exporter of oil in the global energy market.
The shelf is merely 200 meters deep wherein oil and gas can be dug easily. On other hand, global warming is making the job easier. Great! Go ahead squeeze the universe into a ball and roll it towards an overwhelming question of human existence. However, man wants to get quick deserts even at the expense of a larger future problem.
Arctic nations are inclined to disobey their own signed treaty whereby a country has the rights to exploit 200 miles only. With this endeavor, the situation will be out of hand in no time - but who cares - not at least Russia who sees its own bright future in short run.
Image credit: Naturalist
Source: Guardian Unlimited
