A Polar Silk Road? by DW Documentary
Geschreven op 27-9-2019 - Erik van Erne. Geplaatst in Klimaat
Climate change in the Arctic is fueling not only fear, but also hope. Sea levels will rise and flood many regions. But the melting ice will also expose new land with reserves of oil, gas and minerals. New sea routes are also emerging.
The melting of the ice in the far north has given reason for great optimism, as newly-found mineral resources promise the Inuit a better life. But international corporations and self-proclaimed ‘partners’ such as China also have their eye on the treasures of the Arctic.
Some even dream of a polar Silk Road. As large corporations position themselves to exploit the treasures of the far north, the indigenous people, the Inuit, are fighting for their independence.
The film team spent four weeks with a geological expedition to the north coast of Canada - a place where no human has ever set foot before - and were present at the geologists world’s northernmost spring. A microbiologist with them also collected DNA samples that could help in the development of new vaccines against resistant germs. However, the most important resource in the far north is still fish: Greenland supplies half the world with it, yet it still doesn’t bring in enough to finance necessary investments in its underdeveloped infrastructure. And in Canada, the Inuit are also struggling with their government for the right to share in the wealth of their own land.
See also: China’s New Silk Road by DW Documentary
Erik van Erne zegt:
28 oktober 2019 om 12:47 | Permalink
Chinese cargo ships sail along Arctic routes as Beijing plans Polar Silk Road
There are currently two routes: the Northeast Passage in the Arctic Ocean, which is the shortest route connecting northeast Asia and western Europe, and the Northwest Passage, which runs along Canada’s northern coast.