Published August 19, 2007 in the Hibbing Daily Tribune
By now you might have heard of the international battle for the North Pole. Those who paid attention during their elementary school geography lessons remember that the North Pole sits on a permanent sheet of extremely thick ice long considered international waters. Below the ice and water, however, lies a sea bed bulging with oil and other valuable resources that may now be extracted thanks to the ironic melting of the ice above.
In early August, Russia sent an ice cutting
ship to the
North Pole and dispatched a small submarine to plant a Russian flag in
the sea
bed directly below the official North Pole up on the ice surface.
Russian
officials say this solidifies their longstanding claim that Russia owns
the
North Pole.
Before I begin, I have to give myself props for calling this one back in February 2006 when I wrote about the Denmark’s efforts to claim the Arctic for oil and the United States efforts to open the Northwest Passage for submarines and freight. No one was madder than the Canadians who have vast land holdings north of the Arctic Circle. Back then, Canada was talking tough, too. But I have to wonder if they weren’t a little more confident saber rattling with Denmark than they are now with Russia. I’d rather face off against a quasi-Scandinavian social democracy than an ex-Super Power with an aging infrastructure of world-ending nuclear weaponry operated by nostalgic ex-Communists. Though I hear the Danes are tall and enjoy longer life expectancies.
As soon as Russia announced their plans to
“claim” the
pole, the United States planned to send one of its Coast Guard cutters
to
establish a presence in the area as well. Canada, however, does not
have the
kind of ships necessary to defend this vast territory even though it
might well
have the best claim. So. Canada. Had to have that universal health
care, eh?
Just think how much oil you could have had instead if you had invested
that
money in an ice cutting warship. We’ve got, like, 15 of them. No one
here likes
going to the doctor anyway.
All of us in industrialized nations have been living fat for too long. Back in the old days dueling claims on territory and water passages would create an instant world war that would senselessly kill millions. Now cable news anchors grin like showgirls to say things like “Coming up: Looks like an international showdown over Santa’s Workshop. But first, Britney Spears fights for custody.” Instead of people, millions of brain cells die senselessly (OK, probably billions).
I suppose it’s nice that we can chuckle at a
large
industrialized country sticking a flag in the ocean floor to claim
territory,
but it does open up a lot of questions. When the polite laughter ends
who will
control the world’s resources? Or is it better to leave the North
Pole’s
basement alone and develop renewable energy and new base materials here
on the
surface?
Here in northern Minnesota we may find ourselves on the front lines of a Really Cold War. At some point, wars really will be fought over raw resources like fresh water and fuel. The Great Lakes states and Canada will be as important then as the Middle East is now. One thing remains certain. Canada: get your game on. Right now most of your population is bunched along your southern border. It’s time to send half of them to your northern border with heavy coats, submarines and a waterproof flag.
Aaron J. Brown is a columnist for the Hibbing Daily Tribune.