World

The Arctic Conflict

Whose Land is it Anyway?

The earth keeps getting warmer and warmer, and with its bad comes its good. The good, you ask? Well, ice caps are melting in the Arctic and this creates the ability to access the grounds under the previously thick ices. The Russians already stuck their flag on the Arctic seafloor, claiming it as their own. Canada, Norway, and Denmark are getting in as well, trying to take possession over the seafloor, but the biggest rival to Russia is, of course, none other than the USA.

What’s so special About the Arctic Seafloor?

Oil and gas. Russia and US both probed the seafloor and have discovered copious tracesof oil and gas. With the rapidly growing shortage of oil (mostly in the Western World) has made oil the most profitable business in the world. The war in Iraq and OPEC both have been either committed or created due to that oil deficit, and now if those nations can find ways to be eco-friendly in probing the seabed for oil, then it can lower the price of oil and gas. Now what conflict can arise due to the rivalry between Russia and US for the Arctic seabed? If everything goes well then they’ll split the boundaries and both the superpowers will receive their share. But if Russia decides not to share, then it might lead to another Cold War, or if things escalate even more (most likely if McCain wins) then it might lead to an all out war.

The Ecosystem: Oh the Horror, the Horror

The ecosystem in the Arctic is extremely sensitive and when they probe the seafloor, they need to be very careful not to create more pollution and trap more greenhouses gasses in our atmosphere. With the world we live in today, most likely these precautions will not be taken and the ecosystem will have to suffer as the big corporations make a buck. 

Russia VS USA

Honestly, this conflict doesn’t seem like just a minor subject. Even though both nations presume what devastating results could occur if an actual all out war occurs (plus we know both nations have nukes), oil is a sensitive subject and it is not a far-fetched idea if an actual war does take place due to this border discrepancy. By the way, isn’t the world population way too high as it is, and isn’t the world due for a third world war?

This post was submitted by Lance Delillio.

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