Source: The Telegraph
23 Sep 2010 - Vladimir Putin, the Russian prime minister, called for calm in the battle for the Arctic's vast untapped energy resources, accusing unnamed forces of trying to stir up trouble.
Arguing that the region should be "a zone for peace," Mr Putin conceded that Russia's territorial claim for a vast swath of the Arctic was hotly contested and that different countries were vying to push their own geopolitical and economic interests.
However, he said the only way to deal with rival territorial claims was through negotiation in compliance with international law. He said doomsday scenarios of an armed struggle for the Arctic's resources were wide of the mark.
"A well-proven truth has long been apparent: it is hard to survive in the Arctic alone," he told a conference in Moscow. "Nature itself forces people, ethnic groups and even entire governments to help one another."
Mr Putin warned though that unnamed forces were trying to stir up trouble with "futuristic predictions about a looming battle for the Arctic", adding: "Most frightening scenarios of this kind are unfounded and have been calculated to get governments in the area to argue and clash with each other and then try to profit from it."
Analysts said Mr Putin was trying to defuse simmering tensions over who gets to exploit the Arctic's rich mineral wealth in future. Russia, the United States, Canada, Denmark and Norway are all locked in a race to grab a slice of the northern wilderness after US researchers predicted that global warming might leave the area ice-free, and therefore more easily navigable and explored, as early as 2030. Experts say the region potentially contains one fifth of the world's oil and gas reserves and that the swath of Arctic territory claimed by Russia could be home to oil supplies double the size of Saudi Arabia's proven reserves.
For the complete article, please see The Telegraph.
Pakistan’s unprecedented climate shocks make it clear: regional cooperation for managing shared waters is desperately needed. To halt the increasing impacts on agriculture and livelihoods that cripple the country’s economy, diplomacy is of paramount importance. In our interview, Moeen Khan explains how territorial and ethnic tensions with India hinder much-needed transboundary solutions – and how the international community can help.
Environmental defenders in Brazil are at risk — last year, 57 were assassinated and the numbers are increasing. The UN has launched a new initiative to address the escalating violence. This article shows the challenges faced by an activist from the Amazon region who fights for justice, and it notes how the Brazilian government can save lives while preventing unregulated exploitation in the region.
Changes are occurring that could make climate action a driver of the domestic agenda for economic and social progress and for international cooperation. With the help of market forces and technological advances, the tide is moving toward climate action. Paul Joffe argues that a key to success is a strategy that draws public support and makes climate policy a force in a larger industrial renaissance.
The world can achieve slower climate warming, preventing temperatures from rising by more than 1.5˚C, a global scientific panel says. But time is short.