The Arctic Nations; an Opportunity to Lead by Example

• Main Author: Knutsen,Marianne M
• Other Authors: AIR COMMAND AND STAFF COLLEGE, AIR UNIVERSITY MAXWELL AIR FORCE BASE United States
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Published: 2010
• Subjects: natural resources; environmental security; environmental protection; military operations; search and rescue; humanitarian assistance; air force; joint military activities; homeland security; military forces (united states); collaboration; international relations; ARCTIC NATIONS; Arctic; Canada; Norway; Arctic Council; Ice cap; Law of the Sea
• Online Access: http://www.dtic.mil/docs/citations/AD1019737; http://oai.dtic.mil/oai/oai?&verb=getRecord&metadataPrefix=html&identifier=AD1019737

The Arctic Ice is melting year by year. It does not matter why, what and who causes this, the fact has been supported by numerous scientific and research reports throughout the last decades (reference map appendix A).1 Regardless of the driving forces, the combined observations and documentation suggest that the Arctic system may be entering a state not seen before in historic times.2 In the Climate Conference in Copenhagen 13 December 2009, former US vice president Al Gore emphasized a report that shows that the summer ice over the Arctic will disappear within a few years, and that there is a 75 chance of the whole ice cap over the Arctic will be gone during the next five to seven years.3 This has brought a sense of urgency to the Arctic region. The five Arctic coastal nations Russia, Norway, Denmark, Canada and the USA have been and are still seeking solutions on how to meet the challenges and consequences of an ice-free Arctic. Through the Arctic Council and the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), the Arctic nations have both the cooperative and legal tools to solve the security issues emerging with the melting of the Arctic Ice.