PRINCE GEORGE (CUP) — In recent years, the Arctic has become a hot commodity, and Arctic issues are increasingly making their way into international headlines. Russia is only the latest Arctic nation to follow this trend, and Canada in particular should pay closer attention if we desire to preserve our Arctic environment for the future.
According to Daniel Sandford of BBC News in his article “Russia’s Arctic: Mission to Protect Wildlife,” “Russia is planning huge oil and gas developments in the Arctic Ocean off its northern coast–drilling that could threaten pristine wildlife habitats.”
Despite warnings from Russian scientists that large populations of walruses and polar bears could be put at risk, the Russian government is continuing early exploration of potential production areas and may begin activity within the next two decades. This future activity will depend on fluctuations in international oil and gas prices.
Polar bears and walruses in Russia — and around the world — are already facing hardships resulting from climate change and environmental degradation, the most significant of which is retreating ice due to melting. This melting has forced numerous Arctic animals away from their traditional feeding grounds to further inland where food is both more dangerous and more difficult to procure.
Arctic nations around the world are gradually realizing this fact, and placing more of a focus on protecting their habitats because of it.
Instituting large-scale oil and gas production would only prove to further disrupt their lifestyles because of the noise and pollution it would result in, ultimately chasing away food sources that are already growing scarce. These activities would also risk potential oil spills that are devastating to the environment, and are dangerous, costly, and time consuming to clean up.
Like Russia, Canada is now facing a similar dilemma where it comes to dealing with our own Arctic interests. Arctic Canada is rich in culture, biodiversity, and natural resources. It has a longstanding history of being a place of intercultural exchange through interactions between Arctic explorers and vibrant Inuit communities. Arctic Canada is interspersed with unique ecosystems and life that exist nowhere else on the planet, though both the Inuit and these unique ecosystems have recently faced the challenges of climate change and continued environmental degradation.
Canada’s Arctic also possesses great political and economic potential. First, it has gained increased attention recently with regard to the Northwest Passage, which may serve as an efficient and viable international trading route upon further glacial melting. Second, our Arctic holds enormous potential for large oil and gas reserves, which makes it extremely valuable to the international community. However, this current and future oil and gas mining threatens the environment in which it is housed.
Arctic nations around the world are gradually realizing this fact, and placing more of a focus on protecting their habitats because of it. This gradually increasing awareness remains, even if some do not appear to be on the same page, and Canada should take note.
Given the challenges Canada’s Arctic is already facing, we must be cautious not to follow such an environmentally damaging route if we wish to continue to enjoy a vibrant and sustainable Arctic in the future. Should we fail in this respect, we may not be the “true north” for much longer.
