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North America Is Losing the Arctic

palladiummag.com · 4,190 words · saved by 1 readers

North America’s relationship with its Arctic frontier has always bordered on amnesic. Occasionally, a story will flicker onto the radar of public consciousness. Oil, wildlife, poverty, Russian ambitions, or something of the sort will spur a media cycle. More often than not, commentators will concur that this is a Very Big Problem, and something that should doubtless be addressed in the future. Then, the memory fades until the next cycle. This has occurred for one very simple reason: inertia. But the room for inertia is fast disappearing. The Arctic region is on track to becoming a central geopolitical theater. Climate change is the driving force in this transformation. While many countries are still treating the climate as a future problem, the Arctic region is living it out. Polar amplification means that the region will be disproportionately impacted by climate change—and sooner than everywhere else. Disappearing ice, rising temperatures, increased precipitation, and thawing permafro

James Hammond/Athabasca, Alberta North America’s relationship with its Arctic frontier has always bordered on amnesic. Occasionally, a story will flicker onto the radar of public consciousness. Oil, wildlife, poverty, Russian ambitions, or something of the sort will spur a media cycle. More often than not, commentators will concur that this is a Very Big Problem, and something that should doubtless be addressed in the future. Then, the memory fades until the next cycle. This has occurred for one very simple reason: inertia. But the room for inertia is fast disappearing. The Arctic region is on

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