Thursday, January 17, 2008

Fears as melting ice brings new interest in Greenland’s oil

Melting arctic sea ice now makes it possible to reach parts of the Greenland coast that once were inaccessible, which of course incites a loud "yee-haw!" from the oil business, according to this story from the Herald (UK). Greenpeace is taking a dim view, understandably, pointing out the fragility of Greenland's ecology and the dangers of a rush to extract natural resources. With no ice to protect oil-bearing areas, the world will rush in.

I didn't know that Greenland had Bureau of Mines and Petroleum, which sounds as if it will soon change from a sleepy, nothing-to-do office into a beehive of activity. The outcome will probably be less like the charming Scottish town in Local Hero, and more like the bareknuckled squalor of There Will Be Blood.

Landsat 7 photo of Greenland by NASA

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