Wednesday, September 11, 2013

THE MYTH OF ARCTIC SHIPPING

THE ARCTIC INSTITUTION , Center for Circumpolar Security Studies

Appears to Share Our View Published a Couple of Weeks Ago on The Economic Viability of High Arctic shipping.


The USS Jeannette', U.S.Navy History-net


However we remind our readers of our earlier observations. We agree with the Center through traffic and cargoes will be light and sometimes the route will be impassable even "in season" as parts of it were this summer. But the probable lack of development as a truly viable shipping route doesn't reduce the demand for more Coast Guard presence in the High Arctic than what we have now. "Destination cargo" for the region itself, and a growing extractive mineral industry translate to more people, more vessels, and more environmental risk, as well as potential challenges to sovereignty in the area. So even without development as a general cargo transport route nations like Canada and the United States need an expanded persistent Coast Guard presence in the area. Below is a lead in and a link to the Arctic Institute's Center for Circumpolar Security Studies article.

FROM:

The Arctic Institute - Center for Circumpolar Security Studies

The Myth of Arctic Shipping - Why the Northern Sea Route is Still of Limited Geo-Economic Importance


 With the Chinese Yong Sheng[1] currently transiting the Northern Sea Route (NSR), the potential of Arctic shipping is being discussed by the world’s media.[2] The Yong Sheng is the first Chinese cargo vessel to transport container goods (steel and heavy equipment) from Dalian, China to Rotterdam, Europe.

Researchers and public media have often cited the development of Arctic shipping routes as the driving factor of China’s regional interests, and, vice versa, China’s interest in Arctic shipping is taken as an important factor in the development of the NSR. Consequently, the NSR is identified as the most promising Arctic seaway with a considerable potential to shorten sailing distances from Europe to Asia (and, to a lesser extent, vice versa). A closer look at the actual NSR statistics tells a more differe

Click on the link below to read the whole story

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