Exploit resources only after standards are set, summit told
Amanda Eber Business Times 25 Feb 12;
'THE Arctic is hot.'
That's how Gustaf Lind, Swedish Ambassador for the Arctic, opened his introductory speech during the 'The Arctic: Beacon of Hope?' session of The Economist World Oceans Summit on Thursday afternoon.
Making a seemingly contradictory statement, he explained the cause to be both literal temperature increases due to climate change, as well as the metaphorical heat of the burgeoning business interests, environmental concerns, political interests and media attention currently focused on the Arctic.
Mr Lind added that the Arctic Council was 'gearing up for the challenges' looming in the future that would require 'close cooperation' between scientists and politicians as well as the importance of involving indigenous people in the decision-making process.
During the session, Anton Vasiliev, Ambassador at Large, Russian Representative to the Arctic Council, also announced Russia's launch of a new project for further Arctic exploration.
Similarly, Robert Blaauw, senior Arctic advisor of Shell International, stressed the importance of unconventional energy sources in the face of ballooning global energy demands.
According to him, energy demand is set to double present levels by 2050 and Shell sees the Arctic as a potential new source to meet this growing need.
Mr Blaauw attempted to address environmental concerns on Arctic drilling by stating that Shell's oil spill response plan had been approved by the US authorities.
'If we couldn't do it, we wouldn't,' he said.
However, this did little to assuage the worries of the environmentalists at the session. Joshua Reichert, managing director of the Pew Environment Group, questioned the true ability of potential extractors like Shell to respond to oil spills under unfamiliar Arctic conditions - raising the point that the US federal requirements Shell meets apply only to temperate waters and do not hold for the vastly different conditions in the Arctic.
Lisa Speer, director of the International Oceans Program at the Natural Resources Defense Council, agreed.
'A major oil spill like the one in the Gulf of Mexico is like having a heart attack in a New York City hospital,' she said. An Arctic oil spill would, for example, vastly limit the ability of the US Coast Guard to respond.
A possible solution was put forth in the form of an argument for specific standards to be established for the Arctic before any activities are carried out. Ultimately, as Mr Vasiliev put it: 'The Arctic is our house, our future - we want to keep it clean.'
