05/13/2019
U.S. sees profit in melting Arctic
Nations participating in the Arctic Council's meeting in Finland this week failed to issue a final joint declaration for the first time since the council was formed. That's reportedly because the United States refused to sign it over references to protecting the region from climate change. U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo ruffled some feathers the day before when he told the council the quickly warming Arctic region is at the "forefront of opportunity and abundance."
■Class discussion: How rapidly is the Arctic warming? Do you think the Arctic thawing is good or bad for humanity and the planet? How does melting sea ice lead to even more warming? Pompeo spoke of exploiting oil, gas, uranium, gold and diamonds in the Arctic and warned against Russia and China threats in the region. Could competition for Arctic resources lead to armed conflict? How else could climate change lead to war? What have military leaders said about the threat of climate change?