PRIORITIZING CONFLICT OVER CLIMATE CHANGE
The Arctic is a vital region for our planet. Not only is it home to over four million people and various species of endangered wildlife, but it is also crucial in keeping the climate systems of our planet in balance. Thanks to its icy seascape, the Arctic acts as a large, reflective shield, forcing the sun’s rays back into the atmosphere which helps to keep the planet’s temperatures even and hospitable. The region is also important for the ocean as its low temperatures help to form oceanic convection currents that move cold and warm water around the globe. This system in turn transports and distributes heat, salt, and other nutrients that are vital for marine and coastal ecosystems, especially sedentary organisms.
Unfortunately, global climate change is a major threat to the Arctic region and ecosystem. The rapid change in temperature may be too quick for many species to adapt, having already adapted over millions of years to survive in Arctic conditions. Additionally, increased annual temperatures will also melt the ice sheets and warm surrounding waters, leading to lowered heat reflection, and slowed imbalanced oceanic currents. Climate change has also led to natural disasters in the region including wildfires that have lasted over a year and heatwaves in places that never experience such high temperatures. This is not only an issue for Arctic flora and fauna, but also for the people that call it their home (WWF).
Considering that these issues are just the tip of the iceberg of climate change concerns in the Arctic region, some countries that have interests relying on arctic resources are trying to work together to preserve it as best they could. The UN Law of the Sea determines who owns what in the region and diplomacy is based on communication, mutual interest, and respect for Indigenous rights. Despite these efforts, the United States seems to be deviating from this norm by appointing James DeHart as the first U.S. Coordinator for the Arctic. His past assignments, mainly in Afghanistan and South Korea, were based on conflict resolution, indicating that the U.S. expects the conflict to be their top priority in the Arctic, not climate change. This has further been exacerbated by Secretary of State Pompeo threatening Russia and China with consequences at last year’s Arctic Council Ministerial Meeting should they interfere with America’s Arctic interests (Herrman, 2020).
While the threat of Russia and China isn’t to be downplayed, in the context of the Arctic they should not be the primary concern considering there might not be much of an Arctic left should climate change be left unchecked.
Written by Sohel Shah
Citations
Arctic. (n.d.). Retrieved September 24, 2020, from https://www.wwf.org.uk/where-we-work/arctic
Herrmann, V. (2020, August 12). America Is Preparing for the Wrong Arctic Crisis. Retrieved September 24, 2020, from https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/america-is-preparing-for-the-wrong-arctic-crisis/