Britain Should Appoint Ambassador to the Arctic
The House of Lords Arctic Committee urged that UK should follow the example set by France, Singapore and Japan and appoint an Ambassador for the Arctic. The committee of lawmakers from Britain's upper house blamed UK's feeble approach to promoting country's interests and warned about the UK risks being outmaneuvered by other countries. The UK – the northernmost country below the Arctic Circle - has been "too hesitant and cautious", the report said. The Committee’s report, responding to a changing Arctic, concludes that momentous and unprecedented change is underway in the Arctic, with temperatures there rising twice as fast as the world average. This will have a massive impact on the region’s environment, ecosystems and people and presents both huge challenges and opportunities.
US Unprepared for Arctic Oil Spill: New Report
The work of a committee, the National Research Council has released a new report – 'Responding to Oil Spills in the U.S. Arctic Marine Environment', which concludes that the the U.S. is far from ready to respond effectively to such an event. U.S. Arctic waters north of the Bering Strait and west of the Canadian border encompass a vast area that is usually ice covered for much of the year, but is increasingly experiencing longer periods and larger areas of open water due to climate change. Sparsely inhabited with a wide variety of ecosystems found nowhere else, this region is vulnerable to damage from human activities. As oil and gas, shipping, and tourism activities increase, the possibilities of an oil spill also increase.
