The New Development in the Polar Regions
| Date | 01 March 1974 |
| Author | Finn Sollie |
| Published date | 01 March 1974 |
| DOI | 10.1177/001083677400900108 |
| Subject Matter | Articles |
The New Development in the Polar Regions
FINN SOLLIE
Due to factors connected with modern technological developments and with the in-
creasing global demand for new sources of raw materials, there is today a growing in-
terest in the possibilities for economic exploitation of the polar regions. This makes for
a new development in these regions; a development comprising and affecting such fields
as science and technology as well as economy, transportation, military strategy and
ecology. The present paper discusses this new development and its implications in an
international perspective. Special attention is paid to the significance - in the physical/
geographical sense and otherwise - of the polar regions in the global context. A special
section deals, on a general level, with ’the problem of the new territories’, and the
polar regions are discussed as new territories. Pointing out the risks and dangers in-
herent in the present and emerging developments, the author emphasizes the need for
action, especially international cooperation, to meet and solve such problems. Coopera-
tion may be facilitated through regular consultations between the states concerned, as
is the case under the Antarctic Treaty. For the Arctic in particular, the author suggests
a distinction between three basic zones (viz. the ’Central’ the ’Intermediate’ and the
’National’ Arctic) as a possible point of departure for future discussion of measures
of international cooperation.
By nature the Arctic and the Antarctic are
through the North-East Passage (1878-79).
the world’s ice zones. On the map of the
Today this northern sea route is experi-
world the polar regions are white zones
encing a rapid increase in shipping, which
also in the sense that they are the least
is important for development of the Arctic
explored parts of the world’s surface -
territories of the Soviet Union. Where
they are reserves which Man has so far
Fridtjof Nansen’s Fram drifted with the
been unable to exploit.
ice in the Arctic Ocean for three years
This state of affairs is now being
( 1893-96), submarines now navigate under
changed. In the post-war period there has
the ice, and scientific stations on drifting
been a rapid development of the system-
ice-islands are regularly provisioned by
atic, scientific exploration of the polar
aircraft. While it took three years to sail
regions. In the face of modern equipment
through the North-West Passage with
and technology, the natural conditions no
G joa (1903-06), modern ice-breakers are
longer represent any decisive obstacle to
able to complete the journey in a few
Man’s ability to penetrate the frozen zones
weeks.
of the world and to carry on his own
Exploration has already shown that
pursuits there. While in 1911 it took Roald
both the Arctic and the Antarctic possess
Amundsen 55 days with a dog-team to
deposits of a number of the raw materials
reach the South Pole from his starting
on which modern industrial and economic
base, today it takes 21/! hours to fly from
development is based. With the technical
the American coastal base, McMurdo, to
capacity we now have - or which we know
the Amundsen-Scott station at the Pole.
we can develop - it will be possible to
Large quantities of equipment and person-
exploit these resources. Even in the polar
nel are now regularly flown into central
regions we have reached a stage where
Antarctica, and a number of more or less
economic considerations of supply, de-
permanent scientific stations have been
mand and profit margins are the criteria
established.
which will determine the pace and extent
There have been corresponding advances
of their development and incorporation
in the North. It is less than 100 years
into the global industrial and economic
since Nordenskiold was the first to sail
structure.
24
In parts of the Arctic, the extraction of
Even if there is a long way to go before
oil and minerals has begun, and work is
research can provide the basis for reliable
in progress on the systematic and con-
calculations, we now know that the polar
centrated exploration of the polar basin’s
regions hold natural resources in such
marginal zone, i.e. the northern terrestrial
quantity that their full exploitation would
and shelf areas, and the search for re-
greatly influence not only the economy
sources there. The speed of this develop-
of the individual countries involved, but
ment may be gauged in light of the fact
also the global picture. Some Soviet re-
that the big oil strike in the Prudhoe Bay
search scientists indeed believe that oil
area in northern Alaska was definitely
reserves in the shelf areas in the Arctic
confirmed only in 1968, and that it was
amount to fully 50 °/o of the world’s total
this strike which above all induced a
reserves. Although this is conjecture rather
- number of companies to invest large sums
than exact calculation, it is already cer-
in exploration in the northern areas of the
tain that the oil and gas deposits which are
world.
found in the northern areas, and which it
In Antarctica progress toward com-
will be possible to exploit in the next few
mercial exploration and exploitation will
decades, are so enormous that they may
be slower. Technically it is considerably
cause very marked economic ’ripple ef-
more difficult to investigate the possibil-
fects’ even on a global scale. Especially in
ities of resources there and the costs of
the Soviet Union the development of the
exploring and exploiting Antarctic re-
northern areas is given high priority, and
sources are so high that it is uncertain if
oil and gas from the Soviet Arctic is al-
any such undertaking could be run on a
ready an important factor in the Soviet
satisfactory economic basis for at least 20
trade policy for the 1970s. The finds al-
to 30 years yet.
ready made2 not only provide the basis
In due course, however, the balance be-
for the country’s own power policy, but
tween needs and means, between input and
also for the export effort with supply
output, will be such that profitable opera-
facilities via pipeline to a number of coun-
tion will be possible even there. Several of
tries in Europe. As well as this, the mineral
the countries which lay claim to possessions
reserves of the Arctic are very consider-
in Antarctica have already received in-
able. This applies both to the land areas,
quiries from industrial concerns regarding
where extraction has begun, and to the
access to resource exploration.
shelf areas, where preliminary investiga-
tions suggest large deposits.
Because of the
I. THE POLAR REGIONS IN THE
heavy ice cover, condi-
tions in Antarctica are not suited to the
GLOBAL CONTEXT
exploitation of such resources as may be
In the natural order of things, the polar
found under the ice there in the next few
regions are an integral part of our total
decades.3 Whether it will be necessary -
environment.
1
While the connection is
and economically feasible - to utilize the
not immediately apparent to us, conditions
ice’s fresh water reserves4 is still an open
in the polar regions directly influence con-
question, but with the accelerating pollu-
ditions in the areas where we live and
tion of water throughout the inhabited
work. Atmospheric currents in the North
part of the world, it is not impossible that
and South affect the weather and climate
before the end of this century the ice of
in the earth’s temperate zones and the ice
Antarctica will be considered a vital re-
masses in the Arctic and Antarctic repre-
source. Before then, however, the exploita-
sent such a significant factor in the tem-
tion of one source of raw produce avail-
perature balance of the world’s ’heat
able in Antarctic waters will have become
budget’ that the polar regions might be
a reality. In the Antarctic waters, due
designated the world’s ’weather kitchen’.
partly to the ruthless exploitation of
25
whale stocks, there are enormous quantities
be commercially exploited in 20 to 30
of krill, a shrimp-like creature which is
years. In the Arctic, on the other hand,
the main diet of the whale. Krill is so rich
active exploitation of the resources has
in protein and occurs in such quantities
already begun and it can hardly be doubted
that the Antarctic Ocean is today the
that Arctic resources in the next couple of
world’s largest unexploited source of pro-
decades will be incorporated into the
tein.5 Furthermore, the possibility of find-
economy of the Arctic powers. Since it is
ing oil on the Antarctic continental shelf
a
question of substantial quantities of
may invite early exploration and speed
vital materials such as oil and gas, the
up the development toward economic ex-
exploitation of these resources will inevit-
ploitation of Antarctica.
ably have far-reaching effects. One gets
It is too early to draw reliable con-
some idea of the economic dimensions
clusions concerning the development which
when one learns that construction of a
will take place in the polar regions in the
transport system (pipeline and highway)
next few decades. Present indications
in the so-called Mackenzie Valley corridor
should be sufficient to show, however, that
up to the Arctic Ocean in Canada, in
we are now on the brink of a development
connection with the exploitation of the oil
in which the polar regions will now be
and gas reserves there, is expected to cost
integrated into the world’s resource man-
10,000 million dollars.&dquo; By comparison it
agement and economic development. The
may be mentioned that the St....
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