In an attempt to help solve the Arctic territorial rights crisis, English researchers have just released what they are touting as the most complete map of the terrain in the area, having detailed where boundaries have already been drawn, where claims are being made, and the places that may soon be sources of contention among the five Arctic nations, all in the hopes of simplifying what has become the conundrum of sorting out territoria rights in the area. more »

Those who oppose oil and natural gas development in the Arctic have yet another reason to protest: the permafrost that is so critical to the infrastructure of the Mackenzie Valley Pipeline project seems to be crumbling away, the warming, formerly solidly frozen layers melting, altering the stability of the very land that would support gas pipelines across the Canadian countryside. The $6 billion project has been on hold for years and it looks like the controversy over it hasn’t died down a bit in all that time. more »

In an election season fraught with tension, one in which change is king and discontent is in the air, Alaska Senator Ted Stevens has done his party no favors; the longest running Republican senator has just entered a plea of not guilty in his indictment on 7 counts of making false statements regarding more than a quarter of a million dollars in gifts and favors, all from Alaskan oil pipeline and construction company VECO. In a year when the GOP is attempting to shed the appearance of being tied to oil and gas corporations, this is the last thing the party needed. more »

Signaling a possible shift in policy for the presumptive Democratic nominee, Barack Obama has said that he could be open to making room in an energy package for more extensive offshore drilling, provided that it was part of a grander plan to wean the nation off of oil in favor of more environmentally friendly options. This comes as a bit of a divergence from the standard policy of the Democratic party at the moment, conflicting directly with the stated positions of leaders such as Speaker Pelosi. more »