Two robot submarines will plunge into the Arctic next month in an effort to help Canada stake a claim to a large swath of potentially mineral-rich seafloor in the polar region, nytimes.com says. more »

For years, Russian diplomats have insisted the globe is no longer unipolar, as they seek to downplay the global influence of more »

With the UN’s 2013 Arctic deadline fast approaching, there has been much talk in the past year or so of upcoming battles between countries for full control and ownership of the Arctic. The main players – Canada, The United States, Russia, Denmark and Norway – all have a stake in the Arctic, each wanting to maximize its own potential for taking advantage of the natural resources and shipping routes that will be made available due to the ever melting Arctic ice. more »

On The International Union for Conservation of Nature’s (IUCN) list of ten new species that are the likeliest to be hit hard by global warming, Canada has the dubious honor of being home to half of the list. Of the ten species “destined to be hardest hit by climate change,” the leatherback turtle, salmon, beluga whale, ringed seal and Arctic fox were listed and all live in Canada. more »

According to researchers in California, one of the consequences of the melting Arctic ice is that the Atlantic Ocean could see mollusks from the Pacifica take up residency within decades. In order for this to happen, the Arctic would need to see 125 consecutive days of less than 75% cover of sea ice. Two years ago the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change estimated that this could happen around 2050, but a California researcher disagrees – he believes it could happen much sooner. more »

The Minerals Management Service (MMS), part of the federal government in the States, has given the okay for Shell Oil to start drilling in the Chukchi Sea. The drilling could start as early as next summer. The project was approved without the MMS fully analyzing the possible effects on not only the wildlife in the area, but the Native communities in the area, something that doesn’t sit well with some community members. more »

With the race for the Arctic heating up both literally and figuratively, much focus has been on Russia and its role in the Arctic.

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OSLO — Rising temperatures are causing the Arctic’s ice sheets to melt, opening the door for an economic boom in the region but also posing a major threat to the survival of its indigenous peoples. more »