Includes bibliographical references (p. 264-269) and index.
Contents:
The bear on the beach -- Turn the world on its side -- People: In an Inuit land -- Nomads of the Yamal -- Ice: Adrift on the ice -- The view from below -- The lethal mix -- Borders: Who owns the arctic? -- The strange case of Svalbard -- Animals: Trouble at the top -- The bottom of the web -- Invaders from the South -- Oil and ships: The battle for Arctic oil -- How far can oil go? -- Too many ships, too soon? -- Finale: The Arctic's revenge -- Black and white -- The future of the Arctic.
Summary:
The Arctic has reacted more quickly and dramatically to global warming than many had anticipated. Scientists are urgently trying to predict just how the Arctic will change and how those changes will in turn affect the rest of the planet. But plenty of other people, driven by profit rather than data, are interested as well. The riches of the world's last virgin territory have spurred the reawakening of old geopolitical rivalries. The United States, Canada, Russia, Norway, and Denmark all control areas around the Arctic Ocean. We face a new era of oil rigs and drill ships, of shipping shortcuts, and fights over the Arctic's treasures. Alongside the winners are the many losers, from nomadic reindeer herders to Inuit hunters. Other creatures that rely on the vast expanses of sea ice, including seals, birds, and whales, may disappear or be replaced. Combining science, business, politics, and adventure, Alun Anderson takes the reader to the ends of the earth in a narrative portrait of this rapidly changing land of unparalleled global significance.--From publisher description.
This resource is supported by the Institute of Museum and Library Services under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act as administered by State Library of Iowa.