The Arctic Gold Rush

ISBN-13: 9781441181107 / Angielski / Twarda / 2009 / 272 str.

Roger Howard

Opis

An exploration of the political significance of the Arctic's vast untapped wealth of natural resources, and a gripping account of the race to exploit them
On August 2, 2007, a Russian submarine captured world headlines by making a dangerous journey to the bottom of the Arctic seabed and planting a metal, rustfree national flag more than 14,000 feet beneath the North Pole. The aim was to assert Russia's legal sovereignty over a region whose importance had only recently started to become apparent as its melting ice had made, or was expected to make, vast natural resources open to exploitation.



The latest estimates are that the region holds around 13% of the world's undiscovered oil and as much as 30% of undiscovered natural gas reserves that would be hugely profitable for any country that managed to secure control over them. Gold, platinum, copper, and other precious metals have also been found along the coast. Neighboring countries -- Russia, the United States, Canada, Denmark, and Norway -- are already doing everything they can to mark out new borders. The ensuing political disagreements over the issue are already rife. In particular, games of political intrigue between Moscow and Washington are being played out in the region. But as the world's resources become increasingly scarce and valuable, could the scramble for Arctic resources become violent? Could a "War for the Arctic" be fought?



Praise for The Oil Hunters

"The Dramatic Days of oil exploration in the first half of the 20th century are narrated in gripping fashion by Roger Howard." -The Spectator

"A fascinating story for anyone interested in one of today's main economic problems: How to reduce the hundreds of billions that Americans spend every year to import oil...the book is packed with intrepid geologists, risk-averse business people, hardup Mideast rulers and ingenious promoters- all concerned with driving up profits."-The Associated Press

Recenzje

'Meticulous detail ... This is an excellent book of reference with a wealth of factual information.' - Morning Star

Spis treści

IntroductionPart I - The Setting1: A Looming Resource War?2: The Arctic Thaw3: The Great ExplorersPart II - The Issues4: Who owns the Arctic?5: Black Gold6: The Arctic's other resources7: Sea lanes and strategy8: The environmental challengePart III - The Contenders9: Russia and the Arctic10: America's Arctic Destiny11: The Canadians look north12: Some other Arctic claimsConclusion: The future of the Arctic

O autorze

Roger Howard is a writer and broadcaster specialising in international relations. His most recent publications are The Oil Hunters (2008) and Iran Oil: The New Middle East Challenge to America (2006).Roger Howard is a British freelance journalist who has travelled widely throughout Iran. He has written extensively on issues of defense and international relations for many newspapers and journals. His work has appeared in The Daily Mail, for which he covered the US-led war in Afghanistan, The New Statesman, The Spectator, Middle East International, Jane's Intelligence Review and the US journal In the National Interest. He has also broadcast for BBC World Service and for television networks. He took a First in Modern History from Cambridge in 1988.