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No strife for the Arctic – Putin
Published: 23 September, 2010, 14:33
Edited: 28 September, 2010, 04:44
TAGS: Natural resources, Arctic, Politics, Regional development
Russia’s Prime Minister Vladimir Putin named comfort of living, attraction of investment and nature preservation as the basics of his Arctic program, speaking at the Arctic: Territory of Dialogue international forum.
“I am familiar with various futuristic predictions on the upcoming strife for the Arctic. But we are carefully monitoring the situation in the region, and it is obvious that most of those scenarios have no real grounds whatsoever,” Putin said.
He noted that Russian explorers reached the North Sea back in the 11th Century, and “both history and geography have put the mission of cultivating the region on our people.”
“First of all,” Putin specified, “we are talking about making the conditions of living in the Arctic of good quality and comfortable. This includes careful approach to the traditions of the indigenous people of the Arctic and their economic set-up, while developing the social sphere, the educational and healthcare systems, and forming of the informational environment.”
The second state priority in the Arctic will be supporting new points of economic growth in the region, attracting large investment from Russia and abroad.
“At the same time, I’d like to stress: not a single industrial Arctic project will be realized without considering the toughest ecological requirements. That is a basic principle which we will apply, while cultivating the north of Krasnoyar Region, Yakutia, the Yamal Peninsula and the Shtokman gas field,” Putin stated.
He expects the arctic to become one of the main sources of energy and a key transport hub in 50 years.
“But the price of the ‘Arctic question’ is much higher that the billions of barrels of polar oil everyone loves to dwell upon. If we adopt an irresponsible position on the Arctic today, tomorrow we will get new global problems, instead of global opportunities. That is why the first mission for all the Arctic countries today is the wide introduction of resource-saving, smart, cutting-edge technology that is able to operate in harmony with the environment,” Putin said.
Another priority, according to Putin, is the attraction of serious investment to the nature-preserving infrastructure: “We plan a real clear-out of our Arctic territories. We plan to – literally – clear out the landfills that have been made around the transpolar settlements, deposits, military bases, ports, and airports in tundra and on the islands in the North Sea. Simultaneously, the number of national parks and reserves will grow. Last year we created the 1.5-million-hectare-long Russian Arctic park and we are discussing opening another park in Chukotka and Alaska with our American colleagues.”
“Russia calls on everyone to start an active exchange of ideas, innovations and practical experience. It will help us to find efficient technological solutions to be applied in the Far North,” Putin said, with the very Arctic Forum he was speaking at a platform created specifically for that kind of exchange.
Speaking to RT, Priscilla Wohl, executive director of the Northern Forum, echoed Prime Minister Putin’s sentiments about the importance of co-reliance and collaboration between the stakeholders.
“Prime Minister Putin mentioned today in his speech that we rely on our neighbors for survival in the Arctic,” Wohl said. “And if you were to start some kind of a major dispute, you’d jeopardize the trust and the ability to survive in the Arctic.”
Morten Anker, an analyst in the field of Russian politics and economics, says he does see the potential for conflict over the region.
“Definitely, there is a potential for conflict,” Anker said. “But I agree with Mr. Putin – I don’t think we will see any armed conflict over the resources in the Arctic.”
Government officials, prominent scientists, and businessmen from Russia and other Arctic countries took part in the forum. The honored guests of the event also include Icelandic President Olafur Ragnar Grimsson and Monaco’s Prince Albert II.
President of Iceland Olafur Ragnar Grimsson promotes a cautious approach to the Arctic environment, especially the melting of the Arctic ice.
“There is a strong, a very honest, concern that the environment is of great importance, the melting of the ice will create an environmental condition that we all have to deal with,” Grimsson told RT.
Finland’s senior Arctic official Hannu Halinen is keen to put the Finnish experience of living in the severe conditions of the North to good use in dealing with the Arctic.
“We are looking to help in terms of environment, the economy and infrastructure, institutions – we are all for strengthening the Arctic council, and as an EU member, we try to help to make a coherent EU Arctic policy,” Halinen told RT.
23.09.2010, 13:29
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Artyom, Do you know anything about "Earth Hour"? Last year the record number of over 120 countries across the world participated in the global efforts to take responsibility in supporting a sustainable future for all of us? Interesting that there are so many of us, millions and millions of "brainwashed" and "fools",across 18 time zones, form Europe, America, Asia and Africa (and despite of Artyom's scientific scepticism!) that are willing to keep the world famous landmarks, business offices and residential houses in the dark for one hour for the last 3 years. You're welcome to join us, just bring your own carbon-free or pure beeswax candle. Do you know that buildings, street lighting, commuting, fleet/business/travel and waste are the main contributors to our carbon emissions? Have you ever heard of CMP/CMAP ( carbon management programmes/action plan)? All initiatives and measures under the local authorities' and leading universities' CMPs are designed to encourage BEHAVIOURAL change and strategically mitigate our carbon footprint by incorporating these measures into corporate policies and procedures. City Councils are required to report to the Government on our carbon emissions and face financial penalties for failure to reach the agreed percentage/target. The main dangers to polar bears are mercury in the food chain and disappearance of ice. The less ice ( by natural melt, GW and man made carving), the less time for hunting and less food. Another "new" danger for cubs is a destruction of their snow dens while mums are away hunting. We can do very little to avoid the natural melt, but we can help a lot by not being contributors to their natural habitat removal. Do you ring or email your local authorities about sewer spillage from a manhole when you see it? Do you threaten them, if necessary, to report to the Environmental department in order to prevent a river contamination? I do, because I don't live in a world fascinated by a humor of Mr Twain.
I am sorry, could not resist the climate-change discussion, but the point of the article is Arctic cooperation. My BIG congratulations to the organizers and participants. It is what one would expect of the leadership in the troubled times we live in. Everywhere confrontation, brinkmaship, stale rhetoric. Prime Minister Putin is as always, contemporaty, refreshing, and a person for our times. It is clear that the competition for resources will happen, and the Governments cannot just put their heads in the sand. They need to get AHEAD of this phenomena, involve various stakeholders and balance out interests. In an environment of cooperation, it will be much harder for special interests to get their way though murky channels. This is the time for all ENVIRONMENTALISTS, not only climate-change voices to be heard. I have been often struck by the zeal with which we attack the use of electricity. Yet, electricity is OUR FUTURE. There is nothing anywhere in the mankind's future any time soon that will beat electric infrastructure for its ability to bring power to our homes, workplaces, trains, cars. The real issue is --- how to generate it. For it is still the best and closest we can come to CLEAN energy. While wind, solar and many other future inventions are boosting our capability to produce electric energy, nuclear power seems still to be the only one capable to satisfy needs of more demanding users, industry and transporation. It is our sole hope that the electric energy will be able to reduce the need for carbon energy, saving it for those needs where solutions are not easily found, such as energy for airplanes. So, by all means, let us save electricity. We need to save other things as well. And we need to spend a whole lots less on useless trinkets, fashion "musts" and other vanity "needs" of our era. For as long as we do not imagine somehow that saving electricity is reducing our carbon footprint, as opposite will be true.
The argument I've generated wasn't about the science behind of any existing data available or the latest breakthrough monitoring. I'm quite surprised how easily the best of human intentions can be misconstrued depending on a society we live in. I've noted there is a HUGE difference in opinions related to the environmental concerns to the extent of mixing politics, contraceptives and dairy dietary preferences. The article reads : " He [Putin] expects the arctic to become one of the main sources of energy and a key transport hub in 50 years". This is precisely why we should feel either elated or defeated in our opposite camps. The imminent questions I've asked myself is When (rather than IF) the concerned parties will start to get on with their quest to drill the Arctic to supplement our demand in natural resources? Is it necessary at all? Now, could our cumulative theories and practices help us to understand what does it really mean for our Earth's sustainable future during these 50 years and after? Of course we have to be holistic in our approach to reduce man made pollutions and increase our search for the alternative/renewable solutions. Of course we need to be much more responsible for our actions and needs within our control and with our governments help. The argument is far from some climate change expertise given - it's about full go ahead 'groundwork' for Arctic claims and our responsibilities as far as our conciseness allows them. I hope this will clarify my position here. Where is that cast iron guarantee that the Arctic rigs and the ice-free transport roots/ logistics will not affect our science of 'destruction by natural recurrences'? We may welcome some proposals better than others, and not necessarily under the commercialism's hype. The Arctic race for goodies has begun and it's unstoppable, so let us hope that some are prepared better than others regardless whether they're participants or observers.