A German ship, following a Russian icebreaker, is about to complete a shipment from Asia to Europe via Arctic waters.
For hundreds of years, mariners have dreamed of an Arctic shortcut that would allow them to speed trade between Asia and the West. Two German ships are poised to complete that transit for the first time, aided by the retreat of Arctic ice that scientists have linked to global warming. NYT
4 Comments
it's amazing to me how *upbeat* overall the article is. this should be frightening. but it's like they just found another frontier to take over.
I thought the same thing. Especially this section;
“Apart from the stress, it is an economically and ecologically beneficial shortcut between Europe and Asia,” Valery Durov, captain of the Beluga Foresight
What ecological benefit?
i, too, was a bit surprised by its upbeatness. but then i thought, although it might seem backwards, the article states that it would save thousands of miles each trip. think of how much fuel this route is going to save. in fact, it would slow down the rate of arctic ice melt by using this route than otherwise.
interesting, but i guess you are right.
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