Pursuit of power is obvious between the two most powerful nations of the world - US and Russia. The former is toiling and manipulating hard to protect its hegemony and latter searching to regain its lost clout. Amid the recurrent conflicts, drive to attain the superior position, and discarding the claims on either side, now the stage is set for another conflict, as the mad race for exploring the resource rich Arctic surface is reviving.

Remiss of obligations

G8 summit this year, wherein the countries harped over the sensitive issue of global warming and emission of greenhouse gases was nothing but mere beating about the bush without reaching at any conclusion. And the reverberations of remising responsibility appear in the form of heavy rains in China, UK, India, and US. Still, man wants to get quick deserts even at the expense of larger future problems.

The melting of ice on Arctic floor may be a worrisome factor for the ‘Green Lobby’ and to the rest of the world, but for the five nearby nations, it’s more or less proving a boon.

Will ‘might is right’ principle be followed? Of course! As far as US is concerned, it never bothers about the international laws particularly when it comes to its self interests or to implement some whimsical decisions (e.g. ignoring UN when it struck Iraq). Will Russia follow the same; an answer to this still remains veiled.

With the oil and gas rich coffers and booming economy, Russia now stands eye to eye with US. Its increasing defiance of US’s maneuvering is putting both at the brink, where from reconciliation seems impossible but the bitter conflict imminent.

Some favoring and bad repercussions

Vast resources of the region, no doubt, have potential to change the fortune of a country and have definitely opened up the way for new expeditions. Global warming has made the access easy for intensifying the rat race to possess the region. The boon it may look like as it will shorten the shipping routes and will also provide energy resources for the ever-more energy hungry superpowers of the world. However, these resources will be successfully exploited by a few and hardly be anywhere near to solve the energy crises in rest of the world.

It’s even more worrisome that once these power hungry nations screw the delicate Arctic, where will the occupying species find shelter? Moreover, it’s becoming the bone of contention with counter stakes from all the nearby nations thus making the region more prone to rift which woefully will mess up the entire region or even world (probability can’t be put at bay).

Unfavorable Choice

US and Russian standoff is well known. The row over missile Defense Shield and Kosovo independence is not yet over. Now, with these new claims are we heading towards another cold war? One may think not. However, when it comes to possess 10bn tones of gas and oil deposits of Arctic region, why any of the five nearby countries - having UN accepted rights on the area - will skip the opportunity to put their claims forth. Or is that we haven’t yet overcome that imperial instinct of fifteenth or sixteenth century wherein whatever enchants the eye becomes go and get it?

Therefore, should we roll the ball towards the overwhelming question of squeezing the universe for some short term benefits while encroaching in the sensitive Arctic area? Absolutely not, because digging oil in that region means to unsettle the whole world. And putting the whole world at stake for the short term profits of a few is not justified. On the other side, what UN is waiting for? Will it ever be able to execute its powers for the global cause or will it remain only a passive spectator?