 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
On Alert: Canada's North Pole Command Centre
Alert, Canada (AFP) Nov 19, 2004 A landing strip that ends where the icebergs begin, 20 buildings on stilts and just 75 residents (all temporary) - this is the tiny military and scientific station of Alert, Canada's standard bearer in the Arctic. Global warming has fuelled interest in the enormous potential of untold riches which are believed to be hidden beneath the Arctic tundra and has exacerbated fears that Canada's sovereignty could melt away as quickly as the icebergs. The focal point of these fears is the mythical Northwest Passage waterway, which has been sought by explorers risking their lives for centuries to open up a new trade route. Scientists say that if the melting of Arctic ice continues unabated, the mythical passage could become a reality within 15 to 40 years - opening up a shipping route which would cut thousands of kilometres from routes that currently rely on the Suez or Panama canals. "I do think we play a very important sovereignty role just by being in Canada's High Arctic," said Major Chris Dannehl, commanding officer of Canadian Forces Station Alert. Built with pre-fabricated units in the 1950s, on the edge of Ellesmere Island, the Alert base could pass for a space station - except it is a dot on the vast Arctic ice desert, 817 kilometres (519 miles) from the North Pole and accessible only by air. Unlike US military bases in Alaska and Greenland, Canada's northernmost listening station is not a heavily armed outpost designed for the physical defence of the nation. But the military personnel, who normally spend six months at a time on rotation here, know they contribute in their own essential way to Canada's security. "Having people in Alert is a very clear indication that we are, in fact, using the island and so we have a form of control," said Rob Huebert, associate director of the Centre for Military and Strategic Studies at the University of Calgary. But this Arctic expert also warns that even if a base on the 82nd parallel satisfies Canada's claims on the Great North, overall measures taken by Ottawa to defend the territory are insufficient. Until now, surveillance of the vast Arctic tundra, where the caribou outnumber humans, has rested largely with the Rangers, a paramilitary force composed largely of local Inuit carrying out long patrols all over the Canadian polar region, planting the Canadian flag around the outer perimeters of Canada's north. But this could all change in the near future. Last month, in a presentation of his government's programme to parliament, Prime Minister Paul Martin listed the Arctic among his main priorities. In a controversial development in the 1950s, the Canadian government transplanted Inuit communities to Resolute Bay, on Cornwallis Island, and Grise Fjord, on Ellesmere Island - two outposts for a possible seaway which could soon open thanks to the ice meltdown. Canada has always claimed sovereignty over the waters of the archipelago, a claim never recognized by several other nations, including its powerful neighbour, the United States. These countries could decide to challenge Ottawa's claims before the world court, claiming the Northwest Passage should be recognized as an international waterway, similar to the Bosphorous Strait. All rights reserved. � 2004 Agence France-Presse. Sections of the information displayed on this page (dispatches, photographs, logos) are protected by intellectual property rights owned by Agence France-Presse. As a consequence, you may not copy, reproduce, modify, transmit, publish, display or in any way commercially exploit any of the content of this section without the prior written consent of Agence France-Presse. Community Email This Article Comment On This Article Related Links SpaceDaily Search SpaceDaily Subscribe To SpaceDaily Express Nuclear Space Technology at Space-Travel.com
Rewriting Glacial History In Pacific North America
Edmonton AB (SPX) Jan 10, 2006Although the story on glacier fluctuations in northwestern North America over the last 10,000 years has remained largely unchanged for decades, new evidence discovered by a University of Alberta researcher will rewrite that glacial history and offer clues about our climate history during the last several thousand years. |
|
|
| The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2006 - SpaceDaily.AFP and UPI Wire Stories are copyright Agence France-Presse and United Press International. ESA PortalReports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additionalcopyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. Advertising does not imply endorsement,agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by SpaceDaily on any Web page published or hosted by SpaceDaily. Privacy Statement |
