U.S. missing out on Polar War
We have all seen the pictures of the brutal, cold winds and the everlasting darkness of the Arctic Winter.
What originates in the Arctic does not always stay in this frozen land.
In the darkness of winter, the cold air grows into an ever increasing dome of colder and colder air and if conditions are right this mass of air gets picked up by the passing Jet Stream, a band of fast moving winds that transport the cold air southward sometimes as far south as our Gulf Coast.
Along the way the Jet Stream may bump up against warmer moist air from the Gulf of Mexico and a winter storm is born just like the one that visited much of the Midwest and Northeast several weeks ago.
This visit from the Polar Vortex had several reinforcements that kept our temperatures below freezing for 18 consecutive days, many of which produced below-zero morning temperatures and kept the snow around much longer.
The Arctic is indeed a strange and mysterious place and it may be hard to believe but many people call this land their home.
In his new book “Polar War” Kenneth Rosen warns of a cold war that is brewing in our warming world.
He has spent the last two years visiting much of the Arctic bringing to light Russian spies, nuclear submarines, sabotaged pipelines and undersea communications severed in the dark of night.
Even with all the cold and darkness the Arctic is the fastest warming place on earth, where buildings crumble as permafrost melts and villages get washed away by rising seas.
The Arctic today stands at the crossroads of geopolitical ambition and environmental catastrophe.
The warming planet is opening new shipping lanes and access to natural resources and the world’s military powers are rushing to stake their claims in this increasingly strategic region. Rosen presents evidence that we have entered a new cold war and every day it gets hotter.
The Arctic is vast and represents the interests of 21 countries across four continents. He has witnessed the rising tensions that are shaping life and the quest for dominance that could spark the next global conflict.
China and Russia have been busy advancing their interests in the region while the US and Canada have stumbled. A northern shipping route could save 11 days shipping time and ice-free summers could even bring tourists to the region.
Russia is leading the charge with many new military bases and a fleet of new modern ice breakers. They have 24 while we have only two.
Strengthening our ties to our NATO allies will play a vital role as well as developing shared military bases, along with ports and infrastructure. It may be a cold, dark place but it is an ever increasingly important part of the world.
The Arctic is simply too important not to provide resources for its future and to make sure of America’s place in this region. The book is available at the Uniontown Library.