News

Arctic meltdown

November 29, 2012

A record number of ships have used the Northern Sea Route, highlighting and worsening the effects of Arctic melting. The number of ships using the Arctic shortcut between Europe and Asia has increased 10 times in the past two years, and this year 46 ships carrying a record 1.26 million tonnes of cargo – about half of it petroleum products – used the route for more months than it has ever been passable.

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T&E shipping officer Antoine Kedzierski said: ‘The opening of the new sea routes is a consequence of Arctic and global warming, and the use of these sea routes also leads to an increase of black carbon emissions in this highly sensitive ecosystem. If left unregulated, the increase of shipping activities in the Arctic will contribute to the problem worsening.’

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