Arctic Land Grabs Could Cause Eco-Disaster

Mariners have been dreaming about using the Northwest Passage above Canada and the Northern Sea route above Siberia for centuries. The two waterways represent a seductive shortcut between Europe and Asia; the current route from Europe involves looping all the way down to the Panama Canal and back up the U.S. West Coast, a distance of about 12,000 miles. The Northwest Passage route is about 4,000 miles shorter, which could save shipping companies millions of dollars on fuel.