The Arctic region is becoming increasingly important to U.S. national interests. Ice in the Arctic has reached the lowest level since records began in 1979, opening up new possibilities for maritime trade, tourism, and natural resource exploration. Consequently, more actors than ever before will be operating in the Arctic region. This reality will present both…
In the coming weeks, the United States Senate will begin the confirmation process for three key Administration positions: Senator John Kerry (D–MA) for Secretary of State, former Senator Chuck Hagel (R–NE) for Secretary of Defense, and White House chief counterterrorism advisor John Brennan for director of the CIA. All three have been prominent backers of President…
The Arctic region is home to some of the roughest terrain and harshest weather found anywhere in the world. Arctic ice is increasingly melting during the summer months, causing new challenges for the U.S. in terms of Arctic security. For example, the decreasing presence of ice will mean new shipping lanes opening, increased tourism, and further natural resource…
How is arctic policy pertinent to new ideas in exports, trade and tourism? Luke Coffey, Margaret Thatcher Fellow at the Center for Freedom at the Heritage Foundation discusses how new innovations in arctic policy can - and probably will - open new doors. Jackie Anderson hosts.…
The Arctic region is becoming increasingly important for a number of geostrategic reasons. Thawing ice allows lucrative shipping lanes to open and increases the possibility of natural resource exploration. Since four of the five Arctic littoral countries, in addition to Iceland, are also members of NATO, the alliance cannot afford to ignore the Arctic. The U.S.…
Abstract: Eight countries hold vast territories in the Arctic: the United States, Canada, Russia, Norway, Denmark (via Greenland), Finland, Sweden, and Iceland. All eight countries are positioning themselves to protect their sovereignty, defend their competing territorial claims, and develop significant natural resources. Future disputes could involve shipping routes,…
The United States is losing the race to protect its own interests in the Arctic region. It is important to create a sensible policy to field an adequate fleet of U.S.-owned ice-breakers. An adequate, competent, and sustainable fleet is the key to maintaining American presence in the region, protecting U.S. sovereignty, working with allies, and rebuilding the nation’s edge…
Given the backbreaking demands currently placed on American forces around the world, the U.S. military’s significant humanitarian response efforts in Haiti have been extraordinary. This response has been led by the frequently forgotten fifth member of the U.S. Armed Forces: the U.S. Coast Guard. Yet despite its vital contribution to homeland defense and international…
Testimony before the Environment and Public Works Committee, United States Senate October 28, 2009 My name is Dr. James Jay Carafano. I am the Deputy Director of the Kathryn and Shelby Cullom Davis Institute for International Studies and the Director of Douglas and Sarah Allison Center for Foreign Policy Studies at The Heritage Foundation. The…
The price of oil, having soared to an all-time high in July 2008 before plummeting by nearly 75 percent, is rising again and is likely to climb ever higher as the economy recovers. Of course, rational solutions, such as unlocking America's restricted oil potential, appear to be off the table for the Obama Administration and the current Congress. Partially…
By planting the Russian flag on the seabed under the North Pole and claiming a sector of the Continental Shelf the size of Western Europe, Moscow generated a new source of international tension, seemingly out of the blue. Geopolitics and geoeconomics are driving Moscow's latest moves. The potential profits are certainly compelling. Geologists believe a quarter of…
In 2008, the Bush Administration, responding to litigation from an environmental group, listed the polar bear under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). Bush Secretary of the Interior Dirk Kempthorne also made some changes to the implementation of the ESA in order to limit the adverse consequences. But now, the omnibus appropriations bill, first passed by the House and…
The Arctic is quickly reemerging as a strategic area where vital U.S. interests are at stake. The geopolitical and geo-economic importance of the Arctic region is rising rapidly, and its mineral wealth will likely transform the region into a booming economic frontier in the 21st century. The coasts and continental shelf of the Arctic Ocean are estimated to hold large…
You hear a lot in Washington about the plight of the middle class. Politicians are often quick to condemn any policy they claim will help the rich but harm middle-class workers. But it's a different story when it comes to drilling for oil in Alaska's Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR). You hear little concern about continuing a policy that benefits an elite…
It should be obvious, but in Washington it is often not: A big part of the solution to America's energy challenges involves making better use of the resources available beneath American soil and territorial waters. Unfortunately, the federal government has either locked up much of these oil and natural gas reserves or tied them up with insurmountable red tape.…
By many accounts, the sea ice that covers much of the earth's Arctic region is melting. The size -- that is, the extent -- and thickness of the Arctic ice floes are diminishing, following a three-decade trend and brushing up against last year's historic lows. While many ruminate about the lives of polar bears, climate change in the Northern Hemisphere and even the…
Gasoline prices are up since the start of the year, but the summer of 2009 has thus far been a bargain at the pump compared to a year ago when prices exceeded $4 a gallon. However, the respite from sky-high prices is likely temporary. A return to $4 a gallon gas--or higher--will be made even more certain if Congress and the President succeed in enacting a host…
The Waxman-Markey cap-and-trade bill has engendered tremendous controversy. Concerns abound about the legislation's adverse economic consequences as well as skepticism of its affects on world climate trends. Faced with mounting opposition, the bill's supporters are increasingly making the case that creating a new law is a national security imperative. They are…
Earlier this week the Arctic Council met in Sweden for its biannual meeting. At this time, the applications of 14...…
The good news for the Obama Administration is that its next Secretary of State, Senator John Kerry (D–MA), had the...…
The U.S. House will vote next week on a package of energy and jobs bills Republican leaders say will help lower the...…
On April 17 and 18, 2002, a number of Senators took to the floor of the upper chamber to decry efforts to open the...…
The United States Coast Guard is being left behind in the Arctic. While countries such as Russia are building up their...…
The Arctic is becoming the “wild west” of the 21st century, and the Russians have been quick to claim a good part of it...…
When it comes to Arctic policy, the White House is delivering a series of self-inflicted wounds. Though it keeps...…
On November 23, 2009 the Congressional Budget Office issued “Economic and Budget Issue Brief: The Costs of Reducing...…
As the House of Commons in England was debating global warming legislation, something happened that hasn't occurred...…
America needs more oil, and we just found plenty. The United States Geological Survey (USGS) recently published its...…
Senior Fellow, National Security Affairs
Senior Research Fellow for Russian and Eurasian Studies and International Energy Policy, The Kathryn and Shelby Cullom Davis Institute for International Studies