Mining
Mining in the Arctic is having a huge effect. The Arctic is mined for oil, coal and other high-grade reserves. In order to excavate these minerals, roads, mines, ports, pipelines and airstrips must be built and in most cases they disturb wildlife and damage the fragile ecosystem. Not only this but once the mines are well and truly on their way, the land of many habitats is excavated and destroyed in order to reach minerals. This causes harmful gases are emitted into the atmosphere. All life, no matter how big or small, must leave the area, if to survive, unless it is rooted to the spot in which case it will simply be discarded by us. Norilsk a mining city was originally built by slave labours, and is now the largest mining city above the Arctic Circle. It has a population of 250,000 and emits millions of tons of sulphur into the atmosphere annually, polluting the Arctic and damaging the Tundra.
As the Arctic warms more mining companies are emerging and searching territories for reserves. Recently the Saskatchewan's industry has grabbed attention of the world with what may become the heart of Canada's resource sector emerging at Baffin Island. This remote, sparsely populated Arctic island could become the home to mining extracting anything from diamonds to oil to gold. Among the largest of many is a plan to build a huge open-pit iron ore mine at Mary River. This 4 billion dollar project would allow the Baffinland Iron Mines Corps to tap a site thought to hold 500 million tonnes of high grade reserves.Yet who will be the one to develop this site remains a mystery as companies fight to be the lucky one. Nunavat put in an offer to buy out Baffinland Island for 274 million dollars in cash only to be outbid by an Australian company.
Meanwhile, Vancouver-based Commander Resources Ltd. announced that there is potential for a significant gold discovery. The same day Peregrine Diamonds Ltd. revealed it had uncovered diamonds while Alphine Gems began marketing sapphires mined on Baffin Island the previous year. The melting of Arctic Ice is making it increasingly possible to access resources in the area and, according to a U.S. geological survey, the Arctic may hold as much as a seventh of the world's untapped oil and gas. As world energy companies advance at the prospect of drilling, environmentalists are keeping a close watch. The Danish navy had to dispatch a warship to guard an energy rig off Baffin Bay when a Greenpeace ship showed up to protest. As ice melts mining companies advance, but there may still be a chance to stop their advance if we manage to stop harmful chemicals escaping into the atmosphere from ordinary objects such as hairsprays. If everyone does this maybe we have a chance to stop global warming and drive mining companies away.
BP is currently planning to use a risky and challenging horizontal extended reach method for drilling in the Beaufort Sea (Arctic). Though BP is trying to go ahead first they must provide information on the possibility of a spill. They also have to have third party verification that equipment used to stop spills actually works. Not only this but BP was allowed to submit its own endangered species act. The project will start by drilling sideways for 6-8 miles until it reaches the reservoir estimated to hold 105 million barrels of oil. It requires a special pipe able to withstand 105,000 foot pounds of torque needed to turn the drill. A seismic survey was used to determine exact targets for the wells. The survey transmits sound signals from the surface which are echoed by rock formations. Results are used to determine that their will be no obstacles as anything unexpected may create a bend in the well which may extend the drag on the drill pipe.The rig is being built out of low-temperature tolerant steel to withstand Arctic conditions. The rig is expected to produce 40,000 barrels of oil each day and needs only 83 people to run.
With many mining companies pressing forwards minerals must be transported. Though the Arctic Sea Ice is melting, weather is almost unpredictable. One oil spill could cause mayhem and severely damage the Arctic ecosystem. On the 24th of March 1989 an American Tanker filled to capacity ran aground in North America letting out barrels of oil into the ocean. The result was catastrophic. Otters and birds died from oil contamination by the tens of thousands. A tax was then imposed on oil companies to allow for a 1 billion dollar cleanup fund, yet no tax is going to bring animals back to life!
As the Arctic warms more mining companies are emerging and searching territories for reserves. Recently the Saskatchewan's industry has grabbed attention of the world with what may become the heart of Canada's resource sector emerging at Baffin Island. This remote, sparsely populated Arctic island could become the home to mining extracting anything from diamonds to oil to gold. Among the largest of many is a plan to build a huge open-pit iron ore mine at Mary River. This 4 billion dollar project would allow the Baffinland Iron Mines Corps to tap a site thought to hold 500 million tonnes of high grade reserves.Yet who will be the one to develop this site remains a mystery as companies fight to be the lucky one. Nunavat put in an offer to buy out Baffinland Island for 274 million dollars in cash only to be outbid by an Australian company.
Meanwhile, Vancouver-based Commander Resources Ltd. announced that there is potential for a significant gold discovery. The same day Peregrine Diamonds Ltd. revealed it had uncovered diamonds while Alphine Gems began marketing sapphires mined on Baffin Island the previous year. The melting of Arctic Ice is making it increasingly possible to access resources in the area and, according to a U.S. geological survey, the Arctic may hold as much as a seventh of the world's untapped oil and gas. As world energy companies advance at the prospect of drilling, environmentalists are keeping a close watch. The Danish navy had to dispatch a warship to guard an energy rig off Baffin Bay when a Greenpeace ship showed up to protest. As ice melts mining companies advance, but there may still be a chance to stop their advance if we manage to stop harmful chemicals escaping into the atmosphere from ordinary objects such as hairsprays. If everyone does this maybe we have a chance to stop global warming and drive mining companies away.
BP is currently planning to use a risky and challenging horizontal extended reach method for drilling in the Beaufort Sea (Arctic). Though BP is trying to go ahead first they must provide information on the possibility of a spill. They also have to have third party verification that equipment used to stop spills actually works. Not only this but BP was allowed to submit its own endangered species act. The project will start by drilling sideways for 6-8 miles until it reaches the reservoir estimated to hold 105 million barrels of oil. It requires a special pipe able to withstand 105,000 foot pounds of torque needed to turn the drill. A seismic survey was used to determine exact targets for the wells. The survey transmits sound signals from the surface which are echoed by rock formations. Results are used to determine that their will be no obstacles as anything unexpected may create a bend in the well which may extend the drag on the drill pipe.The rig is being built out of low-temperature tolerant steel to withstand Arctic conditions. The rig is expected to produce 40,000 barrels of oil each day and needs only 83 people to run.
With many mining companies pressing forwards minerals must be transported. Though the Arctic Sea Ice is melting, weather is almost unpredictable. One oil spill could cause mayhem and severely damage the Arctic ecosystem. On the 24th of March 1989 an American Tanker filled to capacity ran aground in North America letting out barrels of oil into the ocean. The result was catastrophic. Otters and birds died from oil contamination by the tens of thousands. A tax was then imposed on oil companies to allow for a 1 billion dollar cleanup fund, yet no tax is going to bring animals back to life!