Adaptation and Change with Global Warming

Today, the governing spatial structure of Earth is that of a ribbon around the globe. Economic activity and habitation are mostly limited to this developed ribbon. As the polar ice retreats and better ships and remote sensing are being developed, the habitable edge of the world is moving ever farther into the Arctic, leading to the emergence of a new spatial structure of Earth: the semiglobe. In a semiglobe system, the Arctic is no longer the most remote area of Earth but is its center. The practical consequences of polar ice retreat are notably Arctic resource development and Arctic shipping routes. The largest impact on global marine transportation occurs as all-year shipping develops in the Arctic, eventually leading to–-because of shorter distances–-most marine transportation between the North Atlantic and the North Pacific going through the Arctic Ocean. This has important consequences for transportation, security, and natural resource use. The Arctic sea routes also hold geopolitical importance as alternative routes, for example, if conflicts at the Panama or Suez Canal interrupt intercontinental shipping. This gives added importance to the gates to the Arctic Ocean and surrounding nations.