Paul
Goble
Staunton, November 25 – Forty-six
ships have sailed north of the Russian Federation on the Northern Sea Route in
the Arctic Ocean this year, 12 more than in 2011 and 42 more than in 2010, and these
ships have carried 1.3 million tons of cargo, 53 percent more than shipping
along this route last year.
According to a report by “Barents
Observer,” 25 vessels sailed east from Murmansk, Arkhangelsk, or Baydratskaya
Bay, while 21 sailed west in the opposite direction. Two ships are still in
transit, and their arrival will boost the final totals for this season still
further (barentsobserver.com/en/arctic/2012/11/46-vessels-through-northern-sea-route-23-11).
More than 60 percent of the tonnage
carried consisted of petroleum products, with the next largest share made up of
iron ore and coal. No supertankers were involved, but the route is becoming
profitable because it is established to save “up to 20 days” compared to
shipping from Japan to Scandinavia through the Suez Canal.
This increased use of the Northern
Sea Route reflects the impact of global warming on the Arctic and the reduction
in the amount of ice coverage during the summers, but officials and experts
meeting in Moscow last week warned that global warming is reducing food production
in adjoining parts of the Russian North and may threaten the indigenous peoples
there (raipon.info/component/content/article/1-novosti/3640-2012-11-22-11-58-56.html).
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