Ice Free or Die

Greenland's melting ice offers new mining opportunities, could fuel independence bid

Posted at 6:38 AM on 04 Oct 2007

Even while Greenland's melting ice is slowly destroying the viability of subsistence hunting, it offers new economic opportunities that could ultimately fund the island country's bid for independence from Denmark. Diamond hunters from North America have been coming to Greenland to search for the precious stones in rock uncovered by glacial retreat. Melting ice offers new opportunities for hydroelectric power. Gold found recently is already being mined. The government is in talks with aluminum giant Alcoa to build the world's second-largest smelter in the country. And oil companies are vying to drill off Greenland's expansive coastline. The country achieved a measure of independence with its successful push for self-governance in 1979, but Denmark still handles defense and foreign policy and sends much-needed funds. Yet if Greenland's mining rush could effectively displace those funds, the country's population of about 56,000 has a shot at full independence.

source: The Guardian

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Comments: (2 comments)

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Oh man

So wrong! So as they sit and watch the affects of global warming, they're going to go capitalize off of it, further exacerbating environmental destruction?

Mining, hydro-electric power, oil drilling, all BECAUSE of melting glaciers?

You would think and expect that a melting glacier would be enough for this garbage to stop.

As long as there are slaughterhouses, there will be battlefields. -Leo Tolstoy

by iprefertherain at 10:29 AM on 04 Oct 2007

Although I should mention

I'm not so sure what the implications of "independance from Denmark" would mean here. I don't know how oppressive Denmark has been to Greenland historically.

It sounds however, like oil, diamond, and resource companies have instigated this debate, and a mere afterthought was independance. I'm skeptical of using these processes to achieve something politically "good".

As long as there are slaughterhouses, there will be battlefields. -Leo Tolstoy

by iprefertherain at 10:40 AM on 04 Oct 2007

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