Oil giants eye Arctic reserves
<p> <span word="As">As</span> <span word="oil">oil</span> <span word="giant">giant</span> <span word="Shell">Shell</span> <span word="calls">calls</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="temporary">temporary</span> <span word="halt">halt</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="its">its</span> <span word="exploration">exploration</span> <span word="activities">activities</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="Arctic">Arctic</span> <span word="because">because</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="concerns">concerns</span> <span word="over">over</span> <span word="safety">safety</span>, <span word="lawmakers">lawmakers</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="Britain">Britain</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="urging">urging</span> <span word="international">international</span> <span word="governments">governments</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="seek">seek</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="moratorium">moratorium</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="offshore">offshore</span> <span word="drilling">drilling</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="region">region</span>. <span word="Environmentalists">Environmentalists</span> <span word="say">say</span> <span word="an">an</span> <span word="oil">oil</span> <span word="spill">spill</span> <span word="could">could</span> <span word="cause">cause</span> <span word="catastrophic">catastrophic</span>, <span word="irreversible">irreversible</span> <span word="damage">damage</span>. <span word="But">But</span> <span word="with">with</span> <span word="global">global</span> <span word="energy">energy</span> <span word="demands">demands</span> <span word="set">set</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="rise">rise</span>, <span word="some">some</span> <span word="say">say</span> <span word="it">it</span>’<span word="s">s</span> <span word="time">time</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="look">look</span> <span word="at">at</span> <span word="such">such</span> ‘<span word="unconventional">unconventional</span> <span word="resources">resources</span>.’</p><p><span word="Last">Last</span> <span word="winter">winter</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="Arctic">Arctic</span>, <span word="the">the</span> <span word="Russian">Russian</span> <span word="tanker">tanker</span> ‘<span word="Renda">Renda</span>’ <span word="carved">carved</span> <span word="its">its</span> <span word="way">way</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="remote">remote</span> <span word="Alaskan">Alaskan</span> <span word="port">port</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="Nome">Nome</span>.</p><p><span word="Not">Not</span> <span word="long">long</span> <span word="ago">ago</span> <span word="this">this</span> <span word="voyage">voyage</span> - <span word="made">made</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="December">December</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="January">January</span> - <span word="would">would</span> <span word="have">have</span> <span word="been">been</span> <span word="impossible">impossible</span>. <span word="The">The</span> <span word="warming">warming</span> <span word="climate">climate</span> <span word="means">means</span> <span word="thinner">thinner</span> <span word="ice">ice</span>. <span word="More">More</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="more">more</span> <span word="vessels">vessels</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="plying">plying</span> <span word="these">these</span> <span word="routes">routes</span> <span word="year">year</span>-<span word="round">round</span>. <span word="Many">Many</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="them">them</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="involved">involved</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="search">search</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="oil">oil</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="gas">gas</span>. <span word="The">The</span> <span word="US">US</span> <span word="Geological">Geological</span> <span word="Survey">Survey</span> <span word="estimates">estimates</span> <span word="there">there</span> <span word="are">are</span> 26 <span word="billion">billion</span> <span word="barrels">barrels</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="recoverable">recoverable</span> <span word="oil">oil</span> <span word="beneath">beneath</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="United">United</span> <span word="States">States</span>' <span word="Arctic">Arctic</span> <span word="waters">waters</span> <span word="alone">alone</span>.</p><p><span word="Oil">Oil</span> <span word="giants">giants</span>, <span word="including">including</span> <span word="state">state</span>-<span word="owned">owned</span> <span word="Russian">Russian</span> <span word="firm">firm</span> <span word="Rosneft">Rosneft</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="Royal">Royal</span> <span word="Dutch">Dutch</span> <span word="Shell">Shell</span>, <span word="have">have</span> <span word="already">already</span> <span word="spent">spent</span> <span word="billions">billions</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="dollars">dollars</span> <span word="prospecting">prospecting</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="hydrocarbons">hydrocarbons</span>.</p><p><span word="But">But</span> <span word="Glada">Glada</span> <span word="Lahn">Lahn</span> <span word="from">from</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="policy">policy</span> <span word="institute">institute</span> <span word="Chatham">Chatham</span> <span word="House">House</span>, <span word="says">says</span> <span word="climate">climate</span> <span word="change">change</span> <span word="can">can</span> <span word="create">create</span> <span word="problems">problems</span> <span word="as">as</span> <span word="well">well</span> <span word="as">as</span> <span word="opportunities">opportunities</span>.</p><p>“<span word="With">With</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="warming">warming</span> <span word="temperatures">temperatures</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="Arctic">Arctic</span>, <span word="the">the</span> <span word="frequency">frequency</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="ice">ice</span> <span word="breaking">breaking</span> <span word="off">off</span>, <span word="that">that</span> <span word="speeds">speeds</span> <span word="up">up</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="so">so</span> <span word="you">you</span> <span word="perhaps">perhaps</span> <span word="have">have</span> <span word="more">more</span> <span word="icebergs">icebergs</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="way">way</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="operations">operations</span>," <span word="said">said</span> <span word="Lahn">Lahn</span>. "<span word="The">The</span> <span word="other">other</span> <span word="problem">problem</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="increasing">increasing</span> <span word="severity">severity</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="storms">storms</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="as">as</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="ice">ice</span> <span word="retreats">retreats</span> <span word="from">from</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="coastlines">coastlines</span>, <span word="there">there</span>’<span word="s">s</span> <span word="more">more</span> <span word="chance">chance</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="larger">larger</span> <span word="waves">waves</span> <span word="leading">leading</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="coastal">coastal</span> <span word="erosion">erosion</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="damage">damage</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="infrastructure">infrastructure</span>.”</p>
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