Climatic irony of an Arctic shipping lane
<p><span word="The">The</span> <span word="world">world</span> <span word="media">media</span> <span word="reported">reported</span> <span word="last">last</span> <span word="week">week</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="successful">successful</span> <span word="sailing">sailing</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="two">two</span> <span word="German">German</span> <span word="cargo">cargo</span> <span word="ships">ships</span> <span word="through">through</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="fabled">fabled</span> "<span word="Northeast">Northeast</span> <span word="Passage">Passage</span>" <span word="from">from</span> <span word="South">South</span> <span word="Korea">Korea</span> <span word="along">along</span> <span word="Russia">Russia</span>'<span word="s">s</span> <span word="Arctic">Arctic</span> <span word="coast">coast</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="Siberia">Siberia</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="reaching">reaching</span> <span word="Rotterdam">Rotterdam</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="Netherlands">Netherlands</span>.</p><p><span word="The">The</span> <span word="Beluga">Beluga</span> <span word="Shipping">Shipping</span> <span word="GmbH">GmbH</span>, <span word="owner">owner</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="two">two</span> <span word="German">German</span> <span word="ships">ships</span>, <span word="was">was</span> <span word="obviously">obviously</span> <span word="proud">proud</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="feat">feat</span>: <span word="The">The</span> <span word="first">first</span> <span word="time">time</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="Western">Western</span> <span word="shipping">shipping</span> <span word="company">company</span> <span word="had">had</span> <span word="successfully">successfully</span> <span word="transited">transited</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="Northeast">Northeast</span> <span word="Passage">Passage</span>.</p><p><span word="By">By</span> <span word="taking">taking</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="new">new</span> <span word="route">route</span> <span word="from">from</span> <span word="South">South</span> <span word="Korea">Korea</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="Netherlands">Netherlands</span>, <span word="ships">ships</span> <span word="can">can</span> <span word="save">save</span> 5,554 <span word="km">km</span> <span word="and">and</span> 10 <span word="days">days</span> <span word="compared">compared</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="traditional">traditional</span> <span word="route">route</span> <span word="through">through</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="Suez">Suez</span> <span word="Canal">Canal</span>. <span word="The">The</span> <span word="cost">cost</span> <span word="reduction">reduction</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="apparent">apparent</span>. <span word="The">The</span> <span word="firm">firm</span>'<span word="s">s</span> <span word="president">president</span> <span word="said">said</span> <span word="he">he</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="planning">planning</span> <span word="more">more</span> <span word="voyages">voyages</span> <span word="through">through</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="route">route</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="coming">coming</span> <span word="months">months</span>.</p><p><span word="My">My</span> <span word="first">first</span> <span word="reaction">reaction</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="news">news</span> <span word="was">was</span>: <span word="One">One</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="last">last</span> <span word="virgin">virgin</span> <span word="oceans">oceans</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="Earth">Earth</span> <span word="will">will</span> <span word="be">be</span> <span word="ruined">ruined</span>.</p><p><span word="Undoubtedly">Undoubtedly</span> <span word="Beluga">Beluga</span> <span word="will">will</span> <span word="not">not</span> <span word="be">be</span> <span word="alone">alone</span>. <span word="More">More</span> <span word="shipping">shipping</span> <span word="companies">companies</span> <span word="will">will</span> <span word="join">join</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="race">race</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="use">use</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="new">new</span> <span word="route">route</span> <span word="through">through</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="Arctic">Arctic</span>, <span word="given">given</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="obvious">obvious</span> <span word="benefits">benefits</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="shorter">shorter</span> <span word="journey">journey</span> <span word="will">will</span> <span word="generate">generate</span>. <span word="It">It</span> <span word="can">can</span> <span word="be">be</span> <span word="foreseen">foreseen</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="Arctic">Arctic</span> <span word="area">area</span> <span word="will">will</span> <span word="see">see</span> <span word="fleets">fleets</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="ships">ships</span> <span word="sailing">sailing</span> <span word="through">through</span> <span word="Asia">Asia</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="Europe">Europe</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="North">North</span> <span word="America">America</span> <span word="every">every</span> <span word="day">day</span>.</p><p><span word="The">The</span> <span word="scenario">scenario</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="appalling">appalling</span>, <span word="for">for</span> <span word="it">it</span> <span word="would">would</span> <span word="mean">mean</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="loss">loss</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="last">last</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="clean">clean</span> <span word="oceans">oceans</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="commerce">commerce</span>. <span word="Mass">Mass</span> <span word="sailing">sailing</span> <span word="activities">activities</span> <span word="through">through</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="area">area</span> <span word="will">will</span> <span word="definitely">definitely</span> <span word="aggravate">aggravate</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="melting">melting</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="ice">ice</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="global">global</span> <span word="warming">warming</span>. <span word="Ironically">Ironically</span>, <span word="climate">climate</span> <span word="change">change</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="very">very</span> <span word="reason">reason</span> <span word="why">why</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="new">new</span> <span word="passage">passage</span> <span word="through">through</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="icy">icy</span> <span word="waters">waters</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="possible">possible</span>.</p><p><span word="About">About</span> 80,000 <span word="commercial">commercial</span> <span word="vessels">vessels</span> <span word="now">now</span> <span word="sail">sail</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="oceans">oceans</span> <span word="across">across</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="world">world</span>, <span word="discharging">discharging</span> <span word="about">about</span> 1 <span word="million">million</span> <span word="tons">tons</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="various">various</span> <span word="pollutants">pollutants</span> <span word="into">into</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="waters">waters</span> <span word="every">every</span> <span word="year">year</span>. <span word="They">They</span> <span word="have">have</span> <span word="contributed">contributed</span> <span word="significantly">significantly</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="deterioration">deterioration</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="global">global</span> <span word="climate">climate</span>. <span word="Now">Now</span> <span word="with">with</span> <span word="fleets">fleets</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="commercial">commercial</span> <span word="vessels">vessels</span> <span word="leaking">leaking</span> <span word="oil">oil</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="chemicals">chemicals</span> <span word="along">along</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="Northeast">Northeast</span> <span word="Passage">Passage</span>, <span word="dumping">dumping</span> <span word="engine">engine</span>-<span word="cleaning">cleaning</span> <span word="agents">agents</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="sewage">sewage</span> <span word="into">into</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="waters">waters</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="emitting">emitting</span> <span word="carbon">carbon</span> <span word="dioxide">dioxide</span> <span word="into">into</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="air">air</span> <span word="above">above</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="Arctic">Arctic</span>, <span word="the">the</span> <span word="local">local</span> <span word="temperature">temperature</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="climate">climate</span> <span word="will">will</span> <span word="certainly">certainly</span> <span word="change">change</span>.</p>
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