Canada’s Foreign Affairs Minister, John Baird, announced today that Canada intends to claim the North Pole as Canadian territory. This claim places Canada in direct opposition to both Denmark and Russia which have made similar claims. Canada intends to claim sovereignty on the basis of its continental shelf which it believes extends all the way to the North Pole. The continental shelf is an accepted means of claiming territory under the Law of the Sea Convention. Canada claims that the Lomonosov Ridge is an extension of its continental shelf, and as you can see from the map, the Ridge does protrude far into the north. We will see how the Russians respond to this claim.
One of the interesting conundrums of the climate change debate is the recent “pause” in the rise of global surface temperatures over the last 15 years. Those who do not believe that climate change is occurring have seized upon this pattern have used it to suggest that climate change is not taking place. There is a recent study, however, that suggests that this “pause” is not an issue, and that much of the temperature increase during that period has occurred in the oceans and not on the surface. Needless to say, the study does not settle the matter, but it does pose an interesting alternative.
Ukrainian riot police have surrounded all the protesters in Independence Square in Kiev, and it appears as if President Yanukovich is determined to settle the protests by force. It is difficult to say how the protesters will react to the suppression of the protests–much depends on whether an excessive amount of violence is used. But no matter what happens, it seems clear that the protests will continue, if not even deepen. The financial situation in Ukraine continues to deteriorate, as investors fear that Ukraine may not be able to meet its financial obligations.
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