Polar Ice Caps Research Paper

New opportunities to expand peak the interests of oil industries, shipping, and even tourism. The first arctic oil field was developed in 1930 in the the Soviet Union. From there, the race to control the arctic regions began. Oil became the power of the arctic economy and still is today. Jobs and opportunity were opened up to people who wanted to work in the oil industry. However, present day discoveries show that global warming is caused by the rapid increase in population and oil fields. Now, in present times, climate change and the potential for new development dominate debates over arctic policy control. However, Arctic ice coverage is at a low and temperatures reached up to 36 degrees fahrenheit in November which is abnormal (CQ Researcher 989). As arctic tourism, shipping,

The shrinking of polar ice caps is caused by increasing tourism, shipping, and major oil field expansion. As more people and companies begin to travel towards the arctic, the more global warming occurs affecting ice coverage. “Polar ice which has been shrinking at a rate of 12% a decade since the late 1970’s and was at a record in October” (CQ Researcher 994). The rate per year of melting of ice caps is too high and is causing major destruction and arising new problems. As ice melts, it turns to water which unhealthy for the environment. “ Harmful solar energy that would of been reflected off of the ice and back into space is instead absorbed by the ocean, warming water and further exacerbating climate change,” (Brown 2). Because of ice melting, passageways open up for tourism. The once desolate arctic is now populated with cruise ships and people venturing into the region.