[{"command":"openDialog","selector":"#drupal-modal","settings":null,"data":"\u003Cdiv id=\u0022republish_modal_form\u0022\u003E\u003Cform class=\u0022modal-form-example-modal-form ecl-form\u0022 data-drupal-selector=\u0022modal-form-example-modal-form\u0022 action=\u0022\/en\/article\/modal\/5906\u0022 method=\u0022post\u0022 id=\u0022modal-form-example-modal-form\u0022 accept-charset=\u0022UTF-8\u0022\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHorizon articles can be republished for free under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) licence.\u003C\/p\u003E\n \u003Cp\u003EYou must give appropriate credit. We ask you to do this by:\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n 1) Using the original journalist\u0027s byline\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n 2) Linking back to our original story\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n 3) Using the following text in the footer: This article was originally published in \u003Ca href=\u0027#\u0027\u003EHorizon, the EU Research and Innovation magazine\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n \u003Cp\u003ESee our full republication guidelines \u003Ca href=\u0027\/horizon-magazine\/republish-our-stories\u0027\u003Ehere\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n \u003Cp\u003EHTML for this article, including the attribution and page view counter, is below:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\u0022js-form-item form-item js-form-type-textarea form-item-body-content js-form-item-body-content ecl-form-group ecl-form-group--text-area form-no-label ecl-u-mv-m\u0022\u003E\n \n\u003Cdiv\u003E\n \u003Ctextarea data-drupal-selector=\u0022edit-body-content\u0022 aria-describedby=\u0022edit-body-content--description\u0022 id=\u0022edit-body-content\u0022 name=\u0022body_content\u0022 rows=\u00225\u0022 cols=\u002260\u0022 class=\u0022form-textarea ecl-text-area\u0022\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EAs the ice melts, the Arctic opens up to cargo ships and energy firms\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn September 2013, the ship carried 73 500 tons of coal from Vancouver, in Canada, to Finland by cutting directly across the Arctic, shaving about four days off a trip which would normally take it through the Panama Canal and across the Atlantic.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe Nordic Orion is likely to be the first of many ships to use the route as global warming reduces the sea ice.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIt is a trend that has caused concern among environmental groups, who are worried about the impact of pollution on the near-pristine Arctic environment. The noise of ship engines cutting through the Arctic Ocean will also irritate the sensitive hearing of sea mammals such as whales.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EResearchers are now trying to evaluate the environmental impact that the increasing access will have on the Arctic\u2019s vulnerable ecosystems, so that they can guide policymakers as they seek to regulate the region.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIt\u2019s not only the prospect of more ships making the Northwest Passage, but in recent years researchers have also seen an increase in traffic through the Northern Sea Route, which runs between Asia and Europe\u0026nbsp;through Siberian Arctic waters.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u2018You may still have key passages or pivotal points where you have large ice masses or blockages, so you may still need icebreakers to get through, though everything else may be open,\u2019 said Dr Michael Karcher, the assistant coordinator of the EU-funded ACCESS project, which is monitoring the region.\u003Cblockquote class=\u0022tw-text-center tw-text-blue tw-font-bold tw-text-2xl lg:tw-w-1\/2 tw-border-2 tw-border-blue tw-p-12 tw-my-8 lg:tw-m-12 lg:tw--ml-16 tw-float-left\u0022\u003E\n \u003Cspan class=\u0022tw-text-5xl tw-rotate-180\u0022\u003E\u201c\u003C\/span\u003E\n \u003Cp class=\u0022tw-font-serif tw-italic\u0022\u003E\u2018Our aim is to provide the science, the knowledge that may help in making political decisions.\u2019\u003C\/p\u003E\n \u003Cfooter\u003E\n \u003Ccite class=\u0022tw-not-italic tw-font-normal tw-text-sm tw-text-black\u0022\u003EDr Michael Karcher, assistant coordinator of the EU-funded ACCESS project\u003C\/cite\u003E\n \u003C\/footer\u003E\n\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\n\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EVast deposits\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe thinning ice also means better access to vast oil and gas deposits believed to be buried under the seabed.\u0026nbsp;The Arctic is estimated to have about a third of the world\u2019s undiscovered natural gas and 13\u0026nbsp;% of its undiscovered oil, and energy firms have already started drilling into the ice.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe long-term trend is for the sea ice to continue melting due to global warming, meaning the scramble to access these resources will only intensify.\u0026nbsp;However, conditions in the Arctic can vary widely over the next few decades, and that makes it tricky for policymakers to regulate.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThat\u2019s why the ACCESS project is focusing on the impact of climate change on oil and gas extraction, transportation and sea life over\u0026nbsp;the next 30 years.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022img_legend\u0022 style=\u0022float: left;\u0022\u003E\u003Cfigure role=\u0022group\u0022\u003E\n\u003Ca class=\u0022gallery\u0022 href=\u0022\/research-and-innovation\/sites\/default\/files\/hm\/Arcticmap-1.jpg\u0022 style=\u0022line-height: 1.538em;\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003E\u003Cimg alt=\u0022Maritime jurisdiction and boundaries in the Arctic region. Image courtesy of the International Boundaries Research Unit, Durham University, UK\u0022 height=\u0022283\u0022 src=\u0022\/research-and-innovation\/sites\/default\/files\/hm\/Arcticmap-1.jpg\u0022 title=\u0022Maritime jurisdiction and boundaries in the Arctic region. Image courtesy of the International Boundaries Research Unit, Durham University, UK\u0022 width=\u0022200\u0022\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\n\u003Cfigcaption class=\u0022tw-italic tw-mb-4\u0022\u003EMaritime jurisdiction and boundaries in the Arctic region. Image courtesy of the International Boundaries Research Unit, Durham University, UK\u003C\/figcaption\u003E\n\u003C\/figure\u003E\n\u003Cem\u003EMaritime jurisdiction and boundaries in the Arctic region. \u00a9 International Boundaries Research Unit, Durham University, UK\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u2018We have long-term trends like reduced ice thickness, increased warming and reduced ice extent, but at the same time this overlaps with a very strong natural variability, making it very difficult to make predictions over the next few decades,\u2019 said Dr Karcher.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIncreased pollution caused by shipping traffic and oil and gas production has significant implications for the Arctic atmosphere, and could have an impact on climate change itself. To find out what this impact might be, the project is collecting data and measuring concentrations of hydrocarbons and chemical and particle pollution in the region.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe melting ice is also likely to mean more fish farming in the Arctic as higher temperatures provide suitable conditions for expansion, the project said, while\u0026nbsp;there could also be a surge in the number of tourists who want to experience the Arctic before any of its unique characteristics disappear.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHowever, one of the biggest problems is that of governance, as it is still unclear which countries have jurisdiction over much of the Arctic. That makes it difficult to regulate the region coherently.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EACCESS researchers have been developing proposals for ways to deal with potential disagreements that may happen over jurisdiction or access to resources. For example, various options over marine transport will be put to the Arctic Council and the International Maritime Organization.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBy the time it finishes in 2015, the project will pull together its findings into recommendations for policymakers.\u0026nbsp;\u2018Our aim is to provide the science, the knowledge that may help in making political decisions,\u2019 Dr Karcher said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/textarea\u003E\n\u003C\/div\u003E\n\n \u003Cdiv id=\u0022edit-body-content--description\u0022 class=\u0022ecl-help-block description\u0022\u003E\n Please copy the above code and embed it onto your website to republish.\n \u003C\/div\u003E\n \u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cinput autocomplete=\u0022off\u0022 data-drupal-selector=\u0022form-k5fzdhxb0rzwi925jpbgqew2oga0f0n-dwrmb0uvd-i\u0022 type=\u0022hidden\u0022 name=\u0022form_build_id\u0022 value=\u0022form-k5fZDHxb0RZWi925jPbgQeW2oGa0f0N_dWRMB0uvD_I\u0022 \/\u003E\n\u003Cinput data-drupal-selector=\u0022edit-modal-form-example-modal-form\u0022 type=\u0022hidden\u0022 name=\u0022form_id\u0022 value=\u0022modal_form_example_modal_form\u0022 \/\u003E\n\u003C\/form\u003E\n\u003C\/div\u003E","dialogOptions":{"width":"800","modal":true,"title":"Republish this content"}}]