As a land thaws, so do Greenland's aspirations for independence

[phantom power]

For 30 years, Greenland's 56,000 people have been pushing for greater control over their own affairs. Despite their best efforts, it was assumed that poor, remote Greenland would remain tied to Denmark indefinitely.

But with the recent surge in global oil and mineral prices – and melting ice on land and sea improving access to potential reserves of both – the prospects for Greenland's independence have never looked better.

"If Greenland becomes economically self-sufficient, then independence becomes a practical possibility," says Aleqa Hammond, minister for finance and foreign affairs in Greenland's home-rule government, which already controls most of the island's affairs. "We know that we have gold and diamonds and oil and great masses of the cleanest water in the world … It may be closer than we think."

Greenland is in the midst of renegotiating its relationship with Denmark, which has ruled the island since 1721. Talks were supposed to conclude last month, but have stalled on questions over ownership of the island's oil and mineral wealth. Denmark wants to maintain the current arrangement, by which they will receive half of any royalties; Greenland wants a greater share.

http://www.csmonitor.com/2007/1016/p01s02-woeu.html

[GreenPartyVoter]

1. Thanks for posting this. It's very interesting.

[phantom power]

2. I've noticed two converging trends, regarding resources.

The first is that we're finishing up the process of burning through the resources within 60 degrees of the equator.

The second is that the thawing of the polar regions is opening up new opportunities for resource extraction in the remaining area within 30 degrees of the poles.

As we've seen in recent headlines, the opening moves of a new Great Game are already being played. This time, at the top and bottom of the world.

[GreenPartyVoter]

8. And of ocurse the irony is if we go after the fossil fuels at the poles we'll

use them and add more carbon to the air and heat ourselves up even more. *shaking head*

[XemaSab]

9. Only with about 5 players instead of two

:P

[pscot]

3. Great buys in view and waterfront property

Buy now, sit back and wait for the boom. Sure, it's under 7000 feet of ice right now, but a few more degrees of global warming, and this will all be covered with condos.

[kestrel91316]

4. Well..........most of it's PRETTY RUGGED, lol.

[pscot]

5. That's part of its charm

Vikingsholm! Imagine 5000 thousand units complete with shops, greenhouses and geo-thermal heating.

[kestrel91316]

7. OT. I personally know a Greenlander of mostly Inuit heritage but with

the inevitable small amount of Danish blood (how many DUers can say they know a Greenlander, lol?). He wants to be a commercial airline pilot. His family vacations in Florida. He's from the capitol city which is a small hardscrabble town built on rocks on the coast. No trees.

Cold, dreary place but spectacularly beautiful.

Needs a few more trees IMHO.

[phantom power]

6. Smilla's Sense of Real Estate

[Strelnikov_]

10. Sounds like there are some WMD's there that need Democracy planted

to overthrow the tyranny of Danish rule so Al Queda doesn't follow us home.

[tom_paine]

11. Wow, all the neat little convolutions that Global Warming and the coming Dark Age

bring are so entertaining!

:popcorn: