There might be more marine traffic moving through the Northwest Passage in recent years, but the international controversy over the sea route is, nevertheless, overblown, says historian Gwynne Dyer.
The Northwest Passage will never attract a large number of cargo ship traffic even though there is less and less ice in the Arctic waterway, Dyer told delegates at a recent conference on Arctic issues.
“I think it’s very unlikely the Northwest Passage is ever going to become a major sea route,” he said at the Ottawa gathering.
The routes making up the Northwest Passage are narrow and shallow in several places, and it’s doubtful maritime insurers would even provide insurance for large single-hulled ships to go through the waterway, Dyer said.
For most points of departure and destinations, Dyer said, the Northern Sea Route in Russia is just as good as the Northwest Passage.
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Gwynnnnne Dyer is another of the Comrade Broadcasting Corp’s “experts” . He’s often on Mansbridge wearing a big heavy leather jacket, even in July, like an ace WWI pilot. I’m surpsied he doesn’t round out the cartoonish outfit with a monocle.
Naturally Comrade Gwynnnnnne thinks that although we have near total economic and military dependency on the USA , we should dump them and link up with the Ruskie thugocracy.
Brilliant!
Don’t know Dyer maybe because I never watch CBC. Anyway, looking at the map I provided I can understand his comments. It looks like a jigsaw puzzle regarding the NW passage.
Why team up with Russia – I say Denmark! They have a strong naval tradition that can be traced to the Vikings. Since the Danes already claim part of the Arctic they would be a logical ally. Cheers.
“even though there is less and less ice in the Arctic waterway”
Dyer’s “conclusions” may be a bit more believable is he didn’t get his facts reversed. The “reason” for the ice pack decrease in thickness was because the (hey! they’re floating!) sensors shifted . NOAA knew this but still published!
Fortunately there’s another set of sensors, run by a different organisation.
Anyway, here’s today’s statistics
You do have Firefox’s Image-Zoom extension, don’t you?
Don’t forget, it’s summer when you zoom into the 2008 red line.
http://www.iceagenow.com/Arctic_Sea_Ice_Extent_Updated_Daily.htm
Gwynn Dier I sort of remember did a long documentary miniseries on WAR and the history of WAR in the 1970′s or 1980′s for the CBC or CTV ( Don’t remember which ? ).
Ever since he has seemed to be ” the go to guy ” for journalists whenever war or conflict is the issue of the day: Sort of the David Suzuki of War.
The documentary seemed pretty good at the time but I don’t remember him being overtly ” lefty ” at the time: But then those where the ” flower child/Trudeau years ” and we all where drinking the coolaid without critical thought(s), a bit like the Obama coolaid today when people are all hopeful about ” hope and change ” without much thought about ” what hope/what change(s) and at what PRICE ! LOL.