superpowers and causes of tension Flashcards
How much of the globes undiscovered gas and oil sit below the Arctic ocean?
1/4
What might lead to conflict over the resources in the Arctic?
rising demand , pressure to extract oil is increasing
What is making exploitation of the Arctic more likely?
Receding polar ice (climate change)
What is causing territory and boundary disputes in the Arctic?
UNCLOS
What is UNCLOS?
states a country may claim the sea bed (&resources within it) that lie within 200 nautical miles of its coastline
What is the 200 nautical mile zone from UNCLOS called?
Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ)
Why does UNCLOS cause disputes?
As there are several claims o parts of Arctic and some overlap leading to political and military disputes in the area
What are some ways the UNCLOS members are preparing to claim the Arctic?
Canada has carried out military exercises in the Arctic
Norway has expanded its navy
Russia carries out Arctic bomber patrols
Denmark is creating an Arctic military command & response force
What might make drilling in the Arctic viable?
Due to unconventional methods oil prices will need to be high so companies still make a profit
Other then oil and gas what is another benefit of climate change affecting the Arctic?
benefitting trade shipping routes reducing distance travelled and speeding up transportation time possibly making goods cheaper if they are more available
How many ships used the summer melt period to access trade in the Arctic? (2014)
71 cargo ships (46 in 2012)
What is the Arctic council?
Intergovernmental group tasked with managing the Arctic region
Who are the members of the Arctic council?
USA
Canada
Denmark
Finland
Iceland
Norway
Sweden
Russia
Who took over as chair of the Arctic council in 2015?
USA
What is the possible problem with USA being chair of the Arctic council?
May be some bias and favour towards some countries over others
Where is the Arctic national wildlife refuge?
Alaska
What problem is the Arctic national wildlife refuge facing?
Although it is protected form exploitation the USA’s demand on oil means there is intense pressure to allow oil drilling and fracturing to occur
Who is the tension between in the Arctic national nature reserve?
Native people of Alaska (Gwich’in + Inupiat) and oil companies
Who is the tension between in the Arctic national nature reserve?
Native people of Alaska (Gwich’in + Inupiat) and US government
What do the Gwich’in call the nature reserve?
“sacred place where life begins”
What is more of the main functions of the Arctic national nature reserve?
40,000 caribou calves born in the area directly above the oil site each year
What is more of the main functions of the Arctic national nature reserve?
40,000 caribou calves born in the area directly above the oil site each year
why are superpowers so keen for TNC’s to register patents?
as then any person that wants to use that patented idea must pay the TNC which can then be taxed meaning the government can make money
Where are most global patents registered?
EU
Japan
USA
Who has been increasing the amount of patents registered?
China
What is the problem with the patent registration process?
lengthy and costly process
How do the Chinese government deal with the patent situation?
by turning a blind eye to counterfeit goods
How much is the Chinese counterfeit market worth?
£90.6 billion
What % of global trade are fakes?
2%
What are the Spratly islands?
artificial islands created by China to bypass UNCLOS 200 mile rule
Who are contesting the Spratly islands?
Malaysia
Philippines
China
Why might China be interested in the Spratly islands?
Oil reserves (10+billion barrels)
Shipping
Military training
Fishing
When did tensions begin in the Spratly islands?
1987 when china built a military structure on one of the reefs
Who was angry about china’s presence in the south china sea? (Conflict)
the Vietnamese and a deadly skirmish occurred in 1988 where he outgunned Vietnamese lost 9 soldiers
How many reefs has China built on since conflict with Vietnam?
6
Who warned china but did not fight them over reef building?
Philippines who made a political protest
