User:Noahm9/sandbox

Environmental Impact

The Transpolar Sea route creates many concerns to whether or not an increase in economic activity could affect the fragile arctic ecosystem.  There are various aspects that can provide potential affects the Arctic ecosystem. Increases in overall activity, mostly in oil tankers, have the potential to create oil spills. Thick sea ice, which creates greater costs and limitations to traveling through the Transpolar Sea route with large ships, presents a risk for oil spills as of 2017. The discharge of sewage, grey water, and ballast water from any size of vessel has also created concerns.  Effluent, treated sewage from ships, could introduce different bacteria into the relatively isolated Arctic ecosystem. Grey water discharge poses the risk of introducing chemicals, specifically phosphates, into the Arctic. Ballast waters being discharged from vessels traveling through the region could also harm the ecosystem. There also is the issue of ballast water that could have been taken in from one of part of the world which could could introduce invasive species due to discharge in Arctic waters if not treated correctly and thoroughly. Anti fouling to get rid of organic organism buildup on different parts of vessels, most specifically sea chest where sea water is taken in, can allow be harmful to the ocean as it releases bleach-like chemicals into the ocean. Vessels themselves also create pollution through exhaust gas which could affect the region. The primary exhaust gas that is created is NO_x gas which results from the combustion of Diesel, in a Diesel powered vessel. In many vessels HFO is used in international water, which creates the a larger risk for pollution as it is far more crude than other fuels . Noise pollution is also created from the activity of vessels in the region. Noise pollution is created by the vessels as loud machinery, primarily propellers, create noises which have the potential to affect organisms that depend on communication through sound waves. Due to the effect that noise pollution has on the communication of some organisms, Marine organisms can strike ships injuring and possibly killing certain species.

Economics

As of 2017, the Transpolar sea route continues to be uneconomic for the transport of goods. The reason for this is the thick multi-year ice that is present in the center of Arctic where the transpolar sea route passes through. The thick multi-year ice requires the use of expensive Ice breaker escorts, which directly affect the cost savings of the shorter route. In addition to the need for Icebreakers, the route because even more difficult to travel through in the winter months when the ice is the thickest. The increased cost, as a result of icebreaker escorts, has made the Transpolar Sea Route the least traveled of all of the Arctic sea routes. Ocean conservancy expects that the Transpolar sea route will only increase in use as the effects of climate change continue. Activity in the region is mostly halted through the winter months, picking back up when the ice becomes less dense and easier to navigate through. Due to the Transpolar Sea Route being in the center of the Arctic the route generally only sees traffic from cargo carrying vessels and vessels with unspecified activity. The arctic also provides access to natural resources that have yet to be explored. A 2008 survey predicted that the Arctic contains the largest deposits of oil and gas in the world with a majority of it being found off-shore. This has increased the activity in the region as the surrounding territories held by Russia, the United States, Canada, and Denmark have seen the prospect for natural resources on within their their own territories bordering the Arctic. The regions surrounding the Arctic also have prospects for different operations such as mining and cruising which exist on the coastal passages through the Arctic. Port infrastructure is another worry for all of the arctic sea routes. Due to the formation of ice many ports in the Arctic cannot operate for the entire year and have limited ability to provide services to vessels. As of 2017, the Northeast passage only has three deep draft ports while the Northwest passage has no deep draft ports making transferring goods in Arctic ports difficult. The Transpolar sea route has very limited access to ports as it goes straight through the Arctic;however, it does have access to ice free ports on either side of the passage allowing for the transfer of goods between crossings.

Geopolitics

The Transpolar sea route is the only Arctic sea route that avoids any territorial waters making it an area of interest for the countries that surround the Arctic. The primary countries that are exerting their presence on the neutral Arctic region are the United States and Russia. A major attraction to the Transpolar Sea route is that it not governed by any country. There are two other arctic sea routes,which are also far more efficient than the Transpolar sea route as they are navigable for a longer period of the year. The Northwestern Sea route is primarily used by NATO countries while the North Eastern sea route is a primarily used by Russia to transport resources from its most northern regions. Other countries also have stakes for the control of the Arctic in order to secure trade, security, and resources. Some of these countries Sweden, Denmark, and Canada. The Arctic region is also a host to military exercises coming primarily from Russia. The Transpolar sea route has been affected by this as most of the traffic going through the Transpolar Sea route, as of 2017, is through military operations . As the route continues to grow as a result of climate change experts predict that there will be greater attempts at control of the route.Historically, the Transpolar sea route and other arctic shipping routes have been controlled and dominated by the military powers near the region. Commercial use of the sea route began to expand in 1991 as Russia allowed the use of international commercial vessels in the region .The Arctic as a whole has been the center for geopolitical importance as the area host a vast amount of natural resources and has the potential to decrease the distance of travel for seafaring vessels. After the Cold War there was little changes with geopolitics in the region;however, in 2009 the United States issued two directives aimed at outlining the United States interest in the region. The Russian Federation also has expressed interest in the region, as it deemed vitally important. The transpolar sea route is mostly suitable for travel by submarines as it is covered in ice for most of the year. This makes most of the traffic through the Transpolar sea route consist of military vessels.