Opportunity

     If you are looking for a job, we hear they are looking for workers (and soldiers) in the frigid, hostile Arctic environment. 

     In recent years, the Arctic ice has weakened, opening new shipping lanes and resource extraction possibilities. Along with this goes competition between the U.S. and adversaries - China and Russia.

     The "riches" include fish, oil and natural gas reserves, and shipping rights. 

     Russia, with almost 50% of the Arctic coastline, leads the charge. Russia gets about 20% of its gross domestic product from Arctic industries such as mining and energy production. Putin wants to convert the coastline into a toll road. They have 40 icebreaker vessels.

     The U.S. Coast Guard has one full-time icebreaker. There is another to be ready by 2029, at a cost of $1.9 billion. 

     Looking down on the Arctic Circle, after Russia, Canada is next with about 30% of the coastline. There is Greenland and Alaska each with one percent, followed by small coastlines in Norway, Finland, Sweden and Iceland.

         Jimmy