Those sneaky Danes....trying to claim the north pole eh?

MKSheppard · Post by **MKSheppard** » 2004-10-21 04:16pm

linka

North Pole a hot spot
By Heather J. Carlson
THE WASHINGTON TIMES
Published October 21, 2004

Denmark wants to claim the North Pole in hopes of finding oil and gas in the ocean floor below, upsetting other countries, including the United States, Canada and Russia, that also want a piece of the resource-rich Arctic.

To establish its claim, Danish scientists are trying to prove that Greenland -- a semi-independent Danish territory -- is connected to the Arctic ice by the 1,100-mile underwater Lomonosov Ridge.

If Arctic seabed mapping supports an underwater connection, then "maybe there is a chance that the North Pole could become Danish," Cabinet minister Helge Sander said earlier this month.

"Denmark is only one of a number of circumpolar nations, including Canada, that have embarked [on] a program of seabed mapping to delineate the outer limits of their respective continental shelves," said Canadian Foreign Ministry spokesman Reynald Doiron. "It would be premature by any country to speculate on the outcome of this work."

A provision in the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea allows countries to claim waters beyond the established 200-nautical-mile exclusive economic zone boundary.

To become eligible, a country must submit detailed scientific evidence proving a "natural prolongation" of its continental shelf to a U.N. commission.

Once a country ratifies the Law of the Sea treaty, it has 10 years to submit a claim under the provision. Members who ratified the treaty before 1999 have until 2009. Denmark is expected to ratify the treaty soon, joining Canada, Russia and Norway. The United States has yet to ratify the treaty.

Only Russia has submitted a formal claim to a portion of the Arctic Ocean, but the commission rejected it.

"It is our understanding that Denmark is engaged primarily in scientific assessment and has not reached any conclusions on this," said State Department spokesman Edgar Vasquez. "We will follow this issue with great interest."

The North Pole region is attracting new interest partly because of the steady shrinking and thinning of the ice cap, raising the prospect that the Arctic one day could become a major shipping thoroughfare.

"We are quite confident that the data shows the decrease in the extent of sea ice, especially in the summer," said Richard Moritz, principal oceanographer at the University of Washington's Polar Science Center.

"That makes certain kinds of transportation easier because you don't have to deal with the ice," he said.

These changes also could make it easier to drill for oil and gas on the Arctic seabed.

But constant darkness during four months of the year and subzero temperatures present obstacles for simple scientific data collection, said Jim Gardner, a research professor at the University of New Hampshire's Coastal and Ocean Mapping/Joint Hydrographic Center.

Grand Admiral Thrawn · Post by **Grand Admiral Thrawn** » 2004-10-21 04:24pm

More proof Canada needs nuclear weapons. Adding Greenland would be nice.

The Dude · Post by **The Dude** » 2004-10-21 04:28pm

Fuck those pastry-making pole-stealers.

aerius · Post by **aerius** » 2004-10-21 04:57pm

Grand Admiral Thrawn wrote:More proof Canada needs nuclear weapons. Adding Greenland would be nice.

Yeah, we use the nukes to blow their stupid underwater ridge to smitherines so they they can no longer claim the north pole. On an unrelated note, did you know there's a porn series entitled "North Pole"?

CJvR · Post by **CJvR** » 2004-10-21 05:25pm

I dont think any underwater rocks have ever been recognized as a legitemate claim by anyone.

CaptainChewbacca · Post by **CaptainChewbacca** » 2004-10-21 07:55pm

CJvR wrote:I dont think any underwater rocks have ever been recognized as a legitemate claim by anyone.

Many nations claim the seafloor in parts of the world.

Exmoor Cat · Post by **Exmoor Cat** » 2004-10-21 08:31pm

what are you lot complainig about? The Danes were there first!!!!!

The Duchess of Zeon · Post by **The Duchess of Zeon** » 2004-10-21 11:13pm

Exmoor Cat wrote:what are you lot complainig about? The Danes were there first!!!!!

That hasn't stopped the British government before, as

this picture demonstrates.

Lusankya · Post by **Lusankya** » 2004-10-22 01:01am

Australa's claimed the entire Australian continental plate.

Rogue 9 · Post by **Rogue 9** » 2004-10-22 01:14am

What is that picture, anyway? Gibraltar? (Note: Gibraltar is a WAG, so feel free to enlighten me.)

Aeolus · Post by **Aeolus** » 2004-10-22 01:20am

aerius wrote:
Grand Admiral Thrawn wrote:More proof Canada needs nuclear weapons. Adding Greenland would be nice.
Yeah, we use the nukes to blow their stupid underwater ridge to smitherines so they they can no longer claim the north pole. On an unrelated note, did you know there's a porn series entitled "North Pole"?

With Perter North I presume

The Duchess of Zeon · Post by **The Duchess of Zeon** » 2004-10-22 02:15am

Rogue 9 wrote:What is that picture, anyway? Gibraltar? (Note: Gibraltar is a WAG, so feel free to enlighten me.)

The island of Rockall, which is smaller than the average Walmart retail outlet.

The Cleric · Post by **The Cleric** » 2004-10-22 02:28am

Not if I can help it. I wanted to buy it someday

Sarevok · Post by **Sarevok** » 2004-10-22 02:35am

Nah give Greenland to the Eskimos. They live there and so they should own it.

SecondStorm · Post by **SecondStorm** » 2004-10-22 02:50am

The conquest of the North Pole have begun. First Hans Island, now the North Pole. Tomorrow the World!

The Shadow wrote:Nah give Greenland to the Eskimos. They live there and so they should own it.

I think you lack some facts.
They already "have" Greenland. Greenland got home rule in 1979 although Denmark are siphoning large amounts of money to Greenland because their economy is very lacking. They got 2 seats out of 179 in our parlament.

Denmark takes care of any international affairs with Greenlands blessing.

Sarevok · Post by **Sarevok** » 2004-10-22 02:54am

Ah I see. That clears it up.

CaptainChewbacca · Post by **CaptainChewbacca** » 2004-10-22 03:31am

SecondStorm wrote:The conquest of the North Pole have begun. First Hans Island, now the North Pole. Tomorrow the World!

The Shadow wrote:Nah give Greenland to the Eskimos. They live there and so they should own it.
I think you lack some facts.
They already "have" Greenland. Greenland got home rule in 1979 although Denmark are siphoning large amounts of money to Greenland because their economy is very lacking. They got 2 seats out of 179 in our parlament.

Denmark takes care of any international affairs with Greenlands blessing.

The US tried to buy it in 1945, but the danes weren't selling.

HemlockGrey · Post by **HemlockGrey** » 2004-10-22 03:56am

IIRC correctly the US also briefly took over administration and protection of Iceland and Greenland during the Occupation of Denmark.