By around 2050 the Arctic ice sheet will be so fragile that icebreakers will be able to use a straight path between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, experts from the University of California claimed. Cargo ships will be able to skirt around the North Pole without even using icebreakers because the ice will have retreated far back. The predictions will be welcomed by shipping companies which would be able to drastically cut journey times and costs.
But environmentalists fear wildlife could be affected by oil spills and drilling will also come to the area. A more accessible Arctic could also fuel international disagreements between Europe, Canada and Russia over shipping lanes and the search for minerals below the sea bed.
-tk-