Clinton: Rules of road needed to prevent Arctic ‘catastrophe’

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said Thursday that international collaboration will be vital as melting sea ice opens up new shipping and oil-and-gas drilling opportunities in the Arctic.

“Some of our energy diplomacy is focused on remote areas like the Arctic, a frontier of unexplored oil-and-gas deposits and a potential environmental catastrophe,” Clinton said during a wide-ranging speech on energy diplomacy at Georgetown University.

“The melting ice caps are opening new drilling opportunities as well as new maritime routes, so it is critical that we now act to set rules of the road to avoid conflict over those resources and protect the Arctic’s fragile ecosystem,” she said.

Climate change is altering the Arctic terrain and nations are jockeying for access. Arctic sea ice coverage reached its lowest level on record in September.

Clinton touted the Obama administration’s work with the multilateral, eight-nation Arctic Council. “We are working to strengthen the Arctic Council ... so that it can promote effective collaboration,” she said.

One key topic is the role of China, which is not an Arctic nation but is seeking permanent observer status on the council.

An in-depth New York Times story last month details China’s efforts in the scramble to tap Arctic resources.