Description: Almost two centuries after British explorer Sir John Franklin and his men died amid paralyzing cold and ice in pursuit of the mythical Northwest Passage, the Arctic is melting at an alarming pace. Instead of working together to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, countries are racing to control newly ice-free waters and the riches in the seabed below. But by choosing self-interest over cooperative action, they may be condemning the world to an uninhabitable future.
Arctic Passages reminds us that while we go about our lives, climate change is unspooling slowly but insidiously, spawning extreme weather events that will be increasingly difficult to ignore. Ultimately, the fate of the Arctic will be decided by the developed world and how it decides to take action--if it's not too late.Review Quotes: "Arctic Passages is Kieran Mulvaney's comprehensive study of one of the world's most mysterious and significant geopolitical flashpoints.... The Arctic's complicated allure shows forth in the book's pages. It traces the region's development in the popular imagination through the imperial ambitions of the British, Russians, Swedes, and Finns, up to the tense treaty-making of the nuclear era. Throughout, the Arctic's precipitous warming is studied not only for its devastating ecological implications but for global superpowers' maneuvers to capitalize on possible new trade opportunities."-- "Foreword Reviews"