7.7 - Tension over resources

Cards (7)

  • Denmark and Russia
    • Russia claimed the seabed below the north pole in 2007
    • Denmark claimed part of the Arctic in 2014
    • United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) - a country can claim the seabed within 200 nautical miles of their country
    • Denmark therefore owns 900,000km squared of the Arctic ocean because of Greenland
  • Arctic
    • Canada - military exercises
    • Norway - expanded navy
    • Russia - Arctic bomber patrols
    • Denmark - Arctic military control
    • Melting ice allows ships to travel over the top - 2014, 71 cargo ships, 46 in 2012
    • Drilling for oil and gas increasingly possible - USGS
    • 1/8th of the world's oil
  • Attitudes and tensions
    • Tensions can arise over physical resources
    • In Cornwall, Prince of Wales owns all mineral wealth
    • Disputes become more common as demand increases
    • Most are resolved peacefully - few conflicts arise e.g. Iraq
  • Counterfeiting industry
    • Patpong district in Bangkok sells fake goods like DVDs, shirts, watches, and luggage
    • Example: £3.50 for a pair of Birkenstocks
    • Quality varies from excellent to poor
    • Violates intellectual property rights (IPR) under WTO rules
    • Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) protect patents and innovations
    • Counterfeiting undermines IPR
  • Tensions over territory
    • Growing tensions between Russia and many eastern European countries
    • After USSR collapse in 1991, many countries claimed independence - eight joined EU in 2004
    • Links to NATO rather than Russia
    • Counties bordering Russia still heavily influenced - Belarus, Georgia etc
    • Annexed Crimea in 2014 - hard power
  • China
    • No intention of abandoning territorial claims of Tibet or Taiwan
    • South China Sea conflict - China, Taiwan, Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia, Vietnam and India
    • Chinese military bases in the Spratly Islands
    • Many countries are worried by this development
    • Military ambitions focused on supporting its economy - e.g. anti-piracy measures
  • Resource extraction in Alaska
    • Alaska holds over 18 billion barrels of oil and 6 billion cubic feet of natural gas, making up 20% of the nation's domestic production
    • Oil production generated $2.7 billion in 2019, 90% of Alaska's tax revenue
    • Average wage in 2019 was 2.5x higher than the state average
    • Oil industry supports 1/4th of Alaska's jobs and half of its economy
    • 54,700 jobs and $145 billion payroll expected through 2057
    • $45 billion Alaska natural gas pipeline planned from North Slope to Southcentral Alaska