Nature

The Good Thing About Melting Arctic Ice

Tripti
First Posted: Mar 09, 2017 05:50 AM EST

Polar ice caps are directly and indirectly responsible for controlling the global climate.The rapidly melting Arctic ice as a result of climate change and global warming is considered as one of the high-risk factors that may lead to a major climatic shift on Earth. Therefore, climatologists and biologists have been working relentlessly to find new ways of slowing it down and, if possible, reversing the impact of climate change on the Arctic and Antarctic. This is known to most people. But what is hidden behind these climatological facts is a silver lining for those living in the distant parts of Alaska, Norway and other parts of the Arctic Circle.

Internet has become a basic necessity for the operation of almost all industrial and non-industrial sectors. The availability of high-speed Internet is directly linked with economic growth of the society. The rapidly melting polar ice provides an opportunity for ships to venture deep into the polar region to spread the cables required for providing high-speed Internet facilities. Experts are of the opinion that, if done so, it will open new job opportunities for Arctic people, which will obviously lead to development in real estate and other sectors.

According to The Weather Channel, Arctic ice has shrunk to its lowest levels in the last 38 years. This means that the ships can steer into the Northwest passage that connects the Atlantic and the Pacific Oceans. By doing so, they will help in burying and connecting the fiber optic cables near Fairbanks, which can ensure the accessibility to high-speed Internet for people in and around Alaska.

Furthermore, previous Prime Minister of Finland Paavo Lipponen had submitted an official report containing the blueprint of a proposed Digital Network between Russia, Japan, China and Norway. Bernt Nilsen, the Norwegian representative of the International Computer Driving License Foundation (ECDL), had confirmed these reports and informed that the company is working towards transforming Kirkenes into an international node for telecommunication traffic.

It seems similar projects are already underway in other countries, including Russia. The National telecom provider of Russia is partnering with other subsidiary companies like Huawei, to spread a 900 kilometers long optic fiber cable along the east coast of Russia. Once completed, it will provide high-speed Internet access to regions like Sakhalin, Kamchatka and Magadan, Arctic Deeply reported.

Though it is imperative that the melting of Arctic ice be stopped or at least restricted as soon as possible, for which scientists are devising new conventional and unconventional ways of refreezing the Arctic, the time window provided in between can be used to spread these under-the-sea cable fibers. This may be the only and best way to exploit climate change and global warming for the benefit of mankind.

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