For most people, global warming is straight-up bad news. There’s no silver lining, no bright side, no positive spin. Our planet’s temperature is warming at a catastrophic speed, sea levels are rising, sea ice is melting and the world is basically going to s***.

But the ever positive US Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo, has somehow managed to put a positive spin on the most grim of situations.

He sees the potential benefits of melting ice caps – an issue which destroys the habitats of countless species and throws the food chain into disarray.

Pompeo announced at the Arctic Council in Rovaniemi that as the ice disappears, new ‘opportunities for trade’ open. He even went as far to describe the area as the ‘forefront of opportunity and abundance’.

“Steady reductions in sea ice are opening new passageways and new opportunities for trade,”he said.

“This could potentially slash the time it takes to travel between Asia and the West by as much as 20 days.

“Arctic sea lanes could become the 21st century Suez and Panama Canals.”

Natural resources

And it’s not just improved trade routes which could keep the bank balances ticking over. Pompeo also noted that the Arctic has one of the vastest areas of untouched natural resources.

“It houses 13% of the world’s undiscovered oil, 30% of its undiscovered gas, an abundance of uranium, rare earth minerals, gold, diamonds, and millions of square miles of untapped resources, fisheries galore,” he explained.

The meeting brings together nations who hold territory in the Arctic, including The United States, Russia, Canada, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden.

Pompeo’s statements came as the National Snow and Ice Data Center reported that Arctic sea ice levels reached a record low.

It also came the same day that the UN revealed that 1 million species face extinction because of humans.

What do you think of Pompeo’s speech? Tell us in the comments section below!

Oli Gross

Oli’s career and personal ethical values both help shape his reporting of the diverse world of veganism. His background is in local newspaper and magazine journalism, and his work has included reporting court cases, celebrity interviews, business analysis, food and drink features and government legislation.

See author's posts