By 1969, Exxon
had found and leased the large reserves of crude oil under Alaska’s North Slope. The problem was how to transport the crude
from Alaska to refineries. Exxon decided
on two possible scenarios: A tanker
through the North West Passage to the East Coast refineries, or build a
pipeline to a port in southern Alaska and transport by ship to west coast
refineries.
Exxon
decided to try the transporting through the Arctic Ocean, as that would not
require the difficulty of obtaining a costly right of way and permission for a
pipeline across Alaska.
The trip was
made with the help and assistance of U.S and Canadian ice breakers. The Manhattan, a retrofitted oil tanker/icebreaker, left the East Coast and
arrived in Prudhoe Bay where it picked up one barrel of oil and then made a
return trip to New York.
It was later
found that the winter weather would make the trip impossible and the North West
Passage oil rout was scrapped.
Back in the
early 1970 I was attached to a Navy special projects command. One of our missions was to provide an
airborne platform for scientific measurement of ice thickness in the Arctic
Ocean above Canada; again looking for a possible North West Passage. It had been proven that passage through the
Arctic Ocean was possible, but would it be practical to try to maintain an open
passageway.?
Now that is
a moot question. The Arctic Ocean is
open thanks to global warming and we are about to see a commercial exploitation
of the area.
In September
of this year the Crystal Cruise line is offering a thirty-two day trip through
the North West passage. The cost will
run from $28,000 to $46,000 per person.
Soon we can expect other cruise ships and even commercial ships to sail
this route.
This new
intrusion of man into the arctic will negatively affect the breeding ground of whales
and eventually effect all arctic wildlife in that ecosystem. These ships burn dirty fuel that will
produce carbon emissions that will result in increased melting of arctic ice.
Again, the avarice
of mankind trumps protection of this fragile planet we live on. At some point mankind will have caused the
sixth extinction. We are
proving to be the most destructive life form produced on this planet.
Have a happy
Monday
The Ol’Buzzard
