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The article focuses on the Canadian Arctic Archipelago, which could be almost ice-free in as few as 20 years because of global warming which has caused the polar ice pack to recede by 14% over the past two decades. That means opportunity aplenty for Canada, which would become the de facto legal guardian of a new shipping lane to rival the Panama Canal. The great thaw is already uncovering potentially huge reserves of oil and natural gas. But just who will control this bounty, and the passage itself, remains open. The melting ice has hardened the resolve of the United States and Europe, both of which argue that waters around the Canadian Arctic Archipelago should be deemed international--leaving the Arctic beholden to watered-down international standards, instead of Canada's stricter environmental and shipping laws. Denmark has staked a claim to Hans Island, a collection of rocks between Canada's Ellesmere Island and the Danes' Greenland, an indication of battles to come. Even distant neighbours like China are increasing their presence. In 1999, the ship Xue Long surprised inhabitants of Tuktoyaktuk with a visit. The Chinese claimed to be doing research. "The Arctic is the shortest distance for missiles fired from one part of the globe to the other," says Rob Huebert, who runs the Centre for Military and Strategic Studies in Calgary. "It's always been highly strategic."