The big machines bringing industry – and war – to the melting Arctic

ID 68350191 Tobiasbrehm | Dreamstime.com

Popular Mechanics’ Joe Pappalardo has put together a fascinating piece on developing logistics at the North Pole. Foremost is Vladimir Putin’s $3.5bn railway – due to start construction this year – that will provide Russia with a platform to sell oil, gas, and minerals in the Arctic. As Pappalardo points out, the Russian Northern Latitudinal Railway is not the first venture of its kind, Canada has developed rail connections to iron mines in its own “frigid wasteland”. While the Canadians found development of a service possible, they came up against difficult conditions. And for the US military, difficulties turn to concerns. The fastest route from Russia to the US is via the pole, and these developments are apparently unnerving those in the military’s upper echelons.