At last--an open Northwest Passage!

Columbus was right. A westward voyage across the Atlantic from Europe would make it possible to reach the Orient without going overland on the Muslim-controlled trade routes or around Africa, the route controlled by the Portuguese. However, the Americas proved a formidable obstacle to shipping. Balboa was the first European to see the Pacific Ocean from America, inspiring visions of a man-made waterway across Panama, but it would not be until 1914 that the dream became reality with the opening of the Panama Canal. Magellan was the first one to navigate the straits that bear his name at Cape Horn at the southern extremity of the American continents, and, until 1914, remained the only navigable option to bypass those continents.

Northern European nations and empires, most notably the British, hoped to discover the elusive “ Northwest Passage" to the waters of the Pacific, starting with John Cabot in 1497 and continuing through the explorations from the Pacific coast by James Cook (1768-1779) and George Vancouver (1791-1795). When the United States obtained Louisiana from Napoleon in 1803, President Thomas Jefferson commissioned the Lewis and Clark expedition to not only explore the vast new territory, but to continue their trek all the way to the Pacific to see if a Northwest Passage via the Missouri River would be possible. Even as late as 1969, an oil tanker, accompanied by an ice cutter, successfully navigated the Northwest Passage through the Canadian Archipelago and the Arctic Ocean; however, it was not deemed economically viable, and the Alaska Pipeline was built instead.

Enter “global warming.” Apart from the usual gloom-and-doom stories about how the population of polar bears is in decline, and despite the ominous forecasts of fictional films like “The Day After Tomorrow,” the melting of arctic ice will not increase the volume of water on the planet or in our hydrosphere. Instead, this week brought the interesting news that, after centuries of effort and exploration, the Northwest Passage is open, and will continue to be that way for at least a few months out of the year. Some models are even predicting that the Arctic Ocean will be completely ice-free before the next turn of the century.

Nations that border the Arctic Ocean have already made moves to increase the pace at which they tap into the economic resources found there. Commercial fishing is expected to boom, as is the mining of important minerals and, yes, oil and other energy resources. This summer, Russia sent a submarine to the ocean floor and symbolically planted its flag on the North Pole, laying claim to most of the Arctic Ocean in the process. Even Canada and Denmark have been duking it out over little Hans Island, a rock smaller than Manhattan’s Central Park but strategically located between Greenland and Canada at the shipping entry to the Northwest Passage. Shipping costs will drop at an enormous rate, saving consumers around the world considerable expenses.

The use of the term “global warming” by left-wing politicians like Al Gore is as a shorthand for “man-made climate change caused by greenhouse gasses” which we must all work to prevent by not driving our SUV’s so much. A compelling alternative, based on real evidence, strongly suggests that the current cycle toward warmth is a natural phenomenon currently experienced on other planets in our solar system and caused by an increase in our star’s activity. Perhaps He who created all things and still graciously preserves His creation is heating things up for our good. Considering all of the benefits to the economy and national defense in having additional supply of petroleum to decrease our dependence on Middle Eastern oil, would it be safe to say “Thank God for global warming and the opening of the Arctic Ocean?”

(Video link here)