Dear MEL Topic Readers,
Greenland is getting a lot of international attention for its mineral resources – but what is hiding under the ice?
The USA bought Alaska from Russia in 1867 to gain geopolitical advantage and access to natural resources. Also, it has shown interest in purchasing Greenland, an autonomous territory of Denmark, from time to time. The world’s largest non-continental island looks as large as the African continent on Mercator maps but it is actually about four times smaller than the USA. As it lies between latitudes 59° and 83°N, it is mostly covered with the slow-flowing Greenland Ice Sheet. Now, the US administration is showing a bold interest in purchasing this icy island from Denmark. While geographically not so attractive to the US, geopolitically, Greenland sits at a crucial chokepoint for naval and submarine traffic in the North Atlantic. Geologically, Greenland is believed to be rich in critical minerals that are essential for new technologies, especially in energy. Economically, however, it won’t pay off so easily due to a lack of transportation infrastructures like roads and rails. Environmentally, Greenland is so volatile to global warming, including melting ice sheets and glaciers, rising sea levels, and changing ecosystems. Emotionally, people in Denmark, the USA, and Greenland may have different views.
Read the article and learn how attractive, resource-rich, but challenging Greenland is to explore.
https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20250121-the-enormous-challenge-of-mining-greenland
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