Warming Arctic: Open seas, abandoned lands

Imagine, it's just before summer solstice in 2050. U.S. commercial ships are steaming through the Bering Strait, bound for Europe. But come winter, travel options sharply dwindle as ice roads take longer to freeze.

 In Barrow, waiting for the Arctic boom

Despite talk of the Arctic being the new frontier for energy and minerals, the land today is largely vacant with little sign of any movement toward a more prosperous future. The thaw may have begun, but it is a slow melt.

 Arctic sea ice cover third smallest area during May

The summer melt of Arctic ice is underway, eating floes that cover an area the size of Vermont and New Hampshire each and every day. A small winter growth puts the ice behind the curve.

 Alaskans must set the vision for changing Arctic

Think of the Bering Strait as the world’s next Panama Canal. It will happen in some Alaskans’ lifetimes, and we need to start preparing.             

 Why does it matter if Arctic sea ice melts?

Like plastic wrap covering a bowl of soup, Arctic sea ice keeps the churning ocean underneath from splashing against the coast. As ice melts, ocean tears coastlines, flooding seaside villages.

 Brainstorming the Bering Strait bottleneck

Alaskans along the Bering Strait are seeing more ships pass by their homes. What's the best way to keep everyone safe as shipping traffic increases in the Arctic?

 Shell files new offshore drilling plan

But federal regulators and environmentalists say the company still has to prove it has an oil spill response adequate to the fragile Arctic environment.

 What do the Chinese want in the Arctic?

The Chinese are trying to do all the right things -- membership in the Arctic Council, scientific cooperation, diplomacy -- but Arctic nations remain suspicious.