Introduction

We like to think of the Arctic as pristine, untouched nature, but the Arctic has become part of the global economy. Large natural resources such as oil, minerals and fish are already depleted from the region and sent to the global market. In the modern Arctic, practically every aspect of life has been and continues to be influenced and shaped by both developmental needs and market demands for natural resources elsewhere. Simultaneously, the Arctic is suffering the consequences of pollution and human-created global warming owing to carbon dioxide (CO2), other gas emissions influencing the climate, and environmental damage and the improper dismantling of military installations from the Cold War period.