BRITISH AMBASSADOR FOR THE ARCTIC?

SHOULD BRITAIN APPOINT AN AMBASSADOR TO THE ARCTIC AS RECOMMENDED BY A HOUSE OF LORD COMMITTEE?
THERE ARE GOOD REASONS FOR GREAT BRITAIN TO HAVE A GUARDIAN FOR HER INTERESTS IN THIS REGION:
IT HAS VAST RESOURCES OF GAS AND OIL THAT IS RELATIVELY EASY TO EXTRACT (AS APPOSED TO THE ANTARCTIC). THIS MAKES THE ARCTIC AN ATRACTIVE COMMERCIAL PROPOSITON TO THE ARCTIC COUNCIL STATES (USA, RUSSIA, CANADA, DENMARK, FINLAND, ICELAND NORWAY AND SWEDEN)
GLOBAL WARMING EXPERTS SUGGEST THAT THE ARCTIC WILL BE FREE OF SEA ICE IN THE SUMMER BY 2020, RESULTING IN A SIGNIFICANTLY SHORTER TRANSIT DISTANCE BETWEEN THE PACIFIC AND ATLANTIC OCEANS. THIS HAS AN OBVIOUS ECONOMIC BENEFIT.
CURRENTLY THE UK HAS A SMALL NUMBER OF CIVIL SERVANTS WORKING ON THE POLAR REGIONS PART TIME. FURTHER REPRESENTATION IS NEEDED TO PROTECT UK INTERESTS IN THIS POTENTIALLY LUCRATIVE MARKET IN A SITUATION THAT IS CHANGING SO RAPIDLY. FRANCE, JAPAN, POLAND AND SINGAPORE ALREADY HAVE AMBASSADORS
THE LORDS REPORT STATES SURPRISINGLY (TO ME), THAT BRITAIN IS THE ARCTIC’S NEAREST NEIGHBOUR BY VIRTUE OF AN UNINHABITED OUTCROP OF THE SHETLAND ISLANDS THAT IS ONLY 368 MILES SOUTH OF THE ARCTIC CIRCLE.
GLOBAL WARMING NECESSITATES FORWARD THINKING IN THE POLAR REGIONS WHICH AN AMBASSADOR COULD FACILITATE. THE UK GOVERNMENT’S LACK OF FORWARD PLANNING IN THE ANTARCTIC IN THE EARLY 1900S IN RELATION TO THE SOUTH SHETLANDS, HAS RESULTED IN LONG TERM FRICTION OVER SOVEREIGNTY OVER SECTIONS OF THE SOUTHERN SEAS

Tags: Ambassador to Arctic, Ambassador to Arctic. Transit between Pacific and Atlantic Oceans, Arctic, Arctic Council States, g, Global Warming, Shetland Islands, Transit time Pacific and Arctic Oceans