Near the Arctic Circle, Alaska’s Kaktovik is moving to restart its polar bear tourism after a pandemic shutdown and worries about visitor impact. The village once welcomed thousands of tourists each year, and now leaders are trying to revive the local economy while safeguarding polar bears and preserving Inupiat culture—turning the return into a more controlled experience.
Professor Klaus Dodds warns that as warming opens Arctic routes, Greenland has become a prize in great-power rivalry. He says the US is drawn by rare earth minerals, hemispheric security, and emerging shipping lanes, while Asian and Middle Eastern players increasingly join Arctic projects. He urges Europe to back Greenland if US annexation fears grow.
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