oh very limited territories bordering the arctic ocean and we have to distinguish between the territories above the arctic circle which is an imaginary line of sixty six. parallel and. the actual arctic ocean and there were what happens is we have counted the denmark and russia which are the main countries which which actually have have territories there now how does the united states get round this it is not a member of of you you don't close the united nations convention of the law of the sea and therefore it has no it can't file official claims for extended continental shelf and in fact i don't think it intends to do that because if you look at the geography alaska is only a little bit above the arctic circle but how does it get around it it is through the militarized nation of north america and its alliance particularly with canada but also with denmark and norway. and the saddest of what is called. maritime norad and. this goes back to two thousand and two when when rumsfeld actually claimed the whole region under the. u.s. northern command right and. one big giving a slice of the pi

ships usually pass through the suez canal, but they have another option, the arctic ocean. the climate change has created the water way, melting ice in the arctic opened up a much shorlter lane, the northern sea route. the new waterway is only available during the summer when the ice volume declines. but the russian and norwegian executives are explaining to japanese executives that such hurdles can be tackled. the head of the ice breakers operator says if a new type of ace breaker is developed, it will enable ships to navigate the route year round. the top executive of the norwegian shipping firm also highlights the potential of the arctic passage for japanese trade. >> japan has the best position because you have -- you're placed the farthest north of the asian five countries. so also being great importer of raw materials and exporters of ready made equipment. >> japanese firms are show casing their tech no logical skills to expand business opportunities in asia. they are holding an exhibition in vietnam where the economy is showing rapid growth. officials from some 40 ja

most of the sea lane is along the country's arctic ocean coast. russian officials said ships can use the new route for six months beginning in june every year. >> translator: it's a good way for us to save time. but the route can only be navigated for a limited period. >> russian officials said they expect nearly 50 vessels is cross the arctic ocean this year. >>> and that's the latest in business news for this hour. i will leave you with a check on markets. >>> philippine officials say they're feeling the pressure. they say china appears to be building a concrete structure on a disputed shoal in the south china sea. they say china is trying to put the rocky reef under its control. officials of the philippines' defense ministry reported their findings about the scarborough shoal at a national assembly session. they see a navy aircraft took photos on saturday. the officials say the photos show a concrete foundation and about 30 blocks blocks along with a stole gate. scarborough shoal is 200 kilometers of the luzon island. the shoal is within the co

shows that to the world it is really no tension between nations about the russians claim to the arctic ocean and seabed but there are no big dispute about where the border probably will go they say of course so that also denmark and greenland have rights to the central part of the arctic ocean and so do canada but that's between them according to the un laws they see. no reason to believe that they shouldn't find a peaceful agreement moscow earlier said it's now planning to revitalize an old soviet military base on the no was islands showing the international community it is ready to protect its interests but this forum is all about dialogue apart from the russian president of leaders of iceland and finland are also going to be here and up to seven hundred participants all together including experts geologists explorers and others all sitting down and diplomatically deciding how to work out the situation how to deal with the arctic how to preserve its energy resources and the environment as well. global warming and high energy prices are adding fuel to the international rivalry over the nati

he is in barrow to check on buoys deployed across the arctic ocean that measure surface air temperature and air pressure. like many scientists studying changes in the region, rigor has been coming to the arctic for years. >> this is the frontline of global climate change. and you know basically before the planet can heat up. it's like your glass of water before it can get warm you have to get rid of the ice and so we are seeing the ice disappear and we are seeing the arctic ocean start to warm up. >> reporter: average winter temperatures have risen sharply in the arctic in the past few decades. and rigor, an expert on sea ice, says the result has had major consequences. >> what we do see is that this ice is melting away dramatically. we've lost more than half the ice cover that we typically have and we've lost a lot of the thickness of sea ice and so taken together the total volume of sea ice you know is down to less than 40% of what it used to be. >> reporter: for centuries what's known as multi-year ice, or the accumulation of sea ice from one year to the next, has been crucial to lif

and methane that forms an ice in the cold and very high pressure conditions at the bottom of the arctic ocean it's thought that these methane clathrates have very very large amounts stored at the bottoms of the ocean that amount is very uncertain as is the mechanism by which it might be released or the timing with which it might be released however there are some models which indicate that longer geologic time scales like centuries to millennia. the warming that we're seeing currently could lead to widespread melting of these methane clathrates and the release of the methane into the atmosphere one thing i should also mention is that the reason that we emphasize the ratio of methane to carbon dioxide so much is that on a short timescale say of order of twenty years methane is approximately one hundred one hundred times more efficient a greenhouse gas forcing agent than is carbon dioxide so mass pre-match methane leads to one hundred times more warming per release than carbon dioxide does so if the methane clathrates if the methane under the scene were to go that would be much more destructive

melts, as the technology improves, as the international regime evolves, whats happening is the arctic ocean is becoming an ocean like any other. the challenge for the arctic states, are countries like china, japan, south korea, the european union, are saying this is becoming an iternational space...we want to participate. currently in 2012, there is push back to that idea. the us and canada similarly. have agreed to disagree about the status of the nothwest passage. the united states and other countries see the northwest passage as a stait used for inernational navigation, all vessels have a right to transit. today, it has not been a serious issue either, but that day may too, be coming. >> with so many competing claims and so much money at stake, the united states has refused to sign an international treaty which would settle claims to the region. >> it's sort of a new gold rush of sorts that is underway in the arctic right now, and the prize promises to be much more substantial. >> more than a thousand miles south of the arctic, admiral robert papp is speaking at the us coast guard academ

perm ma frost is melting an at unprecedented rate, and the arctic ocean is also melting. but the local people up here are finding that there could be potential benefits to a changing climate. beneath the still ice free waters, there are more fish than ever before. a great first catch for peter. green land hag be it are a spearsies they just began to catch in recent years. and now it is helping to build a commercial fishery. >> we went out to test our lines and also to test new fishing grounds, and i'm glad to say that with the effort of everybody, we did catch quite a bit in a very small amount of time. >> reporter: new machines at the fish processing plant prepare the fish for export to each asia. bigger fishing boats mean dozens of jobs in a place where most are unemployed or work for a government. >> it falls very well into a traditional lifestyle, so if people are able to -- to -- to use some -- some skills that they have always had and an ply them to a job, then that's something that will be of more long-term benefit. >> reporter: projects like this newly built small

. >> russian officials say they expect 50 vessels to cross the arctic ocean this year. >>> a senior japanese official says the government will step up efforts to export some of its technology. officials are keen to sell the maglev train to the united states. central japan railway company began test runs of a prototype of the train in august. the firm hopes to put a maglev into service in 2027. the train will travel at speeds of up to 500 kilometers per hour. the technology could transform the way people travel. >> translator: the maglev train technology is the only kind of train technology in the world, and it will be a powerful product for japan's infrastructure exports. >> the government wants to export the technology to the u.s. which has plans for high-speed rail projects. >>> here are the latest market figures. >>> the three-way race for hosting the 2020 olympics is almost complete. tokyo is competing against istanbul and madrid. delegates from all three cities have arrived in buenos aires. that's where members are casting secret ballots to decide their winner. they'll announce their de

around. >> when i came here five years ago, i'm not sure people really understood that there was an arctic ocean, to be very frank with you. and so having that discussion about the impacts of what's going on there, it's not a question if the arctic will be developed-- it's happening. the question is, how do we manage it? >> reporter: meanwhile, the coast guard established a temporary forward operating base in the arctic near the bering strait this summer. last year 480 vessels sailed through the 58-mile-wide passage between the u.s. and russia-- more than twice as many as in 2008. >> ifill: our next report comes from the north slope, where native alaskans have hunted for whales for generations. but their subsistence lifestyle is now endangered by melting arctic ice. we've posted a preview on our home page. also online, you'll find a lesson plan to help students understand the how scientists study climate change. that's on newshour extra, our site for teachers and students. >> woodruff: now, haitian-born novelist edwidge danticat returns with her first novel in a decade, and her first work of fic

apart from that you have to go back a long way to have an arctic ocean that was warm enough to be ice free where are we on the spectrum of time at events that leads to a tipping point that collapses the arctic sea ice since. well afraid we're a long way down that line the volume of ice that remained last summer was only about thirty percent of the volume that occurred in summer only ten years ago it's really been dropping very rapidly we had a kind of false idea of how fast that decline was going on if you just measure the area looking at satellite pictures the decline looked fairly slow but if even if you vector in the thickness as well which should be measured from submarines primarily without also a by other means then the it is clear that the thickness is going right down so the volume has been going down much more rapidly and eventually and in fact quite soon that's going to lead to a complete collapse of the ice cover in summer and we can see that happening was well on its way last summer and i think that process will continue to in the next two or three summers until it's almos

comes after protests against oil drilling in the arctic ocean.says they have not heard from those on board this boat since it was raided by armed men. our correspondent is in moscow following this story for us. what is the latest? the boat -- has it moored yet? >> just in the last hour, greenpeace confirmed they have heard for the first time from the activists to just a few messages on the phone. we had a photograph center from one of the photographers on the ship. the ship appears to have more it outside the port. it is a slightly rural area. you can see from the pictures that it is not a formal port there. the ship seems to have stopped. this russian equivalent of the fbi has formally opened a case against everyone on board the ship. but they clarify that by saying that everybody would be questioned, and only those directly involved in the action would be pursued, but it is a quite serious criminal charge of piracy as part of an organization, which under russian law holds a sentence of up to 10 to 15 years in prison if found guilty. >> it leave

it runs from the arctic ocean to almost the center of green land. geologists estimate it's been under ice for at least four million years. >>> a popular crooner is reportedly joining american idol as a judge. according to the hollywood reporter harry connick, jr., will join keith urban and jennifer lopez returning for the show's 13th season. it's also reporting long time judge randy jackson will move from judge to mentor this season. season 13 starts in january of next year right here on ktvu. >>> next with the final cuts for the 49ers. but first, dozens of people rolling up their sleeves. the efforts today to clean up an east bay farm. >>> dozens of volunteers spent part of their saturday morning sprucing up the oakland park. 100 people picked up shovels in waste oakland today. they weeded and spread mulch at an entrance to the park on wood street nearest grand avenue. the volunteers like helping the city maintain the large park which houses popular soccer and softball fields. the dreaded cut day on the nfl and a lot of notable names. >> the daydre

photographer who took pictures of the greenpeace activists attempt to scale an oil rig in the arctic ocean is being held in remand with the environmentalist most of whom will remain in custody for two more months pending an investigation that has to count as more on the story. the court in the russian city of mormons decided that twenty two people were onboard the arctic sunrise will remain in jail for the next two months as investigation continues and that's not a sentence that's basically time that the board gives for investigators to do their job and to set up their case there will be another hearing on monday as we understand and the court in the city of some more months will decide what to do with the other eight members of the group it would be safe to assume the same decision will be made with regard to those individuals russian investigators explained that the activists will will not necessarily have to spend exactly two months in jail they could be released earlier it all depends on how fast the investigation goes the judge decided against releasing the individuals on bail citing

photographer who took pictures of the greenpeace activists attempt to scale an oil rig in the arctic ocean is being held in remand was an environmentalist most of whom will remain in custody for two more months planning an investigation got it she can joins me live now with more on the story. and so diana thanks very much for joining us so do tell us what's happening and what's the pro this to aftermath unfolding and how is it unfolding rather. well marina as of now twenty two people who were onboard the arctic sunrise will remain in jail for the next two months says investigation continues then that's not a sentence that's basically time that the court gives for investigators to do their job and present their case that there will be another hearing on monday as we understand in the court in the city of more months will decide what to do with the other eight members of the proof it would be safe to assume the same decision will be made with regard to those individuals russian investigators explained that the activist will not necessarily have to spend exactly two months in jail they could

is taking on greenpeace international after the environmental group staged a protest out in the arctic ocean. >> reporter: the protester he's attempt to board the artic platform was going to bring statements from authorities. within minutes they were intercepted by armed coast guard officers in boats. then more armed coast guards used a helicopter to storm the green piece vessel, the dutch vessel sunrise. >> all on board and the ship should be released immediately. that's why at this date greenpeace officers all over the world are appeal to go russian embassies and officers to release our colleagues. >> reporter: the same platform was boarded by protesters in august to highlight what they say are environmental risks posed by increased energy exploitation in the arctic. the staff in the group's moscow office are providing legal and translation assistance and vital gps monitoring. after being told that the vessel is being steered west, gps actually shows the ship being taken east in russian territorial waters. the demonstration of the arrests have gotten international punish policety. in austr

we're on the arctic ocean here in northern canada, about 64 degrees north latitude, and i'm not goingsay it should be frozen over right now, but it shouldn't be raining the way it is right now. there should be a little snow on the ground. scientists are positive that this is the place that climate change is accelerating the fastest. they have seen temperature rises between 2 and 4 degrees celsius. sea ice has been retreating here. the arctic was famously void of sea ice than every before. this year it's the sixth worst on already. they are seeing animals move, the caribou have disappeared from here. one of the things the government is noting, climate change may not be all bad. some are seeing potential benefits. beneath the waters of cumberland sound, more fish than ever before. a great first catch for peter on his new trollers maid envoy age. it's a species they just began to catch in recent years. now a longer ice-free season is helping build a commercial fishery, where once people fished onlying for food. >> we went out to test our lines and test new fishing grounds. and i'm glad t

and just to be clear, what happens if you fall into the ocean, if you fall into the arctic ocean with normal clothes or even if you had a decent swimsuit or even a bodysuit, which was not specifically prepared, you will be dead in about three or four minutes. that's how cold the water is. we have some protective gear, which will allow you to survive for maybe about two hours. so last year, when we were on the gazprom rig, the same rig where my colleagues who have been arrested now have faced, there there were people who were spraying us directly. and i was in a little sort of what's called a portal ledge, which is a little tent on the outside with a 25-year-old amazing american young man called basil and with a 64-year-old canadian. the three of us were in this, and for close to 20 hours we were being sprayed. and i have to say that was extremely scary because if we fell, we would've hit -- fallen about 50 meters down, and we would've hit the concrete that is at the bottom of the rig. and, in fact, the captain of our ship is saying to the captain of the rig, please stop. their lives a

." >> and literally, the story is that the rig was being cat-trained to the arctic ocean, where it wasng to be barged out. and because it was going past prudhoe bay, they decided, "let's drill this prospect one last hole." one last try by arco and humboldt. "and if it's a dry hole, that's it. we're pulling out of here." and they drilled the well, and they hit it. and that's how prudhoe bay was discovered. >> narrator: but alaskans didn't know if such remote deposits would be commercially viable, not until a new round of lease sales took place in september 1969 in anchorage. >> it was a real circus, and the high rollers were all there. >> there were a lot of texas hats in the room. people had flown in on jet planes. >> atlantic richfield company: total amount of bid: $3,546,000. that's $1,385.27 per acre. >> but we put out at the times about five editions that day as the bids mounted and the money rolled in, and we were astounded--$900 million. the whole town was agog with this. >> it showed alaskans that we were really in a new league, and this was a new era. we didn't know really what

we've so far raised temperature one degree and that's been enough to melt 80% of the ice in the arctic. the oceans about all oceans about 30% more acidic than 40 years, aband because warm air holds more water vapor than cold, the atmosphere is 5% wetter than it's been during the human story. that loads the dice for drought and for flood. you saw what happened last week in colorado. that's what global warming looks like. if you move one mountain range further west to the sierra, where the largest wildfire in their history is still burping and it's the dryest year that colorado's of experienced, that's what global warming looks like, too. >> that's why you got to do the math. >> and that's why we have to do it fast. >> terrific. bill, thanks very much. >> thank you very much. >> it airs sunday at 9:00 p.m. eastern, 6:00 pacific. coming up next, a new york church takes center stage. where the theater district goes to find peace and answers, after the curtain call. >> we leave you this hour with a higher calling. if you happen to be in times square on a saturday night, chances are you might find a fe

increased the temperature of the planet about one degree celsius that's been enough to melt the arctic the oceans are about thirty percent more acidic than they were forty years ago and here on land because warm air holds more water vapor than cold the atmosphere is five percent wetter which triggers these sensational and or find changes in the way that water moves around planet warm air holds more water vapor than cold if you want to know what that means in practice ask the people in california who are having the driest year they've ever had and the biggest wildfire in the history of the sierras and then move one mountain range west and asked the people in colorado last year they were in drought this year all that water that goes up in the air when it evaporates in the heat comes down in daewoo gully washing storms that you know i mean the national weather service a week ago friday when the rains were coming down in colorado the technical term that they used to describe the rate of rainfall they said this is biblical. and and except that the bible didn't anticipate that humans would burn fossil