one of them is kivalina. this bear-year island village is losing up to eight feet of shore to erosion each year. it's long-term survival is at stake. alaska's northern coast has some of the highest shoreline erosion rates in the world. >> over 20 communities on the coastine of northern alaska have been identified as places where either they have to move or they will have to move. because they won't be able to be sustained where they are anymore. but where is the money going to come from to move those villages? >> the warming of the arctic brings many destablizing changes. but at the same time, it opens up the region to new opportunities. >> that shrinkage of arctic summer sea ice means that people are speculating about the possibility of everything from shipping to oil and gas to additional economic development. that might have some rather major implications both domestically and internationally. >> right now, there are two main passages, the northern sea route or the northeast passage over the russian arctic