Natural Gas Tanker Attempts First Winter Arctic Crossing

The Ob River, the ship cited in the BBC report.
(photo: Gazprom)

For the first time in recorded history, the Arctic passage between Europe and Asia is navigable during November. According to a BBC report, a Greek-owned liquified natural gas carrier is currently making the inaugural attempt to sail from Norway to Japan. The sailing, if successful, will trim the standard transportation time by twenty days. More significantly, the voyage demonstrates how climate change is impacting formerly frozen Siberia. What the world may gain some advantage in freight passage, it may dramatically lose in the planet's potential to sustain human life.