Arctic Passages - by Kieran Mulvaney (Hardcover)

About the Book

Almost two centuries after British explorer Sir John Franklin and his men died amid paralyzing cold and ice in pursuit of the mythical Northwest Passage, the Arctic is melting at an alarming pace. Instead of working together to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, countries are racing to control newly ice-free waters and the riches in the seabed below. But by choosing self-interest over cooperative action, they may be condemning the world to an uninhabitable future.

Arctic Passages reminds us that while we go about our lives, climate change is unspooling slowly but insidiously, spawning extreme weather events that will be increasingly difficult to ignore. Ultimately, the fate of the Arctic will be decided by the developed world and how it decides to take action--if it's not too late.

Book Synopsis

How the melting Arctic is fueling a new race for global supremacy--and imperiling the planet

Almost two centuries after British explorer Sir John Franklin and his men died amid paralyzing cold and ice in pursuit of the mythical Northwest Passage, the Arctic--in response to temperatures greater than at any time in the last ten thousand years--is melting at an alarming pace. Instead of heeding this clear sign that the world must reduce greenhouse gas emissions to prevent runaway warming, countries such as the United States, Russia, China, and Canada are instead racing to control newly ice-free waters and the riches in the seabed below. But by choosing short-term self-interest over cooperative action, they may be condemning the world to an uninhabitable future.

Uniquely among books on climate change and the Arctic, Arctic Passages ties together past, present, and future, showing how historical fancies of a navigable Arctic are becoming future realities. In fast-paced storytelling packed with surprising revelations, journalist Kieran Mulvaney argues that today's emerging geopolitical rivalries have roots in earlier waves of exploration and that the future prospect of a developed Arctic, with navigable passages to equal the Suez and Panama Canals, is drowning out the real impacts of warming on Arctic peoples, wildlife, and ecosystems. Mulvaney reminds us that while we go about our lives, climate change is unspooling slowly but insidiously, spawning extreme weather events that will be increasingly difficult to ignore. He asks: if governments shrug their shoulders at the five-alarm fire at the top of the world, what is the likelihood they'll respond to the emerging climate crises across the rest of the planet?

Arctic Passages speaks to those fascinated by the potent intertwining of environmental and geopolitical issues. Ultimately, the fate of the Arctic will not be decided in the Arctic, but by the rest of the world and how it decides to take action--if it's not too late.

Review Quotes

"An Economist Best Book of the Year"

"[Mulvaney] helps us navigate the complexities of the Arctic nations jockeying for position. I loved this book because it provided insights into a world that is both distant and somewhat out of mind, yet serves as a stark reminder of the profound effects humans are having on the planet."-- "The Biologist"

"Arctic Passages is Kieran Mulvaney's comprehensive study of one of the world's most mysterious and significant geopolitical flashpoints.... The Arctic's complicated allure shows forth in the book's pages. It traces the region's development in the popular imagination through the imperial ambitions of the British, Russians, Swedes, and Finns, up to the tense treaty-making of the nuclear era. Throughout, the Arctic's precipitous warming is studied not only for its devastating ecological implications but for global superpowers' maneuvers to capitalize on possible new trade opportunities."-- "Foreword Reviews"

"Climate change, which is reducing Arctic sea ice at a particularly rapid rate, has brought renewed interest in Arctic passages, as documented in this absorbing book by journalist Kieran Mulvaney."-- "Natural History Magazine"

About the Author

Kieran Mulvaney is a journalist who has written for National Geographic, The Guardian, The Washington Post Magazine, BBC Wildlife, New Scientist, E, and other publications. His books include The Whaling Season: An Inside Account of the Struggle to Stop Commercial Whaling (Island Press).