samedi 17 février 2007

Notes: Review of the Literature

Source (1): Dube, Rebecca. “As Ice Melts, Debate over Northwest Passage Heats.” UsaToday 4 Apr. 2006. 22 Feb. 2007 <http://usatoday.com/news/world/2006-04-03-nwpassage-debate_x.htm>.

Debate: "The United States calls the passage an international strait, open to all. Canada claims control because it considers the passage an internal waterway, like the Mississippi River."

Advantages to the NW Passage: (a) 4,700 nautical miles shorter than via the Panama Canal. "That would save hundreds of thousands of dollars for shipping companies. (b) "It would be a very attractive way to move Alaskan oil to the East Coast."

Historical data: Canada claimed the passage as an internal waterway in 1973. "For Canada, the NW Passage is a symbol of national sovereignty, which Canadians guard fiercely. (National anthem says: "True North, strong and free".

Quotation of U.S. ambassador to Canada, David Wilkins, in 2006: "We don't recognize Canada's claims to the waters."

Quotation of PM Stephen Harper: "We have significant plans for national defense and for defense of our sovereignty, including Arctic sovereignty."

Political fact(paraphrasing): Harper promised in his election campaign an 5,3 billion dollars investment in northern defense.

*This source includes great facts and potential quotations. Moreover, this article has been reused by the University of Western Ontario which confirms it is serious and authoritative. (4.5/5)

Source (2): Charron, Andrea. “The Northwest Passage in Context.” Canadian Military Journal (2005-2006): 41-48.

Purpose of the text: Clarify and context the NW Passage debate, according to the law standpoint.

Quotation of the author: "All indications are that a strictly legal solution to the impasse is unlikely."(41)

Definition of the word sovereignty (concept): "Supreme authority within a territory."(41)

Oposition between Canada and U.S.: "The US has consistenly said "yes", a right of navigation exists, while Canada says "no", such a right does not exist, especially with respect to the Passage."(42)

Important historical data: In 1969, an american vessel, the Manhattan, traversed the NW Passage on two occasions without asking permission and it became "a watershed for the formal declaration of Canada's right of ownership of the Passage". Then, the Canadian government passed a pollution legislation aiming to protect the Arctic.(43)

The "Straight Baseline Method" is explained in this article. It is the method used by Canada to legally defend its sovereignty over the NW Passage.

U.S. viewpoint: "Naval interests of the United States around the world, according to the Canadian Arctic Ressources Committee, prevent the US government from conceding to Canada on the Passage."(45)

Fact: Canada's Arctic Water Pollution Prevention Act (AWPPA) is an act that makes Canada able to exercise jurisdiction over commerce in the Arctic. "Canada argued that this legislation was necessary because of the danger posed by oil-laden tankers that could spill their contents, thus permanently damaging the fragile Arcic environment."

Historical data: 1988's Agreement on Arctic Cooperation faciliate the transit of US vessels. It reminds that a close relationship is of first importance between the Canadian PM and the President of the U.S. in order to perpetuate the status quo.

*This article will help me understand well the legal dispositions that both part have taken or want to take. It will strenghten my analysis. (4/5)

Source (3): Birchall, Jeff. “Canadian Sovereignty: Climate Change and Politics in the Arctic.” Arctic 59.2 (2006): 3-4.

Intriguing idea: "[...] melting ice does not mean no ice, nor does it mean increased shipping."

Quotations: "Often those who predict an ice-reduced or an ice-free Northwest Passage tend to oversimplify the nature of the ice regimes in the archipelago, thus exaggerating the potential for increased shipping and the implied threat to Canadian sovereignty."

"Given the importance of security in a post-9/11 environment, however, it's unlikely that the United States would want to agtate relations with Canada by challenging her sovereignty status in the Northwest Passage."

*This editorial gives original and exclusive opinions on the debate. Those viewpoints could help me to enhance my analysis. (3.5/5)

Source (4): “Americans Disagree over Canada’s Claim to Historic Northwest Passage.” Editorial. Office of External Relations of the University of Alberta 1 Nov. 2006. 22 Feb. 2007 <http://www.uofaweb.ualberta.ca/govrel/news.cfm?story=52223>.

Fact: There is increasing interest in oil and natural gas development.

Canadian government wants to improve its strategy to assure the country's military action in the Arctic area by constructing armed icebreakers.

*This article is weaker. It does not provide a lot of new information and it often refers to Rob Huebert's research, which is one of my important sources in my review of the literature. Therefeore, I would rather concentrate on Huebert's article itself. (1.5/5)

Source (5): Blanchfield, Mike. “Canada’s Arctic Sovereignty Claim ‘tenuous,’ Pentagon Adviser Argues.” Canada.com 15 Feb. 2007. 22 Feb. 2007 <http://www.canada.com/ components/print.aspx?id=b1ce8bb6-a088-4954-a610-ee6a5e3f1>.

Paraphrasing: The Oceans Policy Adviser to the United States Joint Chiefs of Staff, James Kraska, claims that Canada's defense for her sovereignty over the NW Passage is "tenuous" and "excessive" and that Canada should improve its security and environmental issues trough the United Nations. (UN Law of the Sea).

Quotation from James Kraska: "[...] the question is unlikely to cause significant friction between Ottawa and Washington because both countries share a mutual respect for the rule of law and are NATO allies."

Comparison with a similar case: Malaysia vs. Indonesia.

Quotation: "Most military observers agree Canada's ability to defend its vast Arctic is limited."

*Interesting article because it is very recent (15 Feb. 2007). Plus, it brings good quotations. But still it does not provide a complete overall look at the issue. (3/5)

Source(6): “Canada Needs to Stand on Guard.” Editorial. Canada.com 15 Aug. 2006. 22 Feb. 2007 <http://www.canada.com/components/print.aspx?id=502e6951-0000-4909-ac83-9b7cbec0>.

Collective knowledge: "Canadian control over the Arctic Ocean on our northern approach is a given for Canadians."

Quotation: "Legal rights to sovereignty can rest on exercising them."

*This source is poor. It is too short to contain intriguing ideas. Plus it is anonymous which lessens its authoritativeness. (1/5)

Source(7) : Griffiths, Franklyn. “Pathetic Fallacy: that Canada’s Arctic Sovereignty is on Thin Ice.” Canadian Foreign Policy 11.3 (2004): 1-16. Proquest Research Library Feb. 2007 >.

The issue itself: "[...] the undoubted thinning of sea ice in the various waterways that make up the Passage will produce not only an increase in intercontinental shipping, but a shipping-based challenge to Canada's sovereignty over its Arctic warters."

The author's viewpoint: The real problem for Canada is not to prevail its sovereignty as far as commercial navigation is concerned but to get prepared to fight for security and environmental challenges that may come up because of the global warming.


lundi 12 février 2007

Thesis statement

The Geopolitical Debate between Canada and the United States over the Northwest Passage in the Arctic, Caused by Climate Changes
According to international laws. sudies and scholarly articles, I will examine and analyze the debate, brought by new climate changes, about Canada's sovereingnty over the Northwest passage, which is being questionned by the United States.

lundi 5 février 2007

Notes:Review of the literature

Since the research proposal, I have been doing some deeper research in the literature and found out that there was too little information about the Burkina Faso part of my research. Therefore, I have chosen to rethink the angle used in my research paper and finally (if approved by the professor), my thesis statement will be: global warming is primarily due to human activities.

I have found plenty of scholarly articles and I have read most of them and here are the general notes I have taken:

Some of the greatest searchers in the world in the environmental field think that the global warming is due to greenhouse effect and CO2 emissions. In other words they say it is due to humn activities. (See http://proquest.umi.com/pqdweb?index=35&did=924580481&SrchMode=1&sid=1&Fmt=4&VInst=PROD&VType=PQD&RQT=309&VName=PQD&TS=1170697264&clientId=9268)

On the other hand, an inportant minority is claiming that the global warming had already started before any presence of massive CO2 emissions as we see nowadays. (See http://proquest.umi.com/pqdweb?index=14&did=1079636811&SrchMode=1&sid=1&Fmt=3&VInst=PROD&VType=PQD&RQT=309&VName=PQD&TS=1170696513&clientId=9268#fulltext)

I will have to finf out more about the "hockey stick" graph and other major publications like Al Gore's documentary.

I will give you an update soon on my notes of literature. Before I do, I will make sure my new "topic" is approuved. I still would like to make a quick link with my experience in Africa if possible.

Analysis of a scholarly article-Critical thinking

Source: Charron, Andrea. “The Northwest Passage in Context.” Canadian Military Journal(2005-2006)41-48.

Argument:

There should be a debate since both parts have valuable arguments: Canada claims that the Northwest Passage is internal historical waters whereas the United States want to demonstrate that it is an international strait.

1. What is the stated premise?
As the Northwest Passage becomes more free of ice, the United States' argument that it is an international strait could gain popularity among other states because it would mean a shorter commerce route.

2. What is the hidden premise?
Therefore, Canada will have to reinforce its laws in order to keep its sovereignty over the Northwest Passage.

3. Is the statement completely accurate?
No, Canada is very creative in defending its interests. Moreover Canada and the United States have used many compromises throughout their history and maybe the Northwest Passage is more a periodical impass than an issue that needs a heated debate.

4. Do the premises inescapably lead to the conclusion?
No, we are not even sure that the ice is going to melt as fast as some may scholars may say and also going trough the Northwest Passage requires a special navigation equipment, which could discourage many navigators to use the Passage instead of the Panama Canal.