Bill Gates and other Greenland "treasure hunt": explore new energy or accelerate the melting of glaciers?

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This kind of exploration behavior is exploring new energy

At the same time to reducing greenhouse gas emissions

It is also accelerating the icing trend of Greenland Island

As one of the most popular tourist attractions in the world, Greenland has attracted countless tourists who love exotic polar scenery. However, under the influence of global warming and the continuous high temperature of the northern hemisphere, the Greenland ice cover is accelerating melting and showing another side of her gaming rules that may be possible in the global energy pattern.

On August 8, 2022, according to the United States Cable Television News Network, two mineral companies invested by Billionaires, including Bill Gates, Amazon founder Jessos, including Bill Gates, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, the United States Kob Metal and Britain's Britain. Lan Row Mining Company is exploring the rich nickel -cobalt resources that may contain Greenland.

At present, 30 geologists, earth physicists, pilots and other related personnel are stationed in the exploration ground on the west coast of Greenland. These staff are collecting soil samples, driving drones, and helicopters with signal transmitters to measure the underground electromagnetic field and draw rock layers. At the same time, the staff also analyzed the data through artificial intelligence, in order to accurately locate the drilling location as soon as possible next summer.

As a place with high autonomy in the Kingdom of Denmark, Greenland is becoming a hot area for global climate change and energy transformation issues.

Irulizat is the third largest settlement of Greenland Island, and many colorful houses are built by the seaside. Figure/IC

Looking for or the world's most important nickel cobalt mines

"We are looking for the world's first or second -largest nickel and cobalt mining bed." Kolt House CEO Kolt Hus said in an interview with the media. House emphasized that "comprehensively driving the global economy with electricity is the biggest challenge for our generation ... In order to achieve this goal, we must strive to speed up (process) and find the key materials for the electric vehicle revolution."

In the announcement of the investment project in August last year, Kuro Metal stated that it would use a $ 3.4 million investment before December 31, 2022 to conduct high -level geological and geological physics evaluations in the exploration area to further further for further physical assessment to further further. Optimize drilling targets. In the second stage, by December 31, 2024, they spent $ 11.6 million for drilling. The main mining targets are nickel, copper, cobalt and platinum.

In order to cope with the impact of global climate change, the global energy structure is facing severe adjustments. Key mineral products, including precious metals, are very important for global clean energy transformation. Nickel and cobalt are indispensable important minerals in key areas such as new energy vehicles and energy storage equipment.

Tu Jianjun, President of China and former director of the China Cooperation Department of the Agora Energy Transformation Forum, analyzed the "China News Weekly" based on the latest world energy outlook report of the International Energy Agency (IEA), now global energy commodities The market size is about $ 1.5 trillion, and key mineral products, including nickel and cobalt resources, account for 11 %. By the middle of this century, if the global zero -carbon and zero -emission target can be achieved, the market size is expected to increase to about $ 900 billion, and the proportion of key mineral products such as nickel and cobalt will increase.

Tu Jianjun analyzed that from the perspective of supply, nickel reserves are highly concentrated worldwide, with nearly 33 % in Indonesia, 14 % in Australia, 8 % to 9 % in Russia, and about 7 % in Cuba. The distribution of global cobalt resources is also very concentrated. The Congo (Gold) "one family" has a proportion of about 51 %, followed by about 20 % of Australia, and Cuba accounts for about 7 %. After the outbreak of Russia and Ukraine this year, nickel prices used in stainless steel and electric vehicle batteries soared. If a large amount of nickel and cobalt minerals are found on Greenland, it will mean a pattern of changing the distribution of global mineral resources.

Teds Skambo, a scientist at the University of Colorado National Ice and Snow Data Center, wrote in the email of "China News Weekly" that many minerals on Greenland have huge mining potential. From the perspective of geological, the rock formation on the surface of the island is composed of "Mainland Shield" rocks, which has a significant deterioration effect. The island may have the same mineral resources as the Canadian Dun area, and may also have platinum, chromium iron ore and other minerals.

As early as November 2012, Henryk Stetenal, chief geologist at the Greenland Mineral Petroleum Bureau, said at an international mining conference that the ancient rock formation on Greenland was warmed up 3.7 billion years ago to form the current ore. The island's proven deposition iron ore, vanadium titanium magnetite, and red iron ore resource reserves are huge. Secondly, it is also rich in deposited copper ore and rare earth mine resources.

Lan Row Mining is a titanium iron mine project in Greenland.

The mining plan of Kob Metal Company will be jointly carried out with Lan Row Mining Company. According to the website of Lan Row Company, the Mineral resources of Disco island and Nuswak Peninsula on the west coast of Greenland are rich in mineral resources. Several peer evaluation studies have emphasized that their mineral characteristics are geological similarity as the world's largest nickel and copper vulcanized minerals in Norolsk, Russia.

Because of the new potential of Greenland's energy, tourism, etc., its status in global geopolitics is also rising rapidly. An obvious sign is the active foreign strategy of the United States.

In 2020, the United States opened the U.S. Consulate in the capital of Greenland Island. This is the first time that the United States has resumed diplomacy in Greenland since the 1950s. Anthony Brinkeaki visited Greenland in May 2021, who was appointed as President Bayeng, and met with a newly elected Greenland government member. The US official delegation also visited Greenland in September 2021 and promised to provide assistance to improve its trade, education and mining industries. Opportunities for climate change

There are 58,000 people in Greenland, covering an area of ​​half EU. Since the 19th century, it has been the sacred place of the explorer. Because there are almost no trees here, the vegetation is sparse. For geological survey scholars, it is much easier to find valuable ore.

According to the latest data released by the Denmark and Greenland Geological Survey this year, Greenland may become a hot spot for mining of coal, copper, gold, zinc and rare earth elements. The Greenland Autonomous Government has made several resource assessments throughout the ice -free land, and recognizes that mineral mining has the potential to diversify the local economy.

However, because of the heavy ice cover, it will also increase the difficulty of mining in Greenland. The Greenland Ice Cjid is second only to the Antarctic Ice Cjat and is one of the only two major ice caps in the world today.

In the 21st century, climate change has accelerated the melting of the Arctic region, making more potential minerals reveal the ice cover, and the mining operations become more convenient and longer. According to the New York Times report last year, more routes that have been hindered by glaciers have begun to pass, which makes it easier for humans to explorate and mining work in Greenland. In addition, most of the year, most of the year, to the Pacific Ocean ore The ships can pass through the northern part of Canada, shortening the journey to the Asian processing plant.

Bo Steng, CEO of Lan Row Mining Company, said in an interview with the media that climate change made Greenland's exploration and mining of Greenland easier. For example, he pointed out that climate change has extended the ocean -free period, and their team can easily transport heavy equipment and transport metals to the global market faster.

Taking the shipping of energy transportation as an example, according to the research of polar geological experts, with the warming of global warming, the window period of the Arctic Channel's navigation will continue to be extended, and it will increase from the current 2 to 3 months to 6 months in 2030 in 2030. The above is expected to be available in 2040.

On November 1, 2021, the article published by "Nature · Communication" stated in an article entitled "Increased Filcitation of Greening Blogen Covers of Satellite Observations". Compared with the melting diameter of the Greenland ice cover from 2011 to 2020, from 1980 ~ 2010, from 1980 to 2010, 2011 ~ 2020 The traffic increased by 21 %.

Li Xichen, a researcher at the Institute of Atmospheric Physics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, told China News Weekly that the most important reason for the ablation of Greenland Ice Cry was because of the invasion of warm water. With the changes in the structure of the North Atlantic in the past few decades, it can bring more warm water to the Arctic region, which has accelerated the ablation of Greenland Ice Clatage in recent years to a certain extent.

It is also because of the influence of the warm current of the North Atlantic Ocean. The summer temperature along the Greenland coast in the Arctic Circle can reach 10 ° C or even 15 ° C. This summer, according to the latest report, the surface temperature of Greenland is close to 30 ° C, and the rapid rise of surface temperature has a certain impact on the melting of ice caps.

The global warming speed, including Greenland, is much faster than the global average. This has a special term called the "Arctic amplification effect". The latest research shows that the previous climate model forecast may generally underestimate the Arctic amplification effect. On August 11, 2022, he published an article in the famous journal magazine "Natural Communications-Earth and the Environment" stating that from 1979 to 2021, most of the Arctic Ocean warmed at a rate of 0.75 ° C every 10 years, which was almost the global average 4 Note.

Under the influence of abnormal high temperature weather this year, the National Satellite Meteorological Center stated that the area of ​​sea ice in the northern area of ​​Greenland was about 135,000 square kilometers compared with the early days. According to data from the US Ice and Snow Data Research Center, from July 15th to 17th, as the largest ice body in the northern hemisphere, Greenland Ice Cucklings lost about 6 billion tons per day, which was enough to fill 7.2 million Olympic swimming pools.

The dilemma of environmental protection and resource development

Although the voices of Greenland's mining resources are very high, there is also a sound of opposition.

In April 2021, the rare earth mining of Greenland was caused by a huge controversy, which was related to the Kovane Bay mining project near Nasak Town, south of Greenland.

Kovane Bay is the second largest rare earth mine on the planet. Greenland Mining Co., Ltd., headquartered in Australia, has been developing minerals here since 2007. However, the development of rare earth mines will accompany radioactive elements such as uranium. In 2013, the residents of Nasak town set up an organization called "Speaking of Uraniums". As locals gradually understand the problem of tailings and pollution, the public began to oppose the mining behavior of Greenland Mining Co., Ltd..

In April 2021, after the anti -uranium government election came to power, it promised to implement environmental protection policies: joining the Paris Climate Agreement and prohibiting the issuance of new oil and natural gas drilling permits. However, according to the Guardian reported in May this year, the local government is open to other mining industries.

Kob Metal workers work on Greenland.

At the end of 2021, an article published in the Congress Mountain News "Greenland is crying -can it be saved from mining and climate change? "Although the balance between economy and environment has not been achieved, other mining operations are searching for rare earth resources with the same prospects on the bottom of Greenland. Under the influence of climate, it is foreseeable that more and more new mining operations are about to begin in Greenland. "This time, finding the Nickel Cobalt Resources incident is quite controversial. The development of minerals in the fragile regions of climate change will inevitably be difficult to ignore the impact on the environment." Tu Jianjun said. He believes that because Greenland has long been away from Denmark's autonomy for a long time, whether the local governance capacity is sufficient to balance various policy goals, and whether relevant government departments can strictly supervise the environmental impact of mining activities, it needs further observation.

While this exploration is exploring new energy sources and contributing to reducing greenhouse gas emissions, it also accelerates the icing trend of Greenland. Experts are worried that the natural environment of Greenland may be threatened by mining metal mineral resources. Some environmental protection agencies also pay attention to this issue and try to cooperate with some local governance agencies in Greenland, and even seek cooperation with relevant institutions with Denmark, the European Union, and even global, remind everyone to pay attention to the matter.

The climate environment in the Arctic has a profound impact on the world. Thomas Slyt, a researcher at the University of Leeds, wrote in the email of "China News Weekly" that Glacier's melting of Greenland will lead to the rise of sea planes, followed by global flood risks. The fusion of water that eventually flows into the ocean will not only increase the global sea level, but also change the marine circulation, which will affect the weather circulation model in low latitudes.

Li Xichen pointed out that with the large amount of ice sheet, the salinity of the entire North Atlantic seawater decreased, making the North Atlantic a lighter water and affecting the driver of the sea ice. Once the driver of the sea ice disappears, it is likely to cause the North Atlantic diversion, and the climate of the entire northern hemisphere will be affected. In this case, some extreme climate disasters may be caused.

Dust, increased vehicles and other effects produced by mining operations will also have a very adverse effect on the local and surrounding environment of mining. Teds Scampo, a scientist at the University of Colorado, pointed out that people's concerns about the environmental destruction of the academic community for the environmental destruction of the environment of the environment of the environment of the environment with little soil and vegetation will never be able to follow. Restored in the surface mining activities. But he also said that this action may only cause environmental damage to a small part of the island, and the current impact is minimal.

Some analysts believe that the Arctic may become a treasure house for humans and play a demonstration of the new model of global governance, but it may also become a new conflict point. The fundamental reason is that in the context of climate change and rapid changes in international politics and economic patterns, the high risks and cooperation are facing the high risks and cooperation in various types of resources in the Arctic. There is a challenge for the Arctic governance structure.

On August 8, 2022, the Chairman of the US Arctic Research Committee Sflaga said in an interview with the United States Cable Television News Network that the Greenland government's support for mining is not considering the environment, and the environment is the core of Greenland culture and livelihood. He said that the Greenland government supports the responsible, sustainable and economical development of its natural resources, including mining of minerals. These key minerals will "provide some solutions for these challenges brought by climate crisis."

Skambo predicts that the ablation of the ice cap will bring some mining opportunities to Greenland. As a development autonomous area, Greenland is hoping to use these mining potential. He believes that Greenland, who is sensitive to environmental issues, will adhere to the mining behavior responsible for the environment.

Tu Jianjun suggested that the Danish government should be more proactive and conduct a comprehensive consideration and forward -looking assessment of the entire Greenland environment, economy, and employment. On the basis of communicating with the local government, ensure strict supervision of related exploration and mining activities in the future.

Send 2022.9.5 Total Issue 1059 "China News Weekly" magazine

Magazine title: Billionaires poured into the "treasure hunt" of Greenland Island

Reporter: Du Wen, [email protected])

Edit: Du Wei

Operation editor: Wang Lin

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