Big questions

These days officials of different countries are meeting in Moscow to open or perhaps to settle the disputes on the ownership of the mineral wealth in the Artic, mainly the oil that lies under the ocean, amounting to a quarter of existing reserves on the planet.  Three years ago, the Russians planted their flag on the Artic, an age-old gesture that is a declaration unto itself.  The other Northern countries, namely Canada, Norway, the U.S., did not take this as a gesture of appeasement and dialogue. The Artic rush had begun, and with the cracking ice-cap, a new urgency soon flared among the would-be claimants.  Now is the time for exploration and exploitation.  The question is who will get there first, the unacceptable threat is who will be left out?   Can the first be the subject of discussion, can the second be averted by conciliation?  Will the Artic oil become a cause of strife, perhaps even war?  Or will reason overcome the consuming greed for oil and allow a fair power-sharing for the good of humanity?  Big questions, talking about oil...