America Is Missing the Real Problem in the Arctic

Donald Trump’s greedy stare at Greenland, with its mineral riches and strategic location, has put the world on high alert about what’s going on in the Arctic. Unfortunately, this obsession with the region’s geopolitics comes as the critical monitoring of its geography and climate is getting harder and harder.

Constructing a detailed overview of the Arctic has always been difficult because of its vast size, often impossible working conditions and the heterogeneity of its landscapes. But Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and the subsequent severing of international ties with its polar researchers, created a huge blind spot. President Trump’s administration is making things worse.