Mining in Greenland is politically and economically demanding, says the expert. Even the Chinese there
The potential has elements of rare soils.
The interview was originally published in Aktualně.cz
Greenland’s ownership is a « absolute necessity for the US, he said Donald Trump Last December. However, interest in the island has been shown for a long time.
Last week, the American Vice President of JD also arrived in Greenland VANCEthat criticized Denmark for insufficient care for Greenland.
Political geographer Adam Kočí He explains from the University of Ostrava how demanding in the Arctic is why the region is important to Trump.
One of the reasons why Donald Trump would like to dominate Greenland is mining. What exactly is to benefit in Greenland or has the potential to benefit?
Currently, ruby and sapphire is mined in southern Greenland and an anortozite is mined. So only these three raw materials. However, none of what is mined there is as profitable as the Greenans would like. Donald Trump probably longs to have great potential.
How difficult is it to start mining in Arctic conditions?
It is also demanding from a political point of view. In the 1970s, an oil and natural gas survey was conducted in Greenland, but it has not yet been expected. Only licenses have been issued, although there is anticipated large supplies.
Currently, mining licenses are suspended because in 2021 the government, which is against mining, came to power in Greenland.
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As regards the elements of rare earths, an analogy with Ukraine. As in Ukraine, where there is an estimated estimation from the time of the Soviet Union that Americans could benefit there, we do not know whether Greenland will not be mined and what the current situation is.
Eighty percent of Greenland is Greenland’s ice nail, the largest ice nail in the northern hemisphere. Not only the bearings of iron ore on the Greenland Coast, but also many elements of rare soils, such as lithium, are revealed by melting.
Does the melting of glaciers simplify mining?
You could say yes. But when the glacier melts, there is still an eternal frost. Screening also opens the risk of landslides, tsunami and the like. There is also a financial problem. Mining is very expensive in such conditions, especially the transport of material to the south of the country. There is also a risk of accidents.
In the year 1989 crashed Tanker Exxon Valdez and ravaged the coast Alaska. However, the Arctic does not have the possibilities of regeneration as other regions and the infrastructure is not ready for it.
The Russians would also like to use the northeast passage, but there is no such option. Approximately 70 percent of rare earth elements are produced in China. The Chinese are able to benefit them, so they were also interested in Greenland, but the environmental burden is huge.
Why is the ability to regenerate in the Arctic region worse?
Everything happens more slowly due to low temperatures. When the oil platform in the Gulf of Mexico crashed in 2010, the area recovered relatively quickly. In the Arctic, however, it is worse, both for nature and for the animals that live there.
In the past, we have seen that Greenland’s inhabitants demonstrated against mining and the results of the elections in 2021 showed that they do not want mining. Is this because of the environmental impact?
Mining has a number of benefits for Greenlands because it will help to diversify the local economy and can be the key to Greenland’s independence. According to the Greenland Act of 2009, it is stated that the amount of money sent to Greenland is based on mining. The more money they produce themselves, the less they get from Denmark – and that is their way to independence.
In Kvanefjelda in the south of Greenland, there is one of the largest mines for the elements of precious earths. The Chinese came first. However, they encountered resistance to the local village, whose inhabitants are afraid of mining because of the uranium, which could be there – and so they closed the mine. So yes, there is a fear of impact on the environment.
How strong is Chinese influence in Greenland? And may it be the reason for Donald Trump’s interest in this strategic island?
This idea would make sense a few years ago. Now, however, Chinese influence in Greenland is at the lowest point in the last period. Chinese companies that were licensed in Greenland lost their assets.
The license was also lost by the Australian company Greenland Minerals, the largest shareholder of which was the Chinese semi -state company Schengen Resources. The Chinese have a know-how for mining, but the Greening people are afraid of the environmental impact.
From my own experience I know that when I was in Greenland in Greenland in 2020, a lot was discussed at the arrival of two thousand Chinese workers. The locals were afraid that it would have a great impact on the ethnic composition of their population, because there are just over 50,000.
The Chinese wanted to buy an old military base in Greenland through the same Greenland Minerals in 2016. The Danes were banned, and it was probably the insistence of the United States, which makes sense because the US does not want to have Chinese or any other base so close to its shores. In any case, Chinese influence in Greenland weakens.
What do you think is behind the US interest in Greenland?
I assume that economic interests. Donald Trump is primarily a trader.
If we return to the Cold War, at that time the Arctic acted as a nuclear deterrent. The Arctic is the shortest connection between Moscow and Washington.
Even the only military air base in the pituitoh (thule) has radars that warn of a possible attack, and so on has Mask Military bases with radars in Northern Siberia.
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In the Northern Ice Ocean there are still submarines with nuclear heads, both Russian and American. Trump’s activity in this region could significantly damage Russia, as the Russians belong to half of the Arctic.
It is a key economic region for them, as more than 20 percent of Russian GDP comes from the Arctic. Russia cannot risk a military conflict in the region and therefore renew the bases that were during Cold War CLOSED.
Do Americans also strengthen their military presence in Greenland?
In particular. Americans have one base in Northern Greenland, pitufik, but they had a lot more during the Cold War. Since 1951 they have an agreement with the Danes and in 2004 the Greenans joined it. Americans may have only one base recently visited by JD Vance Vice President.
