Obama to Call for More Icebreakers in Arctic as U.S. Seeks Foothold
By JULIE HIRSCHFELD DAVIS

SEWARD, Alaska — President Obama on Tuesday proposed speeding the acquisition and building of new Coast Guard icebreakers that can operate year round in the nation’s polar regions, part of an effort to close the gap between the United States and other nations, especially Russia, in a global competition to gain a foothold in the rapidly changing Arctic.

The president’s proposal, on the second day of a three-day trip to Alaska to highlight the consequences of climate change and call for a worldwide effort to address the issue, touches on one of its most profound effects. The retreat of Arctic sea ice has created opportunities for shipping, tourism, mineral exploration and fishing, but the rush of marine traffic that has followed is bringing new difficulties.

“Arctic ecosystems are among the most pristine and understudied in the world, meaning increased commercial activity comes with significant risks to the environment,” the White House said in a statement.

“The growth of human activity in the Arctic region will require highly engaged stewardship to maintain the open seas necessary for global commerce and scientific research, allow for search-and-rescue activities, and provide for regional peace and stability,” the statement said.

The aging Coast Guard fleet is not keeping pace with the challenge, the administration acknowledged, noting that the service has the equivalent of just two “fully functional” heavy icebreakers at its disposal, down from seven during World War II. Russia has 41 of the vessels, with plans for 11 more. China unveiled a refurbished icebreaker in 2012 and is building another.

Mr. Obama, who announced his proposal in Seward, where he hiked to Exit Glacier and tour Kenai Fjords National Park by boat, is seeking to accelerate the acquisition of a replacement icebreaker by two years, setting a new date of 2020. He also proposed that planning begin on the construction of new ones, asking Congress to provide “sufficient resources” to fund them.

The move fell short of guaranteeing the new icebreakers; lawmakers must approve the funding, and it would take years for the vessels to become available. But Alaska’s senators, Lisa Murkowski and Dan Sullivan, both Republicans, cheered the step, saying it was long overdue.

“The highways of the Arctic are paved by icebreakers,” Mr. Sullivan said. “Right now, the Russians have superhighways, and we have dirt roads with potholes.”

Ms. Murkowski said that the icebreaker proposal was “a good first step,” but that Mr. Obama should issue a comprehensive Arctic strategy that addressed opportunities in shipping, trade and natural resources.

“We need the assets to ensure we can safely operate in the Arctic,” Ms. Murkowski said. “That means icebreakers, aircraft and oil spill response infrastructure.”

In addition, Mr. Obama announced an initiative by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the Coast Guard to map and chart the newly accessible Bering, Chukchi and Beaufort Seas. The oceanic agency will also install new equipment in the Arctic in the “near future” to monitor climate-change effects and enhance marine safety, including stations to monitor sea-level rise and satellite measuring of sea-ice thickness, the White House said.

Some lawmakers, analysts and even government officials say the United States is lagging other nations in preparing for the new environmental, economic and geopolitical realities in the Arctic.

Gov. Bill Walker of Alaska, a political independent who traveled to Anchorage with Mr. Obama on Air Force One on Monday, said he was concerned that the United States military was drawing down in his state just as Russia was flexing its muscles.

“It’s the biggest buildup of the Russian military since the Cold War,” Mr. Walker said, noting Alaska’s proximity to Russia. “They’re reopening 10 bases and building four more, and they’re all in the Arctic, so here we are in the middle of the pond, feeling a little bit uncomfortable.”

On Tuesday, Mr. Obama trekked through the Alaska wilderness to call attention to the urgency of addressing climate change. At a conference on Monday sponsored by the State Department, he issued a call to action on the issue, exhorting foreign leaders at the gathering to get out and see a glacier to remind themselves of the need to preserve such places for future generations.

At the Kenai Fjords park, the president also announced that he was sending Congress draft legislation to upgrade and promote access to national park facilities in time for the 100th anniversary of the National Park Service next year.

The bill would support the administration’s efforts “to ensure that our parks and historic sites fully represent our nation’s ethnically and culturally diverse communities, and that all Americans, regardless of their background or where they live, are able to access and enjoy these remarkable places,” the White House said.

歐巴馬急造破冰船 不讓俄獨霸北極

美國總統歐巴馬一日在阿拉斯加州提案，加速為美國海岸防衛隊購買並建造新的破冰船，美國才能在全球爭奪北極地區資源的競賽中，拉近與其他國家（尤其是俄國）的差距，急起直追。

美國政府承認，海防隊艦隊老舊，現役「功能正常、沒有故障」的大型破冰船僅有兩艘，比二次大戰時的七艘還少。相形之下，俄國目前有四十一艘，還打算增加十一艘。中國大陸2012年宣布，擁有一艘翻修過的破冰船，目前正建另一艘。

白宮表示，歐巴馬將提案，把購買一艘破冰船以替代現役船隻的最後期限，從原本的2022年提前到2020年。他還將提議建造新的破冰船，並籲請國會為此提供「充沛的資源」。每艘破冰船造價約十億美元（約台幣三百廿五億元）。

此外，白宮透露，歐巴馬還將宣布一項「美國國家海洋大氣總署」提議的計畫：針對因海冰融化而變得可以通行的白令海、楚科奇海與波弗特海區域製作地圖；大氣總署還將於「近期」在北極區設置新測站與儀器，以監測氣候變遷的影響並加強海上安全，包括海平面升幅觀測站與「海冰厚度衛星偵測儀」。

美國一些國會議員、政治觀察家與官員指出，美國在準備應對北極區新情勢方面，落後他國。阿拉斯加州州長沃克就說，俄國正在北極區集結兵力，規模是冷戰結束以來最大，美軍卻從鄰近俄國的阿拉斯加撤出，他對此感到憂心，「俄國重開了十個基地，又正在建造四個，全部都在北極區，所以我們覺得有點不安」。

歐巴馬八月卅一日起訪問阿拉斯加州三天，希望凸顯氣候變遷的挑戰，並呼籲全球重視減碳。美國國家廣播公司宣布，歐巴馬將在阿拉斯加跋山涉水，並向吃蟲的英國冒險家格瑞斯討教求生技巧，在新一集的「荒野求生全明星」電視節目中露面。

原文參照：
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/09/02/us/politics/obama-to-call-for-more-icebreakers-in-arctic-as-us-seeks-foothold.html

2015-09-02．聯合報．A13．國際．編譯李京倫