New power generation

With energy and raw material costs skyrocketing, already a race to secure new resources is developing.
As Andrew Osborn reported in yesterday's Independent, Russia is seriously considering the possibility of building a mine on the moon. Meanwhile, Stephen Harper, the new Prime Minister of its neighbour near and far, Canada, is sending military icebreakers to the Arctic to protect Canada's 'right' to exploit the polar region once, as seems likely thanks to global warming, the Northwest Passage becomes navigable and a new 'gold rush' ensues. As well as Canada, the US, Denmark, Norway and Russia are all claiming a piece of the action.
Rather than ending the geopolitical uncertainties that have helped drive the price of oil and of natural gas skyward - Iraq, Iran's standoff with the West, Venezuela's socialist government, Russia's attempts to bring its neighbours back into its sphere of influence - these new opportunities seem likely to exacerbate global tensions: opportunities leading to threats, shows of strength, exploitation of weakness.