Svalbard, Thaw and Tension

Svalbard is global warming ground zero as no part of the planet is warming faster than Svalbard. The Norwegian archipelago also clashes with the geopolitical interests of the West, Russia and China. The melting ice will open up new sea routes and give access to new natural resources. It is the closest inhabited place to the North Pole, and home to the Global Seed Vault, created to save humanity's biodiversity in the event of a global catastrophe.