No matter what one thinks should be done about global warming, the fact is, it's happening. And its effects are not all bad. In the Arctic, it is turning an impassible region into an emerging epicenter of industry and trade.

As human activity intensifies in the Arctic, U.S. interests would be best represented by a reinforced Coast Guard, exercising the role it carries out in other coastal areas, writes CFR Military Fellow Peter Troedsson.

Coast Guard Commandant Admiral Robert Papp released this maritime governance document on May 21, 2013, which will "guide our efforts in the region over the next 10 years" based on "three key objectives: improving awareness, modernizing governance, and broadening partnerships."

President Barack Obama signed this strategy on May 10, 2013, ahead of June 2013 meetings with Alaska natives, Alaska officials, and other Arctic stakeholders.

Many observers have noted that the loss of Arctic ice is already leading to stepped-up human activity in the high north, particularly in the form of increasing commercial traffic and development. This trend has brought forth a range of issues on the geopolitical front, from environmental protection to search-and-rescue capabilities to the delineation of national boundaries—which will determine access to natural resources. These concerns are being addressed cooperatively in both bilateral and multilateral fashion, especially under the aegis of the Arctic Council and the U.N. Convention on the Law of the Sea.

Icelandic president Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson discusses the international economic, environmental, and security implications of a changing Arctic region.

Icelandic president Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson discusses the international economic, environmental, and security implications of a changing Arctic region.

Icelandic president Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson discusses the international economic, environmental, and security implications of a changing Arctic region.

The Arctic region is undergoing unprecedented and disruptive change. Its climate is changing more rapidly than anywhere else on earth. Rising temperatures are causing a retreat of sea ice and changes to seasonal length, weather patterns and ecosystems. These changes have prompted a reassessment of economic and development potential in the Arctic and are giving rise to a set of far-reaching political developments.

Captain Melissa M. Bert, USCG saysnow is the time for the Obama administration to advance a comprehensive Arctic strategy that addresses both governance and acquisition requirements, or it risks further harm to the economic and national security of the United States.

Unlike its Arctic neighbors, the United States is failing to take full advantage of the tremendous economic potential of the Arctic region. Captain Melissa Bert argues for U.S. ratification of the Law of the Sea Convention; international polar shipping standards; and an aircraft, icebreaker, and shore-based infrastructure acquisition program funded by Arctic oil and gas lease proceeds.

Scott Borgerson and Paula Dobriansky discuss the economic, environmental, and security implications of a changing Arctic region and its significance for the United States.

Scott Borgerson and Paula Dobriansky discuss the economic, environmental, and security implications of a changing Arctic region and its significance for the United States.

Captain Melissa Bert, USCG, argues that the United States will lose out economically and environmentally if it does not take advantage of resources in the Alaskan Arctic.

John B. Bellinger III says President Obama should seize the opportunity presented by Republican support for increased domestic oil and gas production to urge the Senate to approve the Law of the Sea Convention.

Experts on ocean governance gather in the Council's International Institutions and Global Governance Program meeting on U.S. ocean governance in an international context. They discuss the emerging issues of the high seas and how U.S. policies will interact with foreign initiatives and treay arrangements.

Senator Mark Begich (D-Ak) and Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-Ak) speak to the Council on public and private strategies for adapting to climate change in Arctic Alaska. Scott G. Borgerson, visiting fellow for Ocean Governance at the Council, presides.

John Vinocur of The New York Times examines news developments in the Arctic and explores Russia's goal of building a "comprehensive presence" in the area.

Scott G. Borgerson discusses the melting Arctic, before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

Scott Borgerson and Caitlyn Antrim argue that the United States should show leadership on the formation of an Arctic "polar park" for international scientific research.