This article is from the archive of our partner .
The Associated Press on the militarization of the Arctic Don't count the world's militaries among the global-warming deniers. Eyeing soon-to-be unfrozen resources near the North Pole, countries on the Arctic Ocean are preparing to flex their military muscle in the region as ices melt with potential Cold War-like standoffs between powers, according to the AP's Eric Talmadge. The United States, Canada, Denmark, and Norway have all completed major military exercises in the Arctic over the past two months while simultaneously looking for new investments. At stake: new shipping routes and oil and gas reserves under the unfrozen waters -- as if the atmosphere needed another source of carbon.
The Texas Tribune on uranium in the Lone Star State Err, "yellow gold"? That's a name that probably won't stick, but in any case, uranium miners in Texas are trying to to extract more of the mineral (processed into a powder called "yellowcake") in anticipation of a nuclear energy boom in the coming years, according to The Texas Tribune. "They are ramping up for a new push, despite concerns from environmental groups that past operations have not been sufficiently cleaned up and pose a threat to aquifers that people drink from," reports Kate Galbraith. Two of the U.S.'s six uranium mines are in Texas, with state government granting five new permits for uranium exploration last year. The reason: the miners feel that, despite Fukushima, Americans appetite for nuclear energy will continue unabated -- especially since the one big source of uranium for the U.S., a program repurposing defunct Russian warheads (what a world), is set to end next year. Environmentalists are worried that careless mining practices could contaminate drinking water.