On one hand, we stand to lose one of the Earth’s largest and most significant ecosystems. On the other hand, the once fabled northeast and northwest passages will reduce shipping times and costs by as much as half, bringing China and Japan much closer to Europe and North America’s east coast.
维也纳——急剧萎缩的北极冰盖是地球自然界最显著的变化之一，并由此对环境和经济产生极为深远的影响。一方面，我们将眼睁睁失去地球最大也最重要的生态系统。另一方面，曾经传说中的东北和西北通道能减少一半的运输时间和成本，让中国和日本离欧洲和北美东海岸更近。