Unfrozen: The Fight for the Future of the Arctic

A vital account of the state of the Arctic today--emphasising the twin dangers of climate change and geopolitical competition

Nowhere is the dual threat of climate change and geopolitical contest felt more strongly than in the Arctic. Sea ice is declining rapidly, wildfires are burning, and permafrost is thawing. All the while, global interest is gathering apace as the region transforms from being a frozen desert into an international waterway.

Mia Bennett and Klaus Dodds examine the state of the Arctic today, showing how the region is becoming a space of experimentation for everything from Indigenous governance to subsea technologies. Growing geopolitical competition is accompanying environmental disruption. Countries including Russia, China, and the United States are investing in the Arctic and consolidating their interests in strategic access, resource exploitation, and alliance-building.

The consequences of this emerging Arctic Anthropocene are truly global--from rising sea levels due to melting glaciers to tensions between great powers determined to protect their territory and resources, and the well-being of Indigenous Peoples who have fought for centuries for rights and recognition.

Mia Bennett is associate professor of geography at the University of Washington and founder and editor of the blog Cryopolitics. Previously, she taught in the Department of Geography and School of Modern Languages & Cultures (China Studies Programme) at the University of Hong Kong. Klaus Dodds is professor of geopolitics at Royal Holloway University of London. He is the author and coauthor of numerous books, including The Arctic: A Very Short Introduction, The Arctic: What Everyone Needs to Know, and Border Wars: The Conflicts of Tomorrow.