Capstone Paper Outline

The question my capstone paper presents is as follows: “In what way will increasing competition in the Arctic shape United States-Russian relations over the next three years as global temperatures rise?” The following is a review of an assortment of relevant literature on the subject, ranging from articles on climate change, observed phenomena in the Arctic as a result of global warming, studies of the Arctic’s material wealth, and articles on Russia’s foreign policy. As indicated above, the capstone project will synthesize climate change research with analysis on Russian foreign policy to produce a coherent three-year outlook on the future of the Arctic.

Bitz, Cecilia. “Polar Amplification” While initial research focused more on the current

This article will be important in crafting a scenario in which Arctic competition boils over into the realm of international tension, possibly bubbling into a crisis. Russia’s military assets in the region is extensive when compared to that of the United States. Russia’s impressive presence in the region can be attributed to leftover assets and foreign policy for the Cold War era, as well as a continuous vision of Russian resurgence both internationally and in the North Pole by Vladimir Putin.

Katherine Keil, "The Role of Arctic Hydrocarbons for Future Energy Security" This article provides a wealth of information on the hydrocarbon situation in the Arctic. As such, it is expected to play a major role as a source in the final paper. The hydrocarbon aspect of the Arctic situation is a major factor in the foreign policy of every nation involved. Russia currently controls the majority of the potential assets in the region, which demonstrates the advantage Russia has already acquired over other nations in the Arctic Council. The article also continues to reveal that the Arctic could be a potential supplement for oil from a turbulent Middle East.

"National Snow and Ice Data Center." NSIDC Arctic News and Analysis