Russia beats the war drum over the Arctic, and hardly anyone, me included, can be bothered. First and foremost all the Arctic countries that are not Russia are under the US nuclear umbrella. Ergo, unlike environmentalist nuts like David Suzuki and despite Medvedev's name meaning "bear man", the Russians will never exchange the population of a middle-sized city for a piece of land that's under ice, water, polar bears and a logistical nightmare.
Furthermore, Canada has nothing to fear as Russia will find its friendship convenient for international shipping negotiations in the Northeast and Northwest passages. Sometimes it does pay to have a possessive superpower on your borders, provided you are ready to wave your weapons in return if the neighbor gets a little too friendly and enters your airspace.
There are also rumors of a joint continental shelf submission by Canada, Russia and Denmark. That would save everyone a lot of hassle, but clearly the battle for the Arctic has begun. The damn thing needs to be carved up and stewarded as national territory and property, otherwise it'll be the tragedy of the commons all over again. Russia encircles half of the Arctic already and nothing can stop it destroying the wilderness if it so wished.
So if we want to save the polar bear we have to agree who owns what, and that is better done between five foreign ministers in a room than at the UN. And don't worry about the Russians. When their army isn't made of 18-year-old conscripts, it's underfunded, under-equipped volunteers and rusting nuclear warheads.
2 comments:
It just shows that you have no clue. Transporting crude oil in a pressure compensated submarine is much cheaper than in a coventional oil tanker
Technology to build underwater drilling and crude oil extraction platforms is almost ready. Once all wrinkles are sorted out it will become cheaper than any other method of extracting oil and gas as all these platforms are going to be movable in single piece.
Who knows if Russians are not already doing it.
Canadian judicial terrorism, legalised theft of funds in Ontario Family Court and Canada's international relations with Russia
(How Ontario Family Court Judge the Honourable Madam Nancy L. Backhouse started a war between Russia and Canada.)
Madam Justice Nancy L. Backhouse of Toronto Family Court is not satisfied with re-interpreting "shaping" rules of family law in Ontario in order to extend her jurisdiction to the entire World, she is not satisfied with issuing court orders commanding old and severely crippled parents of a husband in divorce proceeding to travel all the way from Russia to Ontario, by boat if it needs to be, just so they can be "properly" examined in family matters (interrogated on how much money they have and shaken down with threat of incarceration as soon as they enter Ontario), Justice Backhouse in her ambitions to rule the World single-handedly decided that nullification of a marriage obtained in Russian Court is null and void in Ontario.
I, personally, never new that Justice Backhouse was such staunch supporter of an idea that people once married anywhere in the World should stay married for life regardless of what Russian or any other court outside of Ontario ever decides. (Alternative theory being that she considers that Ontario Family Court has an exclusive jurisdictions over all slaves of family court system, in all matters regarding marriage as soon as they or their estranged partners set their feet on Ontario soil.)
It is not only that Justice Backhouse nullified decision of Russian Court but she also ordered a husband to pay to the wife costs she incurred for legal representation in the Russian Court.
Given the fact that Justice Backhouse shows complete and utter disregard for Russian justice system and nullifies decisions of Russian Court, given the fact that Justice Backhouse punished litigant for daring to seek "family justice" outside of Ontario, considering the fact Justice Backhouse bends rules of family law in order to punish sick parents of the noncompliant litigant, considering the fact that another Ontario judge piled up on justice Backhouse's decision and ordered sizing of over $400000.00 of husband's money, one just wonders why we have not seen Russian strategic bombers flying over Toronto as of yet.
Stephen Harper should take a good look at the way the Honourable Justice Nancy L. Backhouse deals with Russian menace and follow her lead, he should stop pussy footing with Vladimir Putin and claim whole Arctic for Canada.
(http://www.inteldaily.com/news/165/ARTICLE/10678/2009-05-14.html , The Intelligence Daily:Russia warns of war over Arctic resources)
Stephen Harper should take to his heart that if Russians did not react when Justice Backhouse declared decisions of Russian court null and void, and her decisions was posted on CanLII for the whole World to read, they will also back down when Harper declares publicly that whole Arctic belongs to Canada.
http://www.basmansmith.com/rfiles/creative.pdf
"CREATIVE ENFORCEMENT OF FAMILY LAW ORDERS
THE SIX MINUTE FAMILY LAWYER 2006
Sarah Boulby
Reproduced with the permission of the Law Society of Upper Canada
i. Belittchenko v. Belittchenko10
Ms. Belittchenko commenced divorce proceedings in Ontario to which Mr.
Belittchenko attorned. Approximately 18 months later Mr. Belittchenko commenced family law proceedings in Russia, where they had formerly resided. Ms. Belittchenko brought an emergency motion in Ontario and obtained an interim order restraining Mr. Belittchenko from proceeding with his Russian applications. This order was then continued as a consent term to a number of adjournments obtained by the husband as he changed counsel twice. In defiance of the restraining order Mr. Belittchenko continued his application in the Russian courts and obtained an order annulling his marriage. Ms. Belittchenko moved in contempt and was successful. Madam Justice Backhouse granted two penalties for the contempt. She ordered that Mr. Belittchenko pay to Ms. Belittchenko $75,000 as a penalty. $25,000 of this was allocated as compensation for Ms. Belittchenko’s Russian legal fees and $50,000 was allocated as compensation for her stress, anxiety and trouble. In addition Backhouse J. ordered that the decision by the Russian court should not be recognized in the Ontario proceeding. As a separate matter Backhouse J. ordered that Mr. Belittchenko pay his wife $150,000 towards her legal costs to prepare the case for trial. On appeal, the Court of Appeal set aside the prohibition against the use of the Russian judgment, leaving the issue of its admissibility and weight to be considered by the trial judge. The Court of Appeal upheld the other orders. There is
no indication in the record of the specific evidence that Ms. Belittchenko led to substantiate a recovery of $50,000 for stress, anxiety and trouble. In an appropriate case it is obviously worth pursuing such recovery given this precedent."
More at: http://www.canlii.org/en/on/oncj/doc/2008/2008oncj92/2008oncj92.html
and at:
http://www.canlii.org/en/on/onsc/doc/2008/2008canlii22916/2008canlii22916.html
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