Arctic environment uniquely susceptible to environmental damage for numerous reasons

The ecosystem of the Arctic is more susceptible to pollution than other parts of the world.²⁸ There are several factors that contribute to the Arctic’s vulnerability:

1. Low temperatures retard the decomposition of natural and manmade substances and the breakdown of pollutants;
2. Regeneration is a protracted process because of the short growing season;
3. Large concentrations of animals heighten vulnerability to catastrophes;
4. Marine areas are particularly important in the Arctic in comparison with other regions of the globe;
5. Climatic conditions are likely to produce a more pronounced carbon dioxide-induced warming trend in the Arctic than in temperate regions and are already leading to high concentrations of air pollutants that threaten vegetation as well as human and animal life; and
6. Severe weather and ice dynamics make environmental protection and cleanup extremely difficult.29

The intricate interactions and complex food-webs within the Arctic ecosystem make these concerns even more pronounced.³⁰ Simply put, the Arctic ecosystem is ―extremely complex.³¹ The increased navigation and resource exploration that is likely to occur raises several important concerns. Though there are problems common to both resource exploration and navigation, this Note will discuss the challenges separately.