As Norway continues to allow more oil drilling in the Arctic to find new sources of both oil and gas, researchers want to expand the so-called “ice edge zone” that aims to protect sensitive Arctic areas. They want maximum inclusion of the areas where ice forms during the course of a year. The current ice […]
New oil exploration licenses spark fury
June 23, 2021
The Norwegian government’s decision on Wednesday to issue new oil and gas exploration licenses in Norway’s offshore Arctic areas was being roundly condemned by environmentalists and climate activists. Among the seven oil companies involved is Norway’s own Equinor, just a week after it rolled out what’s supposed to be a new “green” energy strategy away […]
Norway won’t stop searching for oil
May 19, 2021
Top Norwegian politicians are defying calls from the International Energy Agency (IEA) to halt more investment in new oil fields. Both the Conservatives and the Labour Party say they still don’t see any reason to revise oil policy, while a string of climate and environmental advocates suggest the political leaders are simply in denial mode. […]
Norway blasts EU fishing off Svalbard
February 16, 2021
Norway launched an unusually strong protest against the EU on Tuesday, calling its decision to grant fishing rights in a protected zone off Svalbard “completely unacceptable.” Norway has long claimed sovereign rights to the seas and sea floor around Svalbard as an extention of its internationally accepted authority over the Arctic archipelago. “Norway is protesting […]
Two killed in avalanche on Jan Mayen
February 1, 2021
Two of the 18 defense department personnel stationed on the remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen were killed over the weekend by an avalanche while out skiing. A third member of the group managed to dig himself out after two hours under the snow. Prime Minister Erna Solberg, Defense Minister Frank Bakke-Jensen and the chief […]
Arctic oil prevails over ‘The People’
December 22, 2020
Norway’s Supreme Court (Høyesterett) ruled in favour of the state on Tuesday in a long-running landmark case billed as pitting “The People vs Arctic Oil.” In this case, the state was not “The People” but instead the government-approved Arctic oil operations that once again won over Norwegians’ alleged constitutional rights to a healthy environment. It marked […]
Biden welcome, not his Arctic oil ban
December 15, 2020
The vast majority of Norway’s top and mostly liberal politicians welcomed the news this week that Joe Biden finally has been officially elected as the next US president. Most, however, are not at all keen on his proposal to stop oil drilling in the Arctic. Biden has said he intends to make climate issues a […]
Parliament probes flow of oil reports
November 25, 2020
Just as the Center Party is reaching new heights in voter popularity, one of its former oil ministers has landed in more trouble with Parliament. Ola Borten Moe, who now works in the oil business himself, is suspected of withholding information that some Arctic oil fields could turn out to be unprofitable and expensive for […]
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