I

II

Laboratory: During the past few decades, the Arctic has increasingly become a laboratory for scientific research and cooperation, particularly since the establishment of the Arctic Council in 1996 and during the recent International Polar Year 2007–2008. The science lobby is powerful and persuasive in its dedication to preserving the laboratory conceptualization. Scientific information and knowledge are generally accepted as prerequisites for informed policy and law-making. There are many signs of increasing sensitivity in the science community to the homeland conceptualization of the Arctic, including the value of traditional and local knowledge.

Frontier: Perhaps the broadest and most complex of the conceptualizations is the frontier. Many national, commercial, international, and other interests appear to fall into this category. Conceiving of the Arctic as a ‘frontier’ to be developed and used is not always inconsistent with the other three conceptualizations noted here, but the powerful interests that come under this banner tend to make it predominant. The Frontierists perceive the Arctic as a region with many new opportunities for potential exploitation of important natural resources to feed national and global demands for energy, fresh water, and other renewable and non-renewable resources.

18 PROTECTING ARCTIC BIODIVERSITY

Wilderness: Alternatively, many environmental and conservation organizations, rooted mainly, but not exclusively, in towns and cities outside the Arctic, see the northern circumpolar region and its flora and fauna as ‘wilderness’ to be preserved in parks and protected areas. Proponents of this conceptualization also constitute a very powerful lobby and have occasionally experienced some difficulties reconciling their conceptualization with that of the Homelanders, and especially with that of the Frontierists.

The presence of an Arctic circle distinguishing the southern- most limit of the Arctic has tended to isolate the region even within the Arctic states, setting it aside as an issue that is often viewed apart from mainstream national and international affairs. This tendency can present challenges when it comes to addressing issues such as preservation of Arctic biodiversity. The initial response, perhaps understandably, is to conceive of Arctic-specific or Arctic-centred initiatives to be undertaken within the region; however there is also a rationale to take equally strong measures outside the Arctic in order to preserve biodiversity within the region.