Argentina raised the prospect of posting military forces in the Antarctic region yesterday, with the announcement of plans to use troops to defend its interests.
President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner told defence chiefs that Argentina must be prepared to assert its sovereignty and protect its natural resources, as nations compete to claim areas of the region [...]

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If China were to follow the U.S. in individual demand on natural resources, it would need the available capacity of the entire planet, the report issued by WWF in Beijing said.
China uses 15 percent of the world’s total biological capacity—resources such as water, land and timber, the report said.
“In the next 10 to 20 years, [...]

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Coastal Nations Grab for Ocean Floor Riches
Vast quantities of resources may be hiding beneath the ocean floor. But who owns it? Countries on the coasts are laying claim to ever larger chunks of seawater. But many of the claims are disputed. By SPIEGEL Staff more…

Photo Gallery: The World’s Last Gold Mines
Black Gold under the Ice: [...]

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Since the late 1990s, there has been a flood of research on natural resources and civil war. This article reviews 14 recent cross-national econometric studies, and many qualitative studies, that cast light on the relationship between natural resources and civil war. It suggests that collectively they imply four underlying regularities: first, oil increases the likelihood [...]

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Skyrocketing Oil Prices Threaten Prosperity
With oil prices breaking all records, the next shock for consumers is already at hand with electricity and natural gas prices set to skyrocket. While experts fear for the economy, the crisis is driving a wedge between the partners in Germany’s coalition government. By SPIEGEL Staff more…

Black Gold under the Ice: [...]

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Why nations are suddenly locked in an arms race unseen since the early days of the Cold War
But the exercise highlighted an alarming new reality. With much less fanfare than the early days of the Cold War, the world is entering a new arms race, and with it, a dangerous new web of military relationships. [...]

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