On Thin Ice: International Law and Environmental Protection in a Melting Arctic
Co-Sponsored with NYU Environmental Law Journal
October 22, 2010
The United States is one of eight nations with territory above the Arctic Circle, a distinction that meant relatively little until the last decade. Recently, melting sea ice has thrust these previously unnavigable and commercially inaccessible waters into a series of legal, political, and environmental disputes, which are expected to intensify in the years ahead.
On October 22nd, 2010, NYU’s Journal of International Law and Politics and Environmental Law Journal hosted “On Thin Ice: International Law and Environmental Protection in a Melting Arctic.” This multi-disciplinary conference included leading scientists, legal scholars, and practitioners exploring the current and projected impacts of the melting arctic ice. The symposium considered arctic warming’s impact on the natural environment, legal framework and commercial interests with a focus on sustainable development.
The Journal of International Law and Politics and the Environmental Law Journal published papers resulting from the conference.
Keynote Speaker: Peter Taksoe-Jensen, Danish Ambassador to the United States.