Exploring the Evolution and Importance of Polar Law

Greenland has for good reason gotten most of the attention, but what other emerging trends can be seen in US interest and activities towards the Arctic and Antarctic during the current Trump administration? On this episode, Evan Bloom, a former senior diplomat who for over two decades helped shape American polar policies at the State Department, discusses concerns over funding cuts for polar science, proposed US investments in icebreakers, the question of extended continental shelf claims around Alaska, the current state of the Arctic Council, and great power dynamics in Antarctic governace. As a co-editor and contributor to the new Elgar Concise Encyclopedia of Polar Law, he also explains the relevance of international legal regimes in the Arctic and Antarctic.