A rare earth mining project in Greenland has reignited dreams of the autonomous arctic territory’s full independence from Denmark, but environmentalists fear that large-scale mining could harm the remote island’s pristine landscape.
The planned project has also wreaked political havoc.
On Tuesday, Greenland’s parliament voted in favor of new elections at an as-yet undecided date in the spring, after a junior party quit the coalition government over disagreement about the mine.
Photo: AP
Greenland, which obtained ownership of its mineral reserves when it gained self-rule in 2009, has long harbored hopes that the riches believed to be buried in the ground would help it cut its financial umbilical cord to Copenhagen.
Nuuk relies on annual Danish subsidies of about 526 million euros (US$638 million), or about one-third of its national budget.
The proposed mine in Kuannersuit, or Kvanefjeld in Danish, on the island’s southern edge could yield a massive windfall that would supplement its main industry, fishing.
However, all that glitters is not gold, opponents of the project say, concerned that the mine could harm the environment.
Attracted by the island’s natural resources and geopolitical relevance, then-US president Donald Trump in 2019 offered to buy Greenland — a bid rebuffed by Denmark as “absurd” — while China is investing in projects in the territory.
In 2010, Greenland Minerals, an Australian company backed by Chinese group Shenghe, obtained an exploration license for the Kuannersuit deposit.
The vein is considered one of the world’s richest in uranium and rare earth minerals — a group of 17 metals used as components in high-tech devices such as smartphones, flat-screen displays, electric vehicles and weapons.
Environmentalists worry about the impact of large-scale mining, especially radioactive waste that would be generated by the mine.
After three successive refusals, Greenland Minerals’ environmental protection plan was approved in September last year, paving the way for public hearings required before a license can be issued.
The hearings began early this month and are due to last until June, but controversy erupted from the start when some local government ministers received death threats and did not attend.
Police have not disclosed any details about which ministers were targeted, nor by whom.
Just a few days later, the Greenlandic government lost its majority in parliament after the Demokraatit party quit the coalition, frustrated by indecision on the issue from the largest party, social democratic Siumut.
“The mine issue was the last straw,” University of Nuuk political scientist Maria Ackren told reporters by telephone from the Greenlandic capital.
Siumut was initially in favor of the project, but has adopted a more reserved line since November last year, when Erik Jensen was elected as the party’s leader, replacing Kim Kielsen, who remains the head of the Greenlandic government.
“We are at a pivotal moment with a new generation at the head of Siumut and the Kvanefjeld project is creating tension,” said Mikaa Mered, a professor of geopolitics at the Paris Institute of Political Studies.
Denmark, which maintains control over currency, foreign relations and defense policy, supports Greenland’s quest for full independence and has not commented on the debate wracking the territory.
Torben Andersen, a professor of economics at the University of Aarhus, said that the mining project alone would not be enough to make Greenland financially self-sufficient.
“Economic development requires a broader base, and mining and tourism are the potential pillars in such a process,” said Andersen, who also chairs Greenland’s Economic Council.
Yet those two industries could prove to be a tricky combination.
Mining projects could damage Greenland’s reputation as a tourist destination, “especially if tourism is targeting customers with a strong preference for ‘nature,’” he said.
However, there is “no realistic scenario which does not involve mining activities” if Greenland is to have a solid financial income, Andersen said.
“Smaller projects may be easier” to combine with tourism, he said.
A possible change of government could delay a final decision on Kuannersuit — and potentially bury it.
Opposition party Inuit Ataqatigiit, which is opposed to the mining project, is leading public opinion polls, while 141 non-governmental organizations have called on Greenland’s government, Denmark and the EU to declare a moratorium on large-scale mining, and oil and gas drilling in Greenland in favor of creating an arctic sanctuary.
Republican US lawmakers on Friday criticized US President Joe Biden’s administration after sanctioned Chinese telecoms equipment giant Huawei unveiled a laptop this week powered by an Intel artificial intelligence (AI) chip. The US placed Huawei on a trade restriction list in 2019 for contravening Iran sanctions, part of a broader effort to hobble Beijing’s technological advances. Placement on the list means the company’s suppliers have to seek a special, difficult-to-obtain license before shipping to it. One such license, issued by then-US president Donald Trump’s administration, has allowed Intel to ship central processors to Huawei for use in laptops since 2020. China hardliners
A top Vietnamese property tycoon was on Thursday sentenced to death in one of the biggest corruption cases in history, with an estimated US$27 billion in damages. A panel of three hand-picked jurors and two judges rejected all defense arguments by Truong My Lan, chair of major developer Van Thinh Phat, who was found guilty of swindling cash from Saigon Commercial Bank (SCB) over a decade. “The defendant’s actions ... eroded people’s trust in the leadership of the [Communist] Party and state,” read the verdict at the trial in Ho Chi Minh City. After the five-week trial, 85 others were also sentenced on
‘DELUSIONAL’: Targeting the families of Hamas’ leaders would not push the group to change its position or to give up its demands for Palestinians, Ismail Haniyeh said Israeli aircraft on Wednesday killed three sons of Hamas’ top political leader in the Gaza Strip, striking high-stakes targets at a time when Israel is holding delicate ceasefire negotiations with the militant group. Hamas said four of the leader’s grandchildren were also killed. Ismail Haniyeh’s sons are among the highest-profile figures to be killed in the war so far. Israel said they were Hamas operatives, and Haniyeh accused Israel of acting in “the spirit of revenge and murder.” The deaths threatened to strain the internationally mediated ceasefire talks, which appeared to gain steam in recent days even as the sides remain far
RAMPAGE: A Palestinian man was left dead after dozens of Israeli settlers searching for a missing 14-year-old boy stormed a village in the Israeli-occupied West Bank US President Joe Biden on Friday said he expected Iran to attack Israel “sooner, rather than later” and warned Tehran not to proceed. Asked by reporters about his message to Iran, Biden simply said: “Don’t,” underscoring Washington’s commitment to defend Israel. “We are devoted to the defense of Israel. We will support Israel. We will help defend Israel and Iran will not succeed,” he said. Biden said he would not divulge secure information, but said his expectation was that an attack could come “sooner, rather than later.” Israel braced on Friday for an attack by Iran or its proxies as warnings grew of