Arctic Passages

This program aired originally on May 12, 2025

While many of us are worrying about how the melting polar ice caps are a warning of climate catastrophes ahead, for others melting ice is turning historical dreams of a navigable Arctic into reality and reshaping rivalries at the top of the world. 

On this episode of Locus Focus we talk with journalist Kieran Mulvaney, author of Arctic Passages: Ice, Exploration, and the Battle for Power at the Top of the World, in which he argues that the history of  centuries old efforts to find a navigation route through the Arctic is critical for understanding today’s geopolitical tensions and how climate change impacts the region.