A new ocean is emerging on planet Earth. This ocean was once composed mainly of solid ice, sometimes hundreds of meters thick. During this past summer however, the first known commercial shipment from Asia to Europe took place — via the Arctic (NYTimes). The German cargo vessles Beluga Foresight and Beluga Fraternity are two examples of such a new-found commercial shipping trend. The cargo carriers originally left from South Korea and are departing on their last leg from Siberia.  Such a passage has been the dream of many a mariner, sea-voyager and commerical tradesman, yet the gripping reality of vast open Arctic waters is not the dream of those concerned about climate change. For about a month each summer, Arctic ice recedes to a degree that now allows cargo ships to pass through with ease, unlike in years before where large ice-breaking machinery had to be used. Scientists are concerned that this trend will lead to an economic thirst for greater speed in commerce thus fueling the world’s appetite for rapid growth and development. While growth and development aren’t necessarily evil entities unto themselves, the quantity of demand as developing nations develop and as global population soars is what puts the planet, and the long-term health of the species living on it, in serious jeopardy.