Global warming has an upside. Who'da Thunk it.

Apparently Global warming is a good thing. I am suprised that some some scientists would suggest it is a "Good Thing™". The logic goes like this. One, It will be easier for offshore oil and gas exploarations, and two, will open up arctic shipping lanes that will be benificial to the Russians. From Reuters:

By Alister Doyle, Environment Correspondent

REYKJAVIK, Nov 12 (Reuters) - An accelerating thaw of the Arctic may open vast regions for oil and gas exploration but that brings worries of spills in the fragile environment, experts said on Thursday.

Scientists behind an-eight nation report saying the Arctic sea ice could almost vanish in summer by 2100 because of global warming said offshore oil and gas operations would be easier but melting permafrost could destabilise installations on land.

But oil companies are unconvinced.

"We can't say for sure whether Arctic operations will become easier or more difficult," said Mark Akhurst, climate change manager for BP, an observer at a scientists' conference in Reykjavik reviewing the Arctic report released on Monday.

"One of the big issues is ... great chunks of ice shifting around," he said. "If warming creates areas where ice is far less stable then it's much more difficult to engineer."

Oil and gas is already produced around the Arctic from Alaska to Norway. Big new projects include Russia's Shtokman natural gas field in the Barents Sea, one of the world's biggest with an estimated 3.3 trillion cubic metres of gas.

"As ice recedes, resources like oil and gas will generally be easier to reach," said Arne Instanes, a Norwegian scientist who wrote a chapter of the report on infrastructure in the region.

Many environmentalists are opposed to exploration for new fossil fuels in the Arctic -- saying the burning of oil, gas and coal is already responsible for heat-trapping gases like carbon dioxide that are warming the planet.

Only a matter of time before the administration runs with this.