Canada's ice-choked Northwest Passage is thawing, thanks to global warming. Canada's Arctic has long held the promise of a faster, cheaper route for cargo ships travelling from Asia to markets in Europe and North America. From almost the earliest discovery of North America, a Northwest Passage was the stuff of dreams, luring dozens of explorers to Canada's frozen north. But, as Stan Rogers points out in his poignant song, they largely failed. The route exists, but it is so choked with ice as to be impassable for commercial shipping. But that may be changing. Speculation is that global warming will melt the Arctic icepack sufficiently that the Northwest Passage may become a viable route for cargo ships.
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