The Arctic is melting fast； A Rare Arctic Land Sale Stirs Concerns

Arnstein Martin Skaare, left, and Ole Einar Gjerde, in Longyearbyen, Norway, where, across the fjord, a large tract of land is for sale.CreditKyrre Lien for The New York Times

A Rare Arctic Land Sale Stirs Concerns

By ANDREW HIGGINS

A Chinese businessman with deep pockets is looking to buy land in Norway, creating a frenzy of speculation about moves by China to gain a permanent foothold in the Arctic.

The Arctic is melting fast, and Earth’s northernmost sea is stirring. For living things, this should be excellent news. More open water means more light, which means more photosynthesis. Yet this isn't the whole story. Whether the Arctic Ocean’s awakening is for good, or ill, or both, one thing is for certain: it is unstoppable. That makes understanding it, and anticipating its effects, essentialhttp://econ.st/1zZ0r0q