“Economic growth, shipping lanes, access to resources,” Henriksen said. “Vast amounts of oil, gas, timber, minerals, fresh water – everything the growing world will demand more of.”

Nearly 90% of all global trade goes by sea. A polar journey would reduce that trip by one-third, making an ice-free Arctic an attractive potential shipping route. But increased ship traffic through this environmentally sensitive region create nightmare scenarios of uncontrollable oil spills in the long, dark Arctic winter.

Many of these issues are discussed at the eight-nation Arctic Council which includes Norway and the United States. However, a number of speakers emphasized the importance of bilateral relations between Norway and Alaska.

“Norway is an old country, established, mature, diversified,” said Alice Rogoff publisher of the Alaska Dispatch. “When it comes to the Arctic, we are beginners, we are in preschool and you’re all at the college level.”

Alaska is looking for ideas, inspiration, new ways of thinking, Rogoff said. “Alaska has lots to learn from Norway.”

The Arctic has many special challenges, Henriksen said. It’s dark and cold, it has violent storms, not much infrastructure, a sparse population and it’s far from population centres. Its environment is fragile, “as are cultures and livelihoods of Indigenous Peoples.”

Samuel Heins is the U.S. Ambassador to Norway. He said his government wants to see “sustainable, responsible economic development … Development is coming and it must be managed and managed soundly.”

“For Norway most important thing in the Arctic is peace and stability,” said Else Berit Eikeland from the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Eikeland served as the Senior Arctic Official to the Arctic Council for several years and said the success of that body, depends on cooperation.

Nevertheless, she said, there is room for other kinds of discussions. “I formally propose a dialogue between Alaska and Norway.”

With nearly two dozen speakers, it was inevitable there would be a great variety of perspectives brought to the table.

Eirik Sivertsen is with Arbeiderpartiet in the Stortinget (Norwegian Parliament). He’s from northern Norway and he chairs the Standing Committee of the Conference of Arctic Parliamentarians.

“Northerners like Alaskans and Norwegians share similar attitudes and perspectives,” Sivertsen said. “We need to figure out ways to solve energy problems in different parts of the Arctic that are off grid. How could solar be part of the solution – of course not during the dark times of the year – wind, biofuels, etc.?”