From BBC, August 26

Shipping route

The melting sea ice has also opened up new shipping routes. Russia is now advertising the Northern Sea Route, which cuts the journey time from China to Europe by up to two weeks.

“You save time and you save fuel. It is much more economical,” said Alexander Olshevsky, head of the Northern Sea Route Administration. “Though you will need to pay for a nuclear-powered icebreaker, and of course you will need a boat that can deal with these conditions.”

But again, opening up the Northern Sea Route could disrupt the fragile ecosystem. More than 400 ships will make the journey this year – yet in 2010 it was only four.

via BBC News – Russia’s Arctic: Mission to protect wildlife.

And some people are still questioning that our Planet is heating up. 100 times more ships North of Russia in just three years!