The Greenland 'Script'

In terms of long-term vision....one has to stand back and view this 'Trump-chatter' and Greenland in a special way.

Size-wise, people fail to grasp this.....but it's about the size of California, Oregon, Nevada, Idaho, Washington, Arizona and Utah combined.  Total population?  A mere 50,000....mostly natives, a few European scientists, and one US military group.

So here's the big insider view.....if the 'thaw' continues....then the ice age for Greenland will end in roughly twenty years (with probably 50-percent of Greenland then being non-glacier).  I'm NOT saying that it's warm or inviting for temperatures....it'll still be a harsh winter environment and much like Alaska from September to March.

What's there in terms of value?  Oil, natural gas, copper, diamonds, gold, neodymium, terbium, uranium, praseodymium, marble, and probably rubies.  People have known this for decades.  For Danes, I doubt if the majority of Danes grasp the approaching conflict with the 'thaw' and scenarios in play.

For the rare-Earth minerals?  This is a big deal and there are various groups in the EU which realize the impact, and the value of area.  Whether the Danes like the idea or not....someone will eventually force the issue up on the EU agenda, and pressure Danish political figures to allow some type of mining to occur.  After that occurs.....the copper and marble crowd will arrive, and somewhere fifty years later....the oil and natural gas crowd will arrive.

The Danes may be sitting and thinking they can preserve it, and keep it 'free'.  But at some point, the 'thaw' will reach a level where a quarter of the land mass is exposed year-round, and some European group will be hyped-up to go and mine for rare-Earth minerals.  The Danes will attempt to fight them off, and some fancy foot-work by the EU will open the door to rare-Earth minerals.  From that point on....every couple of years....another forced acceptance will be put upon Denmark to accept more mining and more exploration of oil or natural gas.

The Danes may be 'pure of heart' but the reality is....if the 'thaw' continues, it'll simply open up a long-term discussion over Greenland.

Selling to the US?  This 150-billion that Trump talks about?  To be honest, Denmark should have countered and said 2.5-trillion dollars, and never stepped down an inch.  Trump's opening pitch was extreme low-ball, and the eventual payoff from the minerals and natural gas would easily exceed trillions.

What could hinder this whole discussion?  The 'thaw' could stop and reverse itself.  A return to harsh winters and the gradual build-up of the glaciers again.  A repeating process?  Go look over what the historians say.....it comes, and goes.  You could go in and develop some mining operation, and in ten brief years...find the conditions changed, and the winters too harsh for mining.

It's a curious discussion and Trump really opened up the door for everyone to think about the implications.  Whether it's the US, or the EU....it'll eventually be mined.  The Danes may seek to protect it to the bitter end, but it's an ending they would NOT be pleased with.