The Arctic

[To speak out against environmental wrongs] is seen as legitimate, [even in a Russia where Putin has clamped down on dissent]. People are talking about their personal well-being and their local well-being, but also the well-being of Mother Russia. Putin himself has made such overtures, touting the amazing range and richness of Russia's natural wealth and the environment. [And the Far North is integral to Russia's identity and Putin's ambition] to be an Arctic power par excellence.