Abstract
This article examines the process through which the Aluminium Company of Canada (Alcan) obtained information regarding the Greenlandic cryolite industry during World War 2 in order to explore the ways in which distance affects the circulation of environmental knowledge for resource extraction in times of crisis. It argues that the war forced Alcan to radically alter its means of acquiring information about the Greenlandic operations. The information eventually acquired about the nature of the cryolite mine revealed the environmental and logistical challenges of doing business in the Arctic, and encouraged the company to seek synthetic alternatives to the scarce natural resource it obtained from the region.
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have