The oil barons of the world – and the militaries that rely on that oil – are seeing new opportunities in the North Pole as global climate change kicks into high gear. Warming weather is leading to the Northern ice cap melting – uncovering a treasure trove of oil and natural gas reserves. Scientists believe that the Arctic is storing 13% of the world’s untapped oil – and nearly a third of the world’s undiscovered natural gas.

As the ice melts – access to these resources becomes easier and shipping lanes open – so now Northern nations are scrambling to stake out their chunk of Arctic resources as well as running military operating in the area should they have to fight for these resources in the not too distant future. Two months ago – military leaders from the United States, Canada, Russia, Iceland, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, and Finland met to discuss security issues around the Arctic.

But Greenpeace sees what’s happening in the Arctic as a tragedy for the planet. As the organization reported last year, “The terrible irony of it is that instead of seeing the melting of the Arctic ice cap as a spur to action on climate change, the leaders of the Arctic nations are instead investing in military hardware to fight for the oil beneath it. They’re preparing to fight to extract the very fossil fuels that caused the melting in the first place. It’s like putting out fire with petrol."

-Thom

(What do you think should happen to the Arctic? Tell us here.)

Hour Two: Should hospitals ban obese employees?
- Carrie Lukas, Independent Women's Forum

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Monday's Daily Stack

Quote: "Education is our passport to the future, for tomorrow belongs to the people who prepare for it today." -- Malcolm X.

Article: "Ex-GSA head apologizes for $823,000 Las Vegas spending spree" by M. Alex Johnson.

Article: "Karl Rove's Secret $10 Million Donor" by Paul Blumenthal.

Site: "OutFoxed".

Video: "Outfoxed: Fox News technique: "some people say"".

The Big Picture
- Sam Sacks, The Big Picture producer, progressive commentator

Article: "Dream Act" by Wikipedia.

Article: "Poll: Interest In Tea Party Wanes, Particularly Among Women" by Pema Levy.

Article: "6 People You Need to Start a Revolution" by Sara Robinson.

Article: "The voice of today's GOP: Allen West says Democrats are commies" by David Horsey.

Article: "Santorum claims ‘seven or eight’ University of California campuses don’t teach American history" by Eric W. Dolan.

Article: "Mitt Romney Vows to Veto Dream Act if President" by Emily Friedman.

Article: "Marco Rubio's DREAM Act: The new 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell'?" by Elena Shore.

Article: "Joe Walsh: Tammy Duckworth A 'Wounded Veteran -- What Else Has She Done?'".

Book: "No Apology: Believe in America" by Mitt Romney.

Article: "Ann Romney's "Childhood Nanny" Dishes On Privileged Upbringing" by McKay Coppins.

Article: "Romney Book: ‘Nonworking Parents’ Produce ‘Indolent And Unproductive’ Children" by Alex Seitz-Wald.

Article: "Mitt Romney Tells Rich Donors His Secret Plan To Cut Housing Assistance" by Pat Garofalo.

Article: "Twinkies maker Hostess gives unions 'final' offer" by David Koenig.

Article: "Romney, Obama in Tight Race as Gallup Daily Tracking Begins" by Frank Newport.

Article: "Our Men in Iran?" by Seymour M. Hersh.

Article: "Ann Romney calls stay-at-home mom controversy ‘an early birthday gift'" by Holly Bailey.

Hour Two: Why a liberal education is a must...
- Professor John Ellis, CA Association of Scholars (CAS)

Book: "Literature Lost: Social Agendas and the Corruption of the Humanities" by John M. Ellis.

Article: "A Crisis of Competence: The Corrupting Effect of Political Activism in the University of California" by the California Association of Scholars.

Article: "How California's Colleges Indoctrinate Students" by Peter Berkowitz.

Book: "The Complete Idiot's Guide to Social Security and Medicare" by Lita Epstein MBA.

Site: "Bernie Sanders campaign site".

Book: "Agrarian Justice" by Thomas Paine.

Article: "Ann Romney: Being mom was ‘my career choice’" by Katy Jordan.

Article: "Michele Bachmann: 'Women Don't Need Anybody To Tell Them What To Do On Healthcare.'" by Hammerhand.

Book: "The Hornet's Nest: A Novel of the Revolutionary War" by Jimmy Carter.

Event: "Reimagining a Just Economy" by Truthout, Washington D.C., Sunday, May 6 from 5pm.

Talk Radio News Segment:
- Victoria Jones, White House Correspondent

Site: "Goats for the old Goat".

Article: "Buffett Rule Fails Key Test" by Benny Martinez.

Article: "House Republicans set to slash food stamp benefits" by David Rogers.

Article: "Audio: Rep. Virginia Foxx Attacks People With Student Loans" by Michael Allen.

Article: "Romney: Raising children is work. Just not dignified work" by Eric Zorn.

Article: "Fox host to Romney aide: Women job loss claim an ‘accounting trick’" by David Edwards.

Article: "Newt: Guns for all mankind" by Emily Schultheis.

The good: British Columbia Supreme Court Justice Robert Johnston: "B.C. Supreme Court justice strikes down section of medical marijuana law" by Louise Dickson.

The bad: "Audio: Rep. Virginia Foxx Attacks People With Student Loans" by Michael Allen.

The very, very ugly: Miami-Dade Fire Department Captain Brian Beckmann: "Florida fire captain: Trayvon died because of ‘sh*tbag… welfare dependent’ parents" by David Edwards.

The good: "Billionaire Bill Gates Calls For Increasing Taxes On The Rich: ‘That’s Just Justice’" by Tanya Somanader.

Article: "Remarks by Vice President Joe Biden on Tax Fairness at a Campaign Event", April 12, 2012 - Romney Rule.

Article: "Two Santa Clauses or How The Republican Party Has Conned America for Thirty Years" by Thom Hartmann.

Article: "Tea party leader warns Romney: Don’t expect us to campaign for you" by Alex Pappas.

Article: "House Republicans Propose Cutting Consumer Protection Bureau And Foreclosure Prevention" by Pat Garofalo.

Article: "Spain slams Argentina amid escalating oil dispute" by Alan Clendenning.

Article: "9th And 10th Companies Drop ALEC" by Faiz Shakir.