US, Russia, others to cooperate on Arctic rescues  — The United
States, Russia and other nations agreed Thursday to coordinate
Arctic search-and-rescue missions, a small step toward
international cooperation in a fast-changing frontier threatened
by looming fights over resources and military dominion.  U.S.
Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said the agreement
among the eight-nation Arctic Council highlights the growing
importance of the Arctic, where climate change is creating new
shipping routes, fishing grounds and oil and gas drilling
opportunities. Russia, which has laid disputed claim to much
Arctic territory, participated in the very limited agreement to
help stranded fishermen and the like.  A warming planet could
open up vast amounts of wealth to be exploited, but dramatically
alter life as we know it. Over the coming decades, rising sea
levels are expected to change coastlines and inundate small
islands, while altering the habitats of plants and wildlife.
Low-lying areas from Bangladesh to Fl