Canada and Denmark using Google as Battleground

TedRiot writes "Canada and Denmark are fighting over Hans Island using Google as battleground. A quick search of 'hans island' revealed a paid advertisement with the banner headline: 'Hans Island is Greenland. Greenland natives have used the island for centuries.' The ad was linked to the Danish government's foreign affairs web page with the letter condemning Graham's visit. Toronto resident Rick Broadhead placed a Google ad and said the Canadian government needs to get with the times." Reuters has coverage as well.

Comments

Some "battleground"...

[daveschroeder]

Searching for "hans island" (both with and without enclosing quotes) returns nothing as described in the summary and articles.

The first hit is an over-2-year-old Maritime Affairs (Canada) articleexplaining why Hans Island is (or should be) Canadian Territory. (Actually an interesting read...)

The second hit is the Wikipedia article.

In fact, the supposed site(s) is nowhere in the first page of hits.

Or the second page.

The news hits refer to Google supposedly having these ads, but that reference is somewhat circular, since I can't find the paid advertisement, banner, or site in question anywhere on Google.

The sponsored (ad) links on the right sidebar include a Web Design ad, and the marginally entertaining:

Hans Island - Dispute
Why Worry about Hans Island When
What you need is an Ergonomic Chair
www.ergo4me.com

A search for "Hans Island is Greenland" returns nothing but...you guessed it, the news articles claiming there's a paid site on Google that says "Hans Island is Greenland." Likewise for "Hans Island is {Canadian|Canada}." Now, I'm not saying the articles are lying (and perhaps Google pulled the ads for some reason), but since this article is exclusively about how the battle for Hans Island is being taken to Google, and is entitled "Politics: Canada and Denmark using Google as Battleground", well, I'd love to see it.

Because I see nothing except someone pimping knockoff ergonomic chairs with eBay-style "searchsquatting".

And, amusingly, as I'm typing this article, I see more paid hits appearing. Google started with one. Then the ergonomic chair ad was added. Now, as I'm about to post, there is a "Hans Island is Canada" link...by vaginainstitute.com, a site apparently dedicated to, erm, researching vaginas.

So there really isn't anything new under the sun?

[ucahg]

As a Canadian, I must admit I've never heard of this debate until now. I find it intriguing, but even more so is the nature of the argument. Now perhaps its just me, but does it not remind you of two siblings fighting over a small toy?

Except on a grander scale.

I don't get it

[WildBeast]

It's an unhabitable island. Can't even get to it during the winter and it's really tiny.
What do they want from it exactly?

Re:I don't get it

[puppetman]

It sets a precedent.

Canada is arguing with the US about the Northwest Passage. The US claims it's international waters, and Canada claims it's within it's boundries, and thus internal waters.

Make a slip in international law once, and it may haunt you for all times. The maritime border between the Yukon and Alaska is under dispute, as is Canada's claim to the continental shelf in the Artic. Canada can't concede here, or it may have to concede elsewhere, when it's more important.

Of course, Canada has no ability to patrol it's northern border. The Canadian Coast Guard is a fine institution stuck with aging ships, few of which have ice-strengthened hulls.

A good description is here

In the spirit of french-fries becoming freedom fries, I ask all fellow Canadians to stop using the word danish for that flakey, overly sweet pastry, and instead use the term freedom-pastry.

It is not the island

[HermanAB]

it is the surrounding waters that are important. If you own a tiny spec of an island, then you can claim 200km or economic sea waters around it. This area may contain oil, manganese nodules, fish, whatever. One example is a tiny little French island in the middle of the Canadian oil fields off the coast of Newfoundland. Canada doesn't want that to happen again. As the sea ice keeps melting, the northern tundra and sea passage becomes more important. Canada has to enforce its authority there.

Re:Not anymore...

[Fireflymantis]

Yeah... Just did another google and it did not show up for me. hmm. Just curious, but is this the first slashdot story covering a google ad? I wonder if there is a precident for google to immediatly take down the ad if suddenly hundreds of thousands geeks start plowing their way into it. :)

Re:As if...

[empaler]

Who else would be so stupid as to vote a guy into office who was dubbed "the butcher from the Golan heights" when he was running against a Nobel Peace Prize winning man?

Re:So there really isn't anything new under the su

[captain_craptacular]

This is actually far more important than siblings fighting over a toy.

For one there is a natural resources issue. There are billions of barrels of oil buried along the north slope of Alaska and Canada not too far from this island.

Second, and possibly more importantly, there is a key territory issue. The polar ice caps are melting and it is predicted that within the next 50 years they will have melted enough to allow circumpolar shipping routes to open through the arctic. The country who controls the waters this route passes through effectively controls the route and will therefore own what will likely be the worlds most important shipping lane. (Europe to west coast USA, and Europe to China/East Asia) The idea here is that this route will pass within the territorial boundary marker of Hans Island. Denmark has far more to lose in this regard, because without Hans Island their westernmost border is Greenland which is nowhere near the upcoming shipping lanes. Canada on the other hand will probably get a piece of the pie either way.

Re:It has to be said:

[Anonymous Coward]

As I proud Canadian, I have to say that comment is absolutely called for.