As the Earth sets new record highs in temperature almost every year, the Arctic could begin experiencing ice free summers as early at 2013. With a new ocean opening up, the Arctic's future is unclear. In addition to the opening sea lines of communication, many fear that an ice free Arctic will lead to a resource race for the oil, natural gas, and minerals that the Arctic is expected to hold. Of the eight Arctic nations, only the U.S. remains non-party to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. Becoming a party to the convention would provide the framework necessary for the U.S. to establish its Arctic sovereignty with legal certainty and create a sustainable national Arctic policy.