Obama is expected to say that the government should buy a heavy icebreaker by 2020, when routine Arctic marine transit is expected, instead of the previous goal of 2022. He also will propose to start planning for additional icebreakers. The White House said the move is required for safety in the changing Arctic and to keep up with Russia. The U.S. Coast Guard used to have seven icebreakers, but the fleet has dwindled to three creaky vessels, only one of which is a heavy duty vessel, the White House said. “Russia, on the other hand, has 40 icebreakers and another 11 planned or under construction,” the White House said. During the past year, Obama has taken steps to seal off parts of Alaska from new drilling, but environmental groups have strongly criticized a recent decision to allow Royal Dutch Shell to drill off the northwest coast of the state. […]