seals and cod). This means that the island today is unlikely to have been markedly different when Europeans settled there. Scientists have estimated that the Greenland ice sheetis between 400,000 and 800,000 years old. [18], Although becoming increasingly autonomous, Greenland remains dependent on the Kingdom of Denmark since its colonisation in 1721. "[23] This means that a successful adaptation to changing climatic conditions is attributed to a specific ontology which includes the ability to relate to one's world, making sense of it and reflecting on expectations about it; anticipation. The study combined 26 independent satellite datasets to track global warming's effect on Greenland, one of the largest ice sheets on Earth, and the ice sheet melt's impact on rising sea levels. â “What Happens If The World Warms Up By 2°C?” by Sky News, Click on the right arrow to see [13], In July 2017, Greenland's population was 57,713. It is quite common in Greenland to see glaciers calving before your eyes. Since the middle of the 20th century, the Arctichas been warming at about twice the global rate. [28] Traditional knowledge is important for weather and animal migration, as well as for adaptive capacity building in areas such as the recognition of approaching hazards and survival skills.[29]. Such trends can further lead to the alienation of people from their environment. [15], Greenlandic Inuit as a societal group are academically recognised for their "finely tuned ability to be flexible, to innovate, and to seize opportunities in the environment. While a fully independent government would allow Greenland total autonomy in its decision making and give the country a unique cultural identity, it would also bring on a host of challenges that Greenland has never faced before on the international stage. This guide to climate change in Greenland offers everything you need to know [6] In addition, in 2013 the government decided to lift the ban on the extraction of radioactive minerals such as uranium. [15], Emissions, impacts and responses of Greenland related to climate change. The 2017 Adaptation Actions for a Changing Arctic (AACA) Report covers the Baffin Bay/Davis Strait region which includes the western part of Greenland aiming to offer information "to assist local decision makers and stakeholders [...] in developing adaptation tools and strategies to better deal with climate change [...]. Fishermen report that cod stocks are getting bigger and bigger, and that while Greenlandâs âpink goldâ, cold-water shrimp, is moving further north, new fish species – such as mackerel, herring, cod and Atlantic bluefin tuna – are entering the countryâs waters. This is particularly a problem in rapidly developing countries, such as China and India, who are reluctant to limit their use of fossil fuels as they feel entitled to use them to achieve the level of development that the western world already has. Here you can read more about Greenlandâs political status. The sea around Greenland affects the climate on land. As a result of this reduced opportunity for hunting, some hunters are getting rid of their dog teams as they have become too expensive to feed and maintain. “ICEFJORD | Greenland” – Video by: Benjamin Hardman, “Ilulissat Icefjord: UNESCO Site” – Video by: Visit Greenland, “Ilulissat Icefjord – GREENLAND | 4K Drone Footage” One of the key discussions relating to climate change in Greenland is the effect that it has on the wildlife that calls Greenland home. The ice sheet helps to moderate Earthâs temperatures by reflecting the sunâs energy back into space – this is known as the âalbedo effectâ. It has been able to fight international agreements such as the Paris Agreement because it is currently the victim of global warming, not the perpetrator. Greenland is the world’s largest island, covering 2.2 million square metres and straddling 24 degrees of latitude. Centre for Foreign Policy & Federation. Rising temperatures are favourable to many national industries, including mining, fishing, agriculture, tourism and shipping. [21] Before recent years, the Tunumiit would equate lack of ecological resources to a paucity of collective human respect. View additional years by clicking the dates in the legend. Natuk Lund Olsen, a senior Greenlandic official, explains that âA father canât share his traditional knowledge on hunting with his son anymore because so many things are changing. [21], Widely discussed in academic literature since the 1980s, traditional ecological knowledge cumulatively consists of knowledge, practices and beliefs about the interaction of living beings and their environment. Further south in Greenland, there have been reports that polar bears are thinner and are seen more frequently near villages, scavenging for food. Greenlandic is a polysynthetic language that allows the creation of long words by stringing together roots and suffixes. “Glaciers lost in time” – Video by: Nature Video. [1] Since the middle of the 20th century, the Arctic has been warming at about twice the global rate. Cruise ships have even begun to sail the Northwest Passage. Since 2009, Greenland has had self-rule, which means that it is free to declare full independence from Denmark (as long as this is approved by a referendum). [21] Many traditional hunters are shifting towards the tourism sector because they can no longer provide for their families through traditional forms of hunting. Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Programme (AMAP), Oslo, Norway. Behind Greenland's largest travel site is the Visit Greenland that is 100% owned by the Government of Greenland, who is responsible for marketing the country's adventures and opportunities for guests wishing to visit the world's largest island. “GoPro: Climate Change and the Optimistic Future” – Video by: GoPro, Greenlanders in general look less gloomily on change than perhaps other parts of the world. In May 2008, the Extreme Ice Survey filmed the largest glacier calving event ever captured on film at Ilulissat Glacier. by EarthObservatory.nasa.gov, â “2018 melt season halftime assessment” The aim of the centre is to study the impact of climate change on Greenland and the Arctic and the consequences for nature and society. He canât tell him anymore what it means, how the skies look on a given day… The weather has become so unpredictable; one goes out to hunt in nice weather in the morning, but in the afternoon there is a storm.â. by The Voice of America. The relationship between climate change and polar bears is complex and not easily analysed. However, there is still a long way to go on the agricultural front. Satellite measurements taken since 1979 have … As well as potentially influencing language, as mentioned above, it is inevitable that this will have some kind of effect more generally on Greenlandic culture and lifestyle. Peter Essick/Aurora Creative/Getty Images It's a … ISBN 978-1-13-884515-2. – Video by: Andre Skinner. This is based on predictions of exponential warming leading to severe and sudden lack of food sources, the restriction of trade, economic collapse, mass displacement of peoples and eventually war. “Greenland Ice Sheet Changing” – Video by: SpaceRip. According to the European Environmental Agency "the cumulative ice loss from Greenland from 1992 to 2015 was 3 600 Gt (Gigatonnes) and contributed to global sea level rise by approximately 10 mm. [15] It is for this reason or rather the desire to phase out Denmark's financial support entirely that the Home Rule Government strongly supports and even promotes arising opportunities in the extraction industry. [12] The areas impacted most in Greenland are those with the highest population density. This would create job opportunities for Greenlandâs youth, many of whom struggle with unemployment and lack of education. Climate change has made it increasingly difficult for Greenlanders to perform traditional cultural practices, such as dogsledding. Suggested measures are structural/physical, social as well as institutional. Contribution of Working Groups I, II and III to the Fifth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change [Core Writing Team, R.K. Pachauri and L.A. Meyer (eds.)]. [9] Consequently, its melting has a significant impact on a global scale. by Polar Bears International, â “Climate change threatens the existence of Arctic musk oxen” [3] In addition, the Council's Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Programme (AMAP) has published a series of reports one of which looks at adaptation in particular. (eds.) Learn about other relationships between wildlife and climate change in Greenland below. âPeople used to go hunting for weeks on the sea ice. [15] Historically, the movement of people and the accompanying change of social conditions is nothing unusual for Greenlanders. “CHASING ICE” captures largest glacier calving ever filmed – Video by: Exposure Labs. East Greenland Ice Core Project (EastGrip). However, if the future of Greenland becomes mining, the country could face pressure from environmental activists, governments, and its own citizens to regulate the industry. “What Happens If The World Warms Up By 5°C?”, â “What Happens If The World Warms Up By 5°C?” by Sky News, Click on the right, upper arrow to see by WWF Global, â “What About the Ringed Seals as the Arctic Climate Warms?” Other timeline projections are less dramatic, and place most significant events at the end of this century, or suggest that it is too early to discuss possible global crises. Check out this video by the people at the IceWatch project, which visualises how ice loss from the Greenland ice sheet affects global sea levels. The country would, therefore, become a more and more significant contributor to global warming. Sea ice gives polar bears a deep-water platform from which to hunt seals. by Voa News, â “Impact of climate change on whales” In 2016, the the Crystal Serenity made history by passing through the Northwest Passage with more than 1,000 people on board. Read more about Greenlandic independence and its link to climate change: Although climate change is commonly considered a phenomenon that affects the natural world, Greenlanders consider nature and culture to be inseparable, and so there are many cultural impacts of climate change that need to be considered. Since the middle of the 20th century, the Arctic has been warming at about twice the global rate. “Shipping in the Arctic’s Northwest Passage” – Video by: asmithproduction. [2][3] Rising temperatures put increasing pressure on certain plant and tree species[4] and contribute to Greenland's melting ice sheet. promoting dry and sunny weather that enhanced the surface melt thanks to the melt-albedo feedback, This proclaims the Arctic states' responsibility to protect the ecosystem of the Arctic Ocean. “Inuit traditions – Seal hunting in Greenland on dog sleds” In the near future, it is possible that Greenland will see significant immigration in the form of an influx of foreign labour to work in the mines. IPCC (2014): Climate Change 2014: Synthesis Report. One of the key discussions relating to climate change in Greenland is the effect that it has on the wildlife that calls Greenland home. You can see the distribution data that is available on the WWF website. Sea ice extent is derived from sea ice concentration. In Greenlandic the term 'anticipation' is divided into two meanings which are primarily used by subsistence hunters and fishermen: neriguaa ("to hope for, or to be hopeful of something") and aarleraa ("to be fearful, especially of bad weather"). It is Greenland’s single largest contributor to global sea level rise. Zoom in to any area on the chart by clicking and dragging your mouse. And of course the way we think, the way we act, will be lost. Greenland is losing ice seven times faster than it was in the 1990s. Find out how and why glaciers move by downloading this infographic, which explains the significance of glaciers to climate change. Climate proxies can be obtained fromsources, such as tree rings, ice cores, fossil … ways to prepare and adjust under changing vulnerabilities become important. And due to the ice sheetâs positioning in the North Atlantic, its meltwater tempers ocean circulation patterns. This means that it self-governs in most areas, but also receives an annual financial contribution from Denmark. What happens If The World Warms Up By 3°C? Climate change in Greenland is affecting the livelihood of the Greenlandic population. Adaptation Actions for a Changing Arctic (AACA) - Baffin Bay / Davis Strait Region Overview report. Itâs too far away from the glacier front to see it calve, but you can easily spend hours by the icefjord, transfixed by the many different shapes and sizes of icebergs floating into the ocean. Find out which different species rely on Greenlandâs climate to survive. What happens If The World Warms Up By 4°C? However, Søren Hald Møller, permanent secretary for Greenlandâs prime minister, explains that it is not that simple for a society to take up new occupations. However, with Arctic air temperatures currently rising at twice the global average rate, the ice sheet is critical to conversations of climate change. âWe know that climate change also creates new opportunities, for example in new pelagic [cod, herring, mackerel] fisheries. There has been a general change from seal hunting to fishing. Katti Frederikson, the head of Greenlandâs language secretariat, explains that, âIf we lose our language, lots of stories will be lost, and lots of the traditional knowledge about nature, climate, medicine, and landscape. Climate Change Adaptation is defined as "being prepared for the challenges caused by the climate changes and about relating to possibilities as well as challenges. These events are largely contingent on how quickly the poles melt, and so the work done by scientists in the Arctic and Antarctic regions is incredibly useful. Paddle in a kayak and witness the overwhelming beauty of icebergs coming from the Ilulissat Icefiord. mineral extraction), This page was last edited on 16 March 2021, at 01:02. Up here, it has been reported that polar bears on the whole continue to look healthy. Lackenbauer, W., Nicol, H. & Greaves, W. 2015. [15], Because of climate change, the Tunumiit Inuit, who reside in east Greenland, are seeing changes to their food systems and cultural interpretations as well. Additionally, as the effects of climate change increasingly become apparent across the world, travelers are beginning to see Greenland as a âlast frontierâ, and its landscape as somewhere that has an expiration date on it. October 19, 2020 This movie shows the evolution of several regions of the Greenland Ice Sheet between 2008 and 2300 based on three different climate scenarios. This work highlights a period in Greenland's ice sheet which began about 130,000 years ago and lasted about 10,000 years; a period known as the Eemian. One of the most visible ways to monitor climate change in the Arctic is by looking at the extent of sea ice. the recognition of approaching hazards and survival skills. It gained further rights in 2009, which moved Greenland towards self-rule. Diversification of Greenlandâs economy is identified as a key factor in developing an economy which can stand on its own two feet. 90.00£", http://naalakkersuisut.gl/~/media/Nanoq/Files/Publications/Raastof/ENG/Greenland%20oil%20and%20mineral%20strategy%202014-2018_ENG.pdf, "Anticipation, climate change, and movement in Greenland", "Life cycle assessment of aluminium production in a new Alcoa smelter in Greenland", "Inuit perceptions of climate change in East Greenland", "Speech by Minister for Finance, Mineral Resources and Foreign Affairs Mr. Vittus Qujaukitsoq", "New Greenland Climate Research Center | Pinngortitaleriffik - Grønlands Naturinstitut", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Climate_change_in_Greenland&oldid=1012370843, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, Non-living resources (e.g. The mining opportunities mentioned in Chapter 5 have triggered interest from outside investors, including oil exploration, precious metal and uranium mining companies. The Arctic Council and Circumpolar Governance. Statistics show how tourism to Greenland has been increasing over recent years. "[10] The anticipated warming of the oceans and resulting sea level rise[11] result in coastal erosion, melting of permafrost and decreased sea ice thickness. The opportunities brought by climate change may finally give Greenland full independence from Denmark, Greenland’s former colonial master. In an attempt to spread awareness of climate change, conceptual artist Patricia Carr Morgan has published a series of images that depicts ice … For example, isersarneq communicates something like: âThis is a wind in the fjord that comes in from the sea, and it can be hard to get home, but once you get out of the fjord, itâs nice weather.â Recently, however, as the winds change and become unpredictable, these terms are disappearing. The centre received a grant of DKK 35 million by the Danish Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation. IPCC, Geneva, Switzerland, pp. In the long-term, other developments, such as the effects of demographic, social and economic change must be considered when determining how climate change will affect the population (vulnerability-centered). This leads to worries about the starvation of polar bears and about bears venturing closer to towns in search of food. Since Greenland as a country has the lowest population density in the world, with a population of only just over 56,000 on the worldâs largest island, it is a possibility that if migration occurs on a large scale, the local population could become marginalised. So how did Greenland … Greenlandâs ice sheet is more than 100,000 years old and up to two miles thick, making up roughly 8% of all of Earthâs fresh water. This report, by the government of Greenland, gives more detail about the distribution of polar bears in Greenland and their vulnerability and conservation. [21] This cultural tradition no longer carries the same weight because the Tunumiit believe they are losing agency in controlling the unpredictable weather. [15] The process of knowledge transfer between generations for building resilience is also important to address as it is weakened by trends of urbanisation and alternative livelihoods. For many of us itâs something that we simply see in the news, with environmental conditions setting new records in faraway nations: âthe warmestâ, âthe wettestâ, âthe driestâ. Although Greenland gained … 117-130, 2015 United Nations Climate Change Conference, Danish Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation, Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Programme, "Greenland | History, Geography, & Culture", "The Threats of Climate Change and Global Warming", "As Greenland Melts, Where's the Water Going? London & New York: Routledge. about how Greenland is living with climate change today, and where it might lead the country in the future. Although this route has now been cancelled, it seems possible that formerly frozen areas such as this will become regular cruising routes in the future. As the extent of sea ice decreases due to climate change, bears have had to adjust their habitat use. Scientists study the amount of sea ice forming and melting every year as an indicator of the condition of the climate. “NASA: Arctic Sea Ice 1979-2012” – Video by: Extreme Ice Survey. Our previous knowledge of Greenland’s historic climate has come from samples taken from the ice sheet that covers the island. In the more distant future, there is speculation that those displaced from low-lying cities by sea level rise will flock to Greenland. This is the second largest of only two great ice sheets on the earth – the largest being on Antarctica. As temperatures warm in Greenland and summer temperatures are reported in the 20s, the country becomes a lot more enticing for tourists who are sometimes put off by the Arctic climate. Uranium was discovered in the 1950s in Kvanefjeld, just outside of Narsaq. It is very difficult to track numbers of polar bears in Greenland and there are conflicting reports claiming both increases and decreases of polar bear numbers in Arctic areas. Follow the links below to discover the best ways to see this amazing process for yourself. “What Happens If The World Warms Up By 4°C?”, â “What Happens If The World Warms Up By 4°C?” by Sky News, Click on the right, upper arrow to see Greenland is located along the Northwest Passage and would therefore benefit from the route being established as a regular trading route. The iceberg that sank the Titanic probably originated here. As fjords that were previously frozen gradually become ice-free, more destinations in Greenland become available to cruise passengers, and more towns can benefit from the economic input of tourists. Climate change is a very complicated phenomenon, and increasingly affects every aspect of our society and our natural world. Scientists investigating how temperatures have changed prior to the invention of thermometers need to rely on a variety of climate “proxies”, which are correlated with temperature and can be used to infer, with some uncertainties, how it has changed in the past. "[15] Following extensive stakeholder dialogues, the report identified seven themes of local adaptation: The report concludes that it is crucial to consider the cumulative and cascading effects of change in order to build adaptive capacities. Greenland is in transition, in terms of biophysical as well as cultural and social conditions. “What Happens If The World Warms Up By 2°C?”. They would go so far out they couldnât see any land. The calving event lasted for 75 minutes and the glacier retreated a full mile across a calving face three miles wide. This has attracted interest from local and foreign investors for potential resource extraction. A major point of discussion is the Northwest Passage, which is a sea route connecting the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. [5].mw-parser-output .tmulti .thumbinner{display:flex;flex-direction:column}.mw-parser-output .tmulti .trow{display:flex;flex-direction:row;clear:left;flex-wrap:wrap;width:100%;box-sizing:border-box}.mw-parser-output .tmulti .tsingle{margin:1px;float:left}.mw-parser-output .tmulti .theader{clear:both;font-weight:bold;text-align:center;align-self:center;background-color:transparent;width:100%}.mw-parser-output .tmulti .thumbcaption{background-color:transparent}.mw-parser-output .tmulti .text-align-left{text-align:left}.mw-parser-output .tmulti .text-align-right{text-align:right}.mw-parser-output .tmulti .text-align-center{text-align:center}@media all and (max-width:720px){.mw-parser-output .tmulti .thumbinner{width:100%!important;box-sizing:border-box;max-width:none!important;align-items:center}.mw-parser-output .tmulti .trow{justify-content:center}.mw-parser-output .tmulti .tsingle{float:none!important;max-width:100%!important;box-sizing:border-box;text-align:center}.mw-parser-output .tmulti .tsingle .thumbcaption{text-align:left}.mw-parser-output .tmulti .trow>.thumbcaption{text-align:center}}, Due to its geographical location and global climatic patterns such as the North Atlantic Oscillation and volcanic activity,[7] Greenland is exposed to high levels of fluctuations in the natural environment.