Greenland: The two sides of climate change

What about the glaciers in Greenland, the Arctic island with rich but unexplored subsoil because of these glaciers? Climate change, which is also evident there, creates new data. Maybe even better days for the residents and the autonomous government. Because glaciers are melting. And here is the dilemma: Should the residents leave the opportunity untapped or should they sacrifice the purity of the rare landscape and move on to a next stage of economic exploitation of the opportunities that will offer them better incomes?

“The first snow only in December”

Anne Sophie Laurichen lives in the city of Ilulisat. It is the third largest settlement in western Greenland with a population of around 5,000 inhabitants. Anne Sophie is waiting for the tourists. But also the dogs that drag the sleighs on the ice are ready for the season. “And my father kept dogs,” he says. “She was always there, right next to our house. “Since we were little children, we used to go and caress them.”

But things are getting worse. Because the time when her parents were making money with dogs is over. The snow is melting. “Normally,” he says, “we start the season in October, but that no longer happens, because the snow starts to fall more and more later. The first one came only in December, it only rained in November. And now the mercury does not exceed minus 4 “Everything is changing here.”

Record temperatures of around 23 degrees were measured last summer when the average for this period is usually around 10 degrees. With implications not only in this area. Because Greenland is considered a cold room for the whole world. But climate change is coming to an end.

The island is divided

Even the “mighty” glaciers and inland ice, up to 3 km thick, are receding. And when they are not, less sunlight is reflected and the temperature rises. A disaster for tour guide Keldt Windcher. “I see a very big change. Due to a pandemic I could not come here for a year and a half. And now this area is unrecognizable, so much has happened! ” But many believe that melting the ice could also be a good opportunity for Greenland to become independent of Denmark’s financial support. In the southern part of the island it is said that there are rare underground treasures, but also radioactive uranium.

But the resistance from the residents is huge and the government did not give permission to operate a mine. But is this the opportunity? A question that divides the whole island. However, apart from the winners, the losers from the global warming will surely be the sled dog drivers, who will now stop offering this traditional tourist product.

Christian Blanker

Edited by: Irini Anastassopoulou

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