I have to say that for me Global Warming has always been just a distant concept. Something that I've heard about in the news but since it never really affected my life in any significant way, I just always brushed it off and carried on with my life.
Visiting Greenland really opened my eyes, I realised that Global Warming does affect many people's lives, their businesses and the way they do things.
Do you know that Greenlandic Dog and the whole dog sledding in Greenland may soon become a thing of the past?
Fishermen used to be able to use their dogs to get to the fishing spots over 5-6 months throughout the year. Now it's 2, maximum 3 because it's simply too warm and there's no ice and snow. Places which used to be frozen and allow the sleds to cross patches of ice are now just a cold water...
There is more to it. Fishermen use between 10-20 dogs, that's a lot of food to go through over the year. 10-20 years ago they were able to feed them with the fish they caught for half of the year, dogs were "earning their living". Now they are just an expense for most of the year, chained up for 10 months because there is just no use for them. Nobody wants to buy them either, since the weather affects all the areas and all the fishermen are in the same situation.
Visiting Greenland really opened my eyes, I realised that Global Warming does affect many people's lives, their businesses and the way they do things.
Do you know that Greenlandic Dog and the whole dog sledding in Greenland may soon become a thing of the past?
Fishermen used to be able to use their dogs to get to the fishing spots over 5-6 months throughout the year. Now it's 2, maximum 3 because it's simply too warm and there's no ice and snow. Places which used to be frozen and allow the sleds to cross patches of ice are now just a cold water...
There is more to it. Fishermen use between 10-20 dogs, that's a lot of food to go through over the year. 10-20 years ago they were able to feed them with the fish they caught for half of the year, dogs were "earning their living". Now they are just an expense for most of the year, chained up for 10 months because there is just no use for them. Nobody wants to buy them either, since the weather affects all the areas and all the fishermen are in the same situation.
It would be a massive shame to lose such an amazing experience, so deeply embodied in the history and culture of Greenlandic people...
