Greenland’s dog sled champion says Trump isn’t the territory’s only threat
Greenland’s thousand-year-old tradition at risk due to climate change
- Dog sled traditions in northern Greenland are severely threatened as climate change causes unprecedented melting of ice and snow, endangering a thousand-year-old Inuit practice.
- Jørgen Kristensen, a five-time Greenlandic dog sled champion, notes that Ilulissat now experiences above-freezing temperatures in January, a stark contrast to historical norms, forcing him to adapt practices like collecting snow for his dogs.
- The rising temperatures are causing permafrost to melt and the Sermeq Kujalleq glacier to retreat rapidly, significantly contributing to global sea level rise and potentially revealing critical mineral deposits.
- The disappearance of sea ice, which traditionally served as 'big bridges' for hunting and connecting Inuit communities, poses a profound threat to Greenlandic culture and makes traditional activities more dangerous.
- The Arctic is warming three to four times faster than the global average, with pollution accelerating ice melt; many Greenlanders believe this potential for minerals influenced U.S. President Donald Trump's interest in the island.
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