For inhabitants of the arctic, global warming is more than just a scientific debate about a distant threat. It is an everyday reality. The ice is getting thinner and animals that form an integral part of the local diet are moving farther north. The ground once permanently frozen, is beginning to melt, causing major damage to houses and roads.
John Chugiak, an
Environmental campaigner from banks island in the far north of Canada, wants the world to wake up to the problem. “Our traditional lifestyle has already changed due to global warming,” he says, ”and it’s going to change a lot more. My people aren’t going to be able to hunt and fish much longer, and our houses are going to fall down. Soon people will start leaving for the big cities, and our town may even die. Our whole way of life might be lost.”
Global warming occurs when greenhouse gases, such as water vapor and carbon dioxide, accumulate in the atmosphere. These gases prevent heat from escaping into space and, as a result, the planet warms up. If levels of greenhouse gases continue to rise at the current rate, scientists predict that average global temperatures will rise by around 3 C by the end of this century. Such temperatures will almost certainly melt polar icecaps, and the resulting floods might affect major cities like New York and London.