“Hunting is an integral part of the Inuit way of life. In recent years, the number of hunters has been halved. Marine species such as walruses, polar bears, narwhals, and seals are moving away from areas in which they were traditionally hunted, as they respond to pressures in local ecosystems. Polar bears are now being seen around towns and settlements for the first time. Traditional hunters whouse dog sleds now have to travel across land instead of sea ice and to go even further to hunt game. Yet, it is increasingly dangerous to do so with the rising frequency of storms. This is a very real threatto those who live from traditional hunting. Hunting communities are facing increasing uncertainty on all levels of their existence, and their hunters are turning to the growingtourism industry — a side effect ofglobal warming — and other coping strategies to maintain their local subsistence activities and reinforce their own culture.”
A Melting Arctic
The Arctic climate has changed at an alarming rate over the past fifty years. Arctic glaciers and ice streams are narrowing and flowing at a faster rate. The extent of annual average sea ice has greatly diminished, with scientists predicting that sea ice in the Arctic may disappear entirely by the end of the twenty-first century (IPCC 2007). The decrease in the extent and volume of Arctic Sea ice has exceeded previous projections. Today, the ice is melting seven times faster than it was 27 years ago. In 2011, 2012, and 2014, record low sea ice cover was observed, roughly half the size of the normal minimum extent of the 1980s.⁴
DESTRUCTION OF A HABITAT
For thousands of years, people have adapted to the harsh Arctic climate. The expansion of sea ice in winter became a vital means of transportation. Climate change is damaging infrastructure; roads and airports are becoming unstable due to thawing permafrost, and more severe weather events are destroying people’s livelihoods.
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