Inuit way of life challenged by climate change
AUG 07, 2012
DOI: 10.1063/PT.5.026230
Washington Post : Despite federally funded efforts to protect shorelines, many Inuit villages above the Arctic Circle are facing significant challenges caused by warming temperatures. Since the 1970s, the surface area of summer sea ice has shrunk by 40%. The ice loss has reduced the ability of the local villagers to successfully hunt whales and seals and store the collected meat, blubber, skin and bones. The Inuit rely on those traditional sources of food and material because imported goods are expensive: In some areas, such as Kotzebue, a gallon of milk can cost $10. As a result, many villagers have had to move, and entire villages have been forced to relocate.
© 2012 American Institute of Physics
