Arctic - Arctic
Why should you care?
Posted: 22/03/2010
Dines Mikaelsen supports the gun on the bow of the boat gently rocking, loads the chamber and signals to his companions to remain silent. The Inuit hunter has already missed the target a couple of times. The fingers grip the trigger. A loud crack echoed through the icebergs and distance of a football field a seal collapses. Dines
The four companions - visitors - remain amazed. That's what they came to see, but I'm still a bit 'upset. Dines and tourists from which now depends for most of his income does not yet know very well. While other cultures base their livelihood almost exclusively on meat well-cut and wrapped in cellophane, hunting and other traditional forms of livestock are still central elements in Arctic cultures. The culture and landscape of the Arctic, like the little tourist activity of Dines, are influenced by two powerful forces: globalization and climate change. Globalization has led to MTV, the iPod, modern navigation systems and a greater exposure to the outside world. Climate change will transform the landscape of ice, melting glaciers and opening new sea routes. This offers new opportunities. Cruise ships have begun to appear in Tasiilaq, the village of the island of Ammassalik Dines, along the east coast of Greenland windswept. In 2006 came four cruise ships a year after eight. "Five years ago there were not
flies in northern Greenland. There currently are. Here come the flies a month earlier than usual, "says Dines. He is also much hotter. In recent years, summer temperatures in Tasiilaq reached 22 degrees, shattering previous records. What is happening in the Arctic? The Arctic is affected by climate change more than other regions. Over the past fifty years, temperatures have increased more than twice the global average (19). The Catlin Arctic Survey, conducted in spring 2009, analyzed the ice along a route of 280 miles in the Beaufort Sea, located on the northern front of the Arctic. The ice was often six feet (about 1.8 meters) and had an average of one year of age. The oldest ice, thicker and more stable is disappearing. In 2008 the maritime routes crossing the north-west and north-east across the Arctic region are navigable for a short period during the summer for the first time since data collection began. Climate change threatens to destroy the delicate network of Arctic ecosystems, which are already changing rapidly. The Arctic ice cover, in particular, raises serious concerns. The ice and the sea below are home to many life forms, all at risk because of global warming.
Polar bears are starving because the ice closer to the sea, preferred resting place for seals, is too thin to support them. Migratory birds that spend the summer in the Arctic will lose the most abundant flowering of the spring season, because it occurs three weeks in advance, before their arrival. Why should I take care of the Arctic? For many of us the Arctic may seem a very remote in terms of geography and importance. However, the region plays a crucial role in the regulation of the global climate. If changes climate continues at the pace expected, the consequences will be huge for everyone. The north pole and south pole play a key role in climate regulation on Earth, acting as a cooling system. Because of less snow cover, the Earth will absorb more heat from the sun and ocean currents will change. The Arctic Ocean, a mixture of melted fresh water and salt water, affects the ocean currents around the globe. Some scientists believe that the lifting of an excessive amount of ice can actually "break" some sea currents, which are of capital importance for the climate to the south.
The Arctic region is also home to millions of people, many of which belong a popolazioni autoctone uniche. Anche queste popolazioni e le loro culture sono a rischio.
Nuove attività economiche nell’Artico Lo scioglimento della banchisa e dei ghiacciai artici aprirà nuove zone allo sfruttamento da parte degli esseri umani. È probabile che nei prossimi decenni si assisterà all’intensificazione di molte attività economiche nell’Artico. Con il ritiro dei ghiacci, la pesca sarà praticata più a nord; si cominceranno a sfruttare le
riserve di petrolio e soprattutto di gas presenti nell’Artico; il turismo sta già registrando un’espansione; è molto probabile che aumenti anche il traffico marittimo, parallelamente all’esportazione di risorse artiche. Con l’apertura of new shipping routes and thinner ice could reach even the intercontinental transport of goods, but this requires the development of vessels and infrastructure. You can increase the extraction of minerals, timber and other resources. The various nations of the Arctic could begin to compete among themselves for control of resources, land and sea routes. Finding a balance between the potential of a warmer Arctic and the risks involved (such as oil spills and the impacts on the environment) represents a significant challenge, to respond to what you need to change the way in which the Arctic is governed.
Environmental Governance
Elsewhere the environmental challenge the world is represented by the recovery of damaged ecosystems. In the Arctic there is still a chance to defend an environment that, for the most part, is truly unique. The current system of governance in the Arctic is very fragmented. Although there is a wide range of international agreements on the Arctic, such agreements were not designed specifically for the region and their implementation and enforcement is uneven, even among the Arctic states.
In November 2008 the European Commission presented a document which describes the EU's interests in the region and proposes a series of actions for Member States and EU institutions. You the first step towards an integrated European policy for the Arctic. The main objectives of the Union
are: _
protect and preserve the Arctic in concert with its population;
_ promote the sustainable use of resources;
_ contribute to a better multilateral governance in the Arctic.
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