ON THE BRINK
Emily Doyle* explains how climate change is threatening
the future of the Inuit population.
The Inuit people cross the political boundaries of Alaska,
Greenland, Russia and Canada, sharing language, culture and
traditions. On the strength of this, they have not only survived,
but thrived in one of the world's harshest climates. And yet with
climate change they are witnessing the thinning of sea-ice, the
erosion of shorelines and the depletion and extinction of
species.
As poet and politician, President of the Inuit Circumpolar
Council (ICC) Aqqaluk Lynge says: 'Climate change is not just a
theory to us in the Arctic; it is a stark and dangerous reality.
Human-induced climate change is undermining the ecosystem upon
which we depend for our physical and cultural survival. We are on
the front line of globalisation.'
To Aqqaluk this is more than an environmental or economic issue.
Climate change is also a moral decision that affects the rights of
his people. For him, human rights and a healthy environment are
linked fundamentally. Speaking at the British Library as part of a
season of Polar talks, he describes how for generations Inuit have
observed the environment and predicted accurately the weather to
ensure safe hunting on the sea-ice.
The Inuit do not hunt for sport or recreation - they do it to
eat. Already hunters are saying the sea-ice is unpredictable, ice
floes have disappeared, some hunting areas are impossible to get to
because of eroding shorelines, animal migration patterns have
changed and drinking water is contaminated by advancing sea water.
Dealing with climate change has become a question of survival.
Scientific studies suggest that the impact of global climate
change will be most marked in the Arctic and the Inuit will bear a
disproportionate burden. Aqqaluk compares the Arctic to the canary
in the coal mine - what happens there will happen elsewhere. He
says: 'Climate change is a human issue. The Arctic is our home and
homeland. If climate change continues unabated, we will no longer
exist as a people. We are not asking the world to take a backward
economic step, just reduce greenhouse gas emissions. This does not
need big sacrifices, but it will mean changes in people's
attitudes, behaviours and lifestyles. Please think, is that plane
trip really necessary? Is it too much to ask for some moderation
for the sake of my people today, and your people tomorrow?'
The Inuit have encountered and adapted to threats before. Since
the sixteenth-century, commercial whalers, colonisers and
missionaries have coerced, deceived and exploited them. But now
Aqqaluk wants to establish a relationship of respect and
responsibility between his people, the scientists working in the
Arctic and the industrialised West. To do this, he believes that we
need to call upon our souls. 'The Inuit believe that all living
beings have a soul which is compelled to act decisively and knows
right from wrong. Acting now on climate change is the right thing
to do and a response of the highest order is needed.'
In parallel to these moral arguments, the ICC has more pragmatic
responses to the problem. It wishes to keep the military out of the
Arctic, create a polar sanctuary or 'circle of peace', and
establish a specific UN forum that addresses Arctic issues. It also
wants collective talks about who 'owns' the Arctic and to settle
the sovereignty arguments that Russia's flag-planting ignited.
Aqqaluk and the ICC believe that these aims can be accomplished
through effective partnerships that provide the Inuit people with
the opportunity to contribute in a meaningful way. Aqqaluk would
also like to see an examination of how the UN Declaration on the
Rights of Indigenous People might be used to help tackle climate
change.
Aqqaluk concludes: 'Scientists conduct research for their own
purposes and do not view us as equal partners, worthy of
collaboration or dissemination of information. They just drill
their ice cores, take measurements and go. This is not science for
the people. We want scientists to come to Greenland and study,
understand and show some respect for our knowledge, traditions,
culture and rights. We need to develop and implement a climate
change strategy that brings the threat that climate change poses to
Inuit human rights to the attention of decision-makers and the
general public to ensure a sustainable future for all.'
*Emily Doyle is CIWEM's Press and Marketing Officer.
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