Student: Charlotte Copp
Graduation date: May 2018
Type: Concentration (single major)
Date approved: November 2015
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Summary
Ice sheets are melting, permafrost is thawing, and glaciers are retreating at a high rate due to Anthropogenic effects in the past 60 years (Pachauri 2014). The less surface area from ice sheets and glaciers reflecting the sun’s rays means the more heat that is to be absorbed into the ocean. The cryosphere: ice sheets, polar and alpine glaciers, snow cover, and even permafrost has experienced many normal fluctuations in melting rate due to temperature rise, but by adding human activity to the increase in carbon emissions, it has contributed to an unexpected warmth of the polar environments and continental regions (Overpeck 1997). The Arctic temperature has risen twice that of the global average in the past 100 years (Alley 2007). If humans continue to heat the earth at the current rate or at an increased rate, it is predicted that all Arctic ice will have melted by the end of the 21st century. Different types of communities worldwide are changing their lives in order to adapt to the changing weather. The cultures of indigenous peoples, living off of the Arctic glaciers and off of Alpine glaciers, are being threatened. While developed countries and cities have access to new resources to adjust to climate change, these technologies either cannot reach indigenous town or there is a fear that these technologies will take away from traditions and knowledge that has been passed down for many generations. Can all people benefit from the decline of global warming? Or are some communities taking advantage of the new opportunities a warming climate is offering them?
Developed countries like Iceland have the resources to create great technology to reduce carbon emissions. Their use of geothermal and hydropower make up 50% of the total energy that is derived in Iceland. Melting of glaciers could be looked at in a positive light as the more water draining from the ice, the more water to source Iceland’s hydropower. Though, climate change is causing this innovative country different problems. The warming ocean temperatures due to the albedo effect are driving away many species of fish from the surrounding seas of Iceland. Fish is Iceland’s main export and employs over 9,000 people making up just over 5% of Iceland’s workforce and makes up 25% of Iceland’s GDP both directly and indirectly (Karadottir 2012). A decline in the fishing industry would be traumatic for Iceland. Would the country be able to recover and find a new source of exports if this decline were to happen? Could oil be a sustainable export for Iceland as the oceans become more clear of ice? As the glaciers begin to melt, more land will open up for agricultural uses. Is agriculture a viable option for Iceland?
Like many indigenous people, the Inuit culture and people are a consequence of their environment. The tools they use, the knowledge they pass down, and their techniques have enabled them to survive in the brutal Arctic Circle for generations. The ice is the foundation of Inuit culture. The Inuit in Northern Canada are reacting to the melting Arctic in a very different way than the inuit villages in Greenland (Crate and Nuttall 2009). Canadian Inuit are looking at themselves as the victims of climate change, while the Inuit in Greenland are taking advantage of the melting ice sheets as younger people have more job options. The open waters around Greenland also creates ports for ships and opportunities for mining, allowing Greenland to have greater political independence from Denmark (Crate and Nuttall 2009). Do the continued existence of snow and ice inhibit the Inuit’s right to political, economic, and social development? The Inuit of Northern Canada are worried about the dangers that come with the melting ice and the potential survival hazard for those who travel along the ice. Although technology like GPS and satellite phones are becoming more popular, could they bring along a false sense of security when traveling the melting ice? The elders of many communities seem to think so, and have even offered Canadian Junior Ranger schools for children and young adults to attend and learn basic Inuit survival skills (Crate and Nuttall 2009). Climate Change is not an emotional matter- there are other reasons for people to want the change their lifestyle, and it is not solely for “the environment.” Mainly it is for family and good health. In the situation of these Inuit elders, they want to see traditions and knowledge be passed onto future generations and they want these generations to be safe. This “false sense of security” is something that this generation of young adults have- and going back to the basics is a way for youth to keep a good head on their shoulders. Technology can drive and motivate us to do great things, but having the wisdom and the knowledge of the hands-on basics can be a lifesaver when technology lets you down. Could this type of education make a difference in the way current Inuit look at their physical environment? Equally as important, can this type of education be brought to other places in the Arctic Circle? Could a connection between the Inuit of Greenland and their physical environment ever reach the level of a relationship that the Canadian Inuit have?
What threatens Alpine communities, like the indigenous people of the Andes living in the province of Urubamba is with the quickly melting glaciers due to a warming climate comes a depleting water source. Currently, the indigenous people of the Andes living in the province of Urubamba are trying every possible way to capture, recycle, purify, and distribute the water among the communities in order to not force them to move to overcrowded cities and live a life of unhappiness. Water is sacred for many of these communities (Crate and Nuttall 2009). Ice, believed to be medicine was brought by “Ukukus” in a ceremony from the glacier to a village. This custom has been abandoned in some places and altered from bringing blocks of ice to filling small water bottles. There is a lack of new technologies because these communities simply cannot afford them, but solar energy is becoming more affordable. I think, if the resources can get on top of these mountains, solar power could be the main source of energy rather than wood (to make fires, etc.).
There is an overall feeling that nothing can be done, and that is only partially true. Environmental change isn’t up to individuals in small communities. Shouldn’t it be the responsibility of the large corporations that are emitting CO2? Wouldn’t the willingness for entire communities to pick up and move must depend on the financial well-being of the town, like in developed cities in the Andes for example? Researchers have not found this willingness in developing communities of indigenous peoples in the Andes. Could they ever feel a sense of security to be able to move out of the mountains if need be?
References
Alley, Richard, et al. “Climate Change 2007: A physical Science Basis.” Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. 2007
Au, Thomas, Theodore Parran III, Jessica Rubin, and Jonathan Slomski. “The Arctic Ice Melt: Emerging Resources, Emerging Issues.” Canada-United States Law Journal 38. 2013.
Crate, Susan A. and Nuttall, Mark. “Anthropology & Climate Change: From Encounters to Actions.” Walnut Creek. 2009.
Dyurgerov, Mark B., and Mark F. Meier. 2000. “Twentieth Century Climate Change: Evidence from Small Glaciers.” Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. February, 2000.
Karadottir, Gudny. “Icelandic Fisheries.” Promote Iceland. 2012.
Mosher, Steve and Rohde, Robert. “Here’s the Challenge.” National Geographic. November, 2015.
Overpeck. “Arctic Environmental Change of the Last Four Centuries” Science Magazine. 14 November 1999
Pachauri, Rajendra K., en al. “Climate Change 2014 Synthesis Report” Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. 2014.
Schmidt, Gavin and Wolfe, Joshua. “Climate Change: Picturing the Science.” W.W. Norton & Company. 2009
Sutton, Mark and Anderson, E.N. “Introduction to Cultural Ecology.” Rowman & littlefield Publishers, INC. 2010
Questions
- Descriptive: How are different arctic communities adjusting to the change of climate? What type of lifestyle is practical and sustainable for people who live in the Arctic year round? Do the people of Iceland farm in a way that creates a unique relationship between the people of Iceland and their environment?
- Explanatory: How does the relationship between the people of Iceland (who are mainly pastoralists) and their environment compare with other pastoral cultures?
- Evaluative: If the arctic goes through regular fluctuations in the temperature, should we worry about this rise in temperature? Will the Arctic survival schools allow the Inuit culture to survive through the melting Arctic?
- Instrumental: Can educating the public on the Arctic get more people interested in the effects of climate change? Can individual countries make a dramatic change in the carbon emissions, or is it a global group effort? Could making climate change a human rights violation make a drastic difference in the way companies exploit the worlds resources?
Concentration courses
- Research Project in Arctic Climate Protection (SIT overseas program- independent study & research project, 6 credits) Fall 2016- This is an independent study and project that I would be working on if I take a non-LC study abroad program that I am interested in. I would be doing research on renewable energy, climate change, and the melting of the Arctic ice.
- ENVS 499 (Independent Study, 4 credits) 2 credits Spring 2016/ 2 credits Spring 2017- This independent study will give me a chance to prepare myself for a trip abroad to the Arctic, and then a moment to collect my ideas and reflect with any question I would have to do further research. "The goal of the Research Project in Arctic Climate Protection is to provide a forum design for students to learn from the local community and think through innovative interdisciplinary approaches and technologies that could help stabilize the Arctic climate in the face of global climate change."
- GEOL 170 (Climate Science- 5 Credits) Fall 2017- This relates directly with my concentration. The climate is a large variable in the melt of the Arctic.
- GEOL 280 (The Fundamentals of Hydrology- 4 credits) Spring 2016- Knowing how water is used and how it moves in different environments and in different physical forms would be necessary to learn for the study of glaciers and ice.
- GEOL 340 (Spatial Problems in Earth System Science- 5 credits) Spring 2017- This class is rich in ArcGIS. Having these spatial and mapping skills is a powerful tool no matter what area of study you are in. I would also like to incorporate these technical skills in my senior thesis methodology.
Arts and humanities courses
- HIST 261 (Global Environmental History, 4 credits). Pre-approved A&H course; no justification required.
- PHIL 103 (Ethics- 4 credits) Fall 2017- Ethics is a large part of environmental studies and relates to my concentration by looking at human ethics towards the environment. How does these ethics then change our behaviors and thoughts about climate change?