In order to directly hit the front line of climate change, United Daily News, Vision Engineering Foundation, and ESG company Olaide formed a “thawing Greenland” interview group. A few days ago, they flew from Copenhagen, Denmark to Kangerlussuaq in Greenland, and then traveled north to the Arctic Circle. Ilulissat, more than 300 kilometers north. At the Aiqi Glacier, the interview team heard the loud rumble of the glaciers collapsing several times, but the smell of gasoline filled the air. This is a small boat taking tourists to see the pollution caused by the collapsed glaciers, and it is also an irony of climate change.
When the interview group arrived at Kangerlussuaq, their faces were tanned by the sun as they walked out of the cabin. Even though they only wore wool short-sleeved and light jackets, their backs were sweating slightly when they were carrying luggage; the temperature board at the airport showed 18.7 degrees Celsius. , it is hard to imagine that this is 67 degrees north latitude, already in the Arctic Circle.
The interview group continued their journey north to Ilulissat. The weather became obviously wet and cold, and the cold wind blew into the town from the glacier. The members of the interview group had to wear tighter jackets. Occasionally the sun shows up, and local kids wear short-sleeved sweatshirts on scooters and eat ice cream in droves.
Residents of Ilulissat say it has really felt summer to heat up in recent years. Danish scientist William Colgan said that this summer was cold and that the Greenland ice sheet rain event that shocked the world last August should not be repeated.
Climate anomalies melt icebergs
Even so, Greenland’s climate anomalies continue to occur. The Ilulissat Icefjord is receding. Cassandra Henningsen, a local guide at the Icefjord Center, said that in the past winter, she might pull sled dogs and fish on the ice. From the window of her grandmother’s house, she might see the whole magnificent iceberg. , but now most of the melting, “without seeing it, it is difficult to realize that climate change is happening and so fast”.
Ilulissat is also the most popular tourist destination in Greenland. It has the most active Aiqi glacier on the island. It takes more than two hours one way from the fishing port to get close to the glacier disintegration site. One is hard to find in peak season.
The farther the boat was from the shore, the stronger the wind and the colder it became. The boat tilted at forty-five degrees several times. The bow made a “bump, bump” sound of fighting once morest the waves. Cold water rushed into the boat and wet the soles of the feet. The only exposed face in the whole body. numb and unconscious.
Tourists watch the wonders of gasoline and accompany them
After arriving at Aiqi Glacier, during the one-hour stay of the boat, there were five loud “rumbling” sounds, which were the sound of disintegration inside and outside the glacier. Even though it is extremely cold here, it cannot escape the impact of warming. The captain said, “Eight years ago, it was wider, and now it is gone.”
The boat was idling around for the convenience of passengers to take pictures, but the air on the glacier was filled with a thick smell of gasoline, which lingered for a long time. Collapsing glaciers bring tourism money to Greenland, but also create more pollution. It has become an ironic scene on the scene of climate change, and it is also a dilemma for Greenland.
