As Clinton works against global warming in Greenland, some there don’t mind it

[n2doc]

By Joby Warrick, Published: May 12
NUUK, Greenland — Few places on Earth have seen starker changes in weather than this icebound island straddling the Arctic Circle. With that in mind, America’s top diplomat arrived here this week intent on calling attention to the perils of climate change.

The problem was that Greenlanders aren’t exactly complaining.

In fact, as Secretary of State of Hillary Rodham Clinton toured snow-covered fjords on Thursday, there were awkward reminders of Greenland’s embrace of the rise in temperatures that began two decades ago. Rather than questioning global warming, many of this island’s 60,000 inhabitants seem to be racing to cash in.

The tiny capital of Nuuk is bracing for record numbers of visitors this year; the retreating sea ice means a longer tourist season and more cruise ships from the United States. Hunters are boasting of more and bigger caribou, and the annual cod migration is starting earlier and lasting longer.

In the far south, farmers are trying their hand at an exotic form of agriculture: growing vegetables.

more
http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/as-clinton-works-against-global-warming-in-greenland-some-there-dont-mind-it/2011/05/12/AF5d4O1G_story.html


They aren't going to like it when the warships from other countries show up with settlers....

[flamingdem]

1. In other words Greenlanders are idiots and don't see the big picture nt

[muriel_volestrangler]

2. No, that's a ridiculous insult of them

There's no quote there saying they want global warming; just that they are making the best of it. Do you actually expect them to refrain from growing vegetables, just in solidarity with parts of the world that are becoming less liveable in? To tell the tourists to go away?

Obviously, the human race will need to adapt to the now-inevitable warming. If the carrying capacity of some parts becomes less due to heat, drought, flooding etc., then we may not be able to afford to turn down the chance for crops to be grown in new areas.

'Greenlanders are idiots' is your phrase, and yours alone. It's not 'other words' for the WP article. You need to take ownership of your broadbrush insult of an entire population.

[Viking12]

3. I bet their children will be more than a little bothered...

The average elevation of Nuuk, Greenland is 1 meters.

http://population.mongabay.com/population/greenland/3421319/nuuk

[kestrel91316]

4. Nuuk is a pretty tiny hamlet, and moving it gradually over time not a daunting proposition.

And yes, I know a Greenlander who lives there.

[Yo_Mama]

5. When Greenland was first settled by Europeans

There was some farming (on the fringes plus south). Later it got colder and that ended and the European population was pretty much wiped out.

So for them, it's back to the conditions of hundreds of years ago. Why wouldn't they farm and garden if they can?

The history of Greenland is very interesting - archeologists have documented multiple waves of immigration and multiple cultural collapses. Some of it may well be environmental shifts.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Greenland