Greenland, located between the Arctic Ocean and the Atlantic Ocean, is the largest island in the world. Most of its surface is covered with ice and snow. However, due to the impact of global warming, the ice and snow have melted faster and faster in recent years, and the local dog sledding tradition is increasingly threatened.
Moses Bajares lives in a small village in eastern Greenland. Every year from February to June and July, when the nearby sea ice freezes, he lets his 12 dogs pull the sled. , take him out to hunt seals.
But in recent years, the time during which you can hunt by sled has become shorter and shorter, and safe routes that used to be frozen thick enough have become increasingly unpredictable. This made Bajares very sad. Because for him, dog sledding is not only a means of transportation, but also an important way of life to get close to nature and relax his mind.
Moses Bahares, a Greenland resident: Any vehicle with an engine is very noisy, but when riding a dog sled, the only sounds you can hear are the sound of ice and snow and the sound of dogs panting. It’s very noisy. Quiet, that's why I like it.
Not only that, dog sledding is a rare form of entertainment here and is also a major attraction for tourists. Many islanders rely on dog sledding business to support their families. However, the ice and snow in Greenland are melting faster and faster.
From July 30 to August 3, Greenland’s ice melt volume reached more than 55 billion tons in five days. Especially on August 1, the amount of melted ice reached about 12 billion tons, which was the highest amount of ice melted in a single day on record.
The longer and hotter summers have severely squeezed the living space of dog sleds. In 2002, there were approximately 25,000 dogs in Greenland. By 2016, the number of dogs had dropped significantly to 15,000. Although the time you can go hunting by boat has been lengthened accordingly, and basic survival needs can still be guaranteed, for many islanders, dog sledding, a cultural tradition that has lasted for centuries, is something they do not want to lose. precious.
Greenland resident Bente Abelson: It’s in my blood and it’s in my son’s blood. What will we do if there is no ice and snow?
Protecting the environment starts with you and me!