"Siorapaluk, the northern most inhabited settlement in the world." "This family has the largest number of children in town." "Everyone has gathered around for a meal of seal meat." "It is a rare treat to welcome the return of the eldest two who went away to school." "When did you last eat seal meat?" "I don't remember." "I can't say exactly what the change is, but winter is coming late and the ocean is freezing later too." "These are changes that I can feel for sure." "The arctic is changing rapidly and these changes resulting from global warming are captured by photographer Jenny Ross." "Her photographs reveal the fragile beauty of the Arctic, which can never be restored once it is lost. flinX" "The Arctic Story" "A vast expanse of cold land and ice," "Greenland is the world's largest non-continental island." "More than 80% of Greenland is covered by an ancient ice sheet." "Although Jenny has visited the Arctic many times during the past 10 years, this is her first encounter with the western region of Greenland." "Ilulissat, which means "icebergs" in Greenlandic, is the most popular tourist destination in Greenland." "Rain has become increasingly frequent here due to rising temperatures." "For many generations, Greenland has been a land of hunters." "But in Ilulissat today, fishing has become the primary trade." "Warming of the Arctic due to climate change is causing the sea ice to disappear, and is making traditional hunting of marine mammals much more difficult." "Many hunters here have abandoned their ancient way of life, and have turned to fishing instead." "Massive icebergs are prominent features of llulissat." "Situated 250 km above the Arctic Circle, llulissat Icefjord was declared a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2004." "This magnificent ice wonderland is at the center of the international focus on global warming because it is melting very quickly." "I'm here at the llulissat ice fjord, which is the outlet for probably one the world's most important glaciers with regard to climate change issues." "This glacier, at the head of this fjord, drains very large portions of the Greenland ice sheet." "So it's a very poignant location for me because I think about the fact that the ice, was accumulating all those many, many years, and now it's being lost very, very quickly, because of climate change." "Jenny is a photographer who has dedicated much of her time during the past 10 years to documenting the effects of climate change on Arctic wildlife and ecosystems." "She has witnessed the significant changes that are occurring in the far North, and has photographed the vulnerable animals and the fragile environment that are being threatened." "Her photographs are a visual record supporting the scientific data regarding climate change issues." "Through her work, Jenny hopes to show the serious threats to the Arctic and the world posed by climate change." "Qaanaaq, the largest town in Northwest Greenland." "It is October in Qaanaaq." "Normally, hunters would be out on dogsleds but they are using their boats because the sea has not frozen yet, making the hunting areas inaccessible by sled." "Many Inuit people in Qaanaaq still try to live a relatively traditional lifestyle focused on hunting marine mammals." "But climate change is melting the ice and taking a toll on the livelihood of these Qaanaaq residents." "Sea ice is an important resource not just for hunting but also for the supply of drinking water as well." "In addition to using glacier melt water for drinking in the summer, most of the town's water supply during the rest of the year comes from melting harvested ice." "When winter comes, we take the ice and melt it into water." "When winter comes, we take the ice and melt it into water." "The harvested ice is purified at the water supply plant and provided to the entire town." "Recently, the delayed formation of sea ice has lead to difficulty in obtaining water." "Now the town is faced with the issue of an insufficient water supply." "Of course we have felt the climate changes here in our country." "The ice formation comes later now which can be seen as one of the consequences of the climate changes." "which can be seen as one of the consequences of the climate changes." "This is the home of Eipe, the hunter." "Eipe, who is a well known hunter in Qaanaaq, brings out his hunting clothes made from a polar bear he killed." "The age old hunting tradition of the Inuit lives on in these garments." "We still hunt using traditional methods." "The only difference is that we use rifles now." "We live in different times, a modern world." "The hunting tradition, carried on from one generation to another, is a means of survival for the Inuit." "It is a way of life that modern civilization has not fundamentally changed in this region." "In summer, they use boats to get to the hunting site." "The catch consists mostly of the narwhal." "Whales are an important source of vitamins in Greenland where vegetables are scarce." "This is muktuk, the skin of the narwhal." "It is the hunter's favorite part of the whale." "Another prized item is the narwhal tusk, which is the only part that can be sold to earn money." "During the hunt, ownership of the tusk goes to the one who contributed most to catching the whale." "Hunters need mobility at all times." "Dog sleds have been brought out in preparation for the hunting journeys." "They should be in full use by now, but the delayed formation of sea ice due to climate change is keeping the hunting areas inaccessible by sled." "I use this to catch seals on the ice." "I use this to catch seals on the ice." "The ocean freezes in December now, but in the past it would freeze in October." "Global warming has made the weather unpredictable." "And it has reduced the number of days they can be out hunting." "With no way of knowing when the weather will become cold enough for the ice to form, the hunters grow more anxious." "My family needs to survive." "We have to eat." "My family and my dogs need food." "Children wait for the day they can head out to sea." "Will their time ever come?" "There is no rest for the hunter weighed down by the uncertainty of his children's future." "Hunting by boat finally begins the next day." "Jenny has the opportunity to be the first woman to accompany the Inuit on their dangerous quest." "On most hunts, two boats are used as a team." "Where are you?" "We are near Umiatsialivik." "Are you near the iceberg?" "We're going towards the iceberg." "Being a seasoned hunter, Otto soon spots his target." "I saw a walrus diving under an iceberg." "Walruses need to surface frequently for air." "I think I hit it, but I'm not exactly sure." "It's the mother walrus." "I need a harpoon." "The second walrus remains next to the first walrus that has been shot." "Hurry, hurry!" "I don't think we can use the harpoon now." "Sea ice is key to the survival of walruses." "But their icy habitat is quickly melting due to rising Arctic temperatures." "Closer, closer." "I don't think we can use the harpoon." "The hunters were unable to retrieve the injured walrus on the spot." "In addition to the risk of being killed by hunters, global warming is an even greater threat to the survival of walruses." "We saw a walrus in Ullersuaq, but we missed it." "Abigak, the young tech savvy Inuit hunter, updates his friend on the developments of the hunt." "I'll call again." "Let's move to a place with more walruses." "The hunters are pressed for time as sunset approaches." "Mads used to work in southern Greenland as a salesman." "Childhood memories of hunting with his father brought him back to the hunting region of northwest Greenland several years ago." "Ice is finally beginning to form in this area of the sea near the coast of Greenland." "That means there may be plenty of walruses in this area." "Slow down." "Put the gear in neutral." "The hunter's intuition is correct." "Several groups of walruses can be spotted." "There are walruses over there." "Where's the harpoon?" "Turn down the engine." "Strict hunting quotas are imposed in Greenland to prevent the walrus population from declining." "Only a limited number of animals may be hunted regardless of how many are accessible." "It is a long awaited catch." "But the hunter cannot fully enjoy his prize knowing all too well the threats confronting the animals as they lose their icy habitat to global warming." "Eventually if there's no ice, the walruses would start to an increasing extent to haul out on land, which is part of their natural behavior, and this is what you see in the Bering Strait area," "there are thousands of walruses hauling out on land, and that can be catastrophic in itself, if it becomes too many, because sometimes there's so many, and if they get scared by a low passing airplane or by polar bears," "they may rush into the water, and then because there's so many, they may crush their calves." "This rapid melting of sea ice is also having a detrimental impact on the polar bears which need the ice to travel and forage for seals and walruses." "Perhaps the polar bears." "I think the polar bears will suffer from the lack of food due to the climate change." "Greenland seal is the main source of food for polar bears and if they do not find enough, they are in trouble." "and if they do not find enough, they are in trouble." "– Greenland is a land of ice where – in the past the ancient Inuit way of life has coexisted with thriving animal populations." "But now, due to climate change, the urgent question arises:" "Is there any way to sustain both the Inuit traditions and the well-being of Arctic wildlife?" "We need to pull up here." "Animals killed by the hunters are immediately butchered on an ice floe nearby." "Enough, enough." "Immediate butchering is necessary to maintain the freshness of the meat." "Each person takes as much meat as he needs." "Meat obtained from hunting is the main source of food for the Inuit in this region." "Even with the wide range of food available today in many areas, here meat from hunting is still the staple of their diet, as it has always been traditionally in this culture." "It is for our families and some of it we will sell." "We have to cut the meat off the ribs." "The warming climate is affecting both animals and people in the Arctic." "In this changing world, the Inuit need to find a way to live in a sustainable manner that does not cause the animals to decline." "As the climate warms and the sea ice disappears, the walrus will have a harder and harder time surviving, and rates of harvest by indigenous people that may be sustainable now, will definitely not be sustainable in the future." "And that will not only affect the walruses themselves, but of course the indigenous people who rely on hunting marine mammals for cultural reasons and frankly for food." "That is what they eat here." "Another item of value is the walrus tusk, which can be sold to earn some money." "The tusks go to the hunter who played the largest role in catching the animal." "Three hunters divide the two walruses, and each man gets plenty of meat." "This has been a successful hunt." "The work is difficult and the hunters are tired, but they are happy to be bringing home a lot of meat for their families." "Several days and nights at a stretch are spent out at sea during the hunt." "This small basic hut provides shelter for the hunters one night." "The day's fresh harvest of walrus meat is cooked to feed the men." "Humble as it may be, this hut serves as a good refuge from the cold Arctic night." "During hunting trips like this, freshly butchered meat is the hunters' only meal." "This is the first real meal they've had today." "After a warm meal, Mads decides to write something." "Hunters who seek shelter here like to leave notes behind." "People leave their stories behind." "Who they are and where they lived." "For example, someone wrote here that he was here on June 24th, 2009." "For example, someone wrote here that he was here on June 24th, 2009." "10 people were here on June 24th, 2009." "10 people were here on June 24th, 2009." "Inside this plastic bag is a record of hunters' lives." "The small village buzzes with energy on the day the hunters return." "Arctic children are taught about hunting at a young age, and the boys dream of becoming hunters themselves." "This makes them very comfortable with the hunting culture, enough so that they play with the dead animals killed during a hunt." "When Otto returns home from a hunting trip, he stores the butchered meat outside in the cold." "Although the temperature isn't cold enough for the sea ice to freeze, it is cold enough to keep meat from spoiling." "Perhaps it is the smell of the meat that has made the dogs very excited." "The meat obtained from the hunt provides food for both the hunters' families and their dogs, who are reliable hunting partners in the winter." "These dogs are like my family." "12 dogs pull my sled." "I use the meat I hunted in Fall to feed the dogs, to make them plump and take them hunting in the winter." "In Siorapaluk, the ocean won't freeze" "Until November or December so I think we will have to wait in Qaanaaq until the ocean freezes." "Recently, the catch from hunting hasn't been very good, and there is not enough meat to feed the dogs frequently." "Three times a week..." "Two times a week." "Meals for the dogs have grown further apart, and lately, the dogs can only be fed once a week." "With barely enough meat available to feed people, there isn't enough for the dogs." "Jenny's photographs tell a vivid story about the dire situation facing the Arctic sled dog." "Due to global warming, the sea ice is forming later and melting earlier, and the ice is often dangerously thin even in mid-winter." "Therefore, the amount of time each year when hunters can use dogsleds is getting much shorter, and the role of sled dogs has diminished significantly." "As a result, some of the hunters are resorting to killing their dogs because they cannot afford to feed them." "In recent years, when the hunters have been out hunting, the quantity of the meat has only been enough to provide for their families, not for the dogs." "enough to provide for their families, not for the dogs." "Therefore, every year the hunters buy dog food that is shipped to the town, produced in Denmark or other places, to feed their dogs." "The people here usually keep 10-20 dogs." "Some hunters have even more." "The people here usually keep 10-20 dogs." "Some hunters have even more." "If at times it's difficult to get enough dog food," "If at times it's difficult to get enough dog food, the hunters have to kill some of their dogs." "Sadly, sled dogs are falling victim to climate change along with the other Arctic creatures." "At the house of the young student Abel in Siorapaluk, the family is preparing a celebration." "An Inuit birthday would not be complete without this bread." "Birthday preparations are in full swing here." "There is no cake but a traditional birthday bread completes the simple party table." "Otto and Mads were invited to the party." "It is the local tradition for the neighbors to gather to celebrate a birthday." "The birthday boy enters the room." "Abel has 5 older siblings." "Happy birthday." "Happy birthday." "Best wishes on your birthday." "Best wishes on your birthday." "May all your wishes come true." "May all your wishes come true." "This is a joyous occasion for us all." "This is a joyous occasion for us all." "This is a joyous occasion for us all." "Abel, happy birthday and many happy returns." "Abel, happy birthday and many happy returns." "Happy birthday, Abel." "Cheers!" "How old are you now?" "Twelve." "Happy Birthday." "Small amounts of money are given as gifts." "Abel will save all the money for a later day." "I love this land and our lifestyle." "My favorite thing to do is to explore the nature around me." "My favorite thing to do is to explore the nature around me." "How did you catch the arctic fox?" "It got caught in a trap I set up on the hills." "When?" "Last Saturday." "Showing off his fox, Abel boasts his abilities as a hunter." "He counts the days until he can join the men to go out on a hunting trip." "But with the ice melting and the number of Arctic animals declining," "Abel's childhood dreams may not come true." "In Ilulissat, nearly 1100 kilometers south of Qaanaaq, the age old hunting tradition is already at risk of disappearing." "Fishing boats and trawlers fill the harbors instead of the hunter's boats." "Jenny travels along the coast of west Greenland in search of more evidence showing the detrimental consequences of climate change." "and then we are over her." "OK, so this is the main, the largest glacier, the largest iceberg, and then we are over her." "OK, so this is the main, the largest glacier, the largest iceberg, so first we will go here, we will go in this direction, what do we expect to see over here?" "just like this iceberg, they're all the way, yes, ok" "A native Greenlander born in this part of the Arctic, the captain has seen first hand the catastrophic decline of sea ice throughout the region." "I was born in Ilulissat and have lived here for 54 years." "Compared to how things were before, there isn't as much ice now." "Compared to how things were before, there isn't as much ice now." "In the old days we always had ice in November or December." "In the old days we always had ice in November or December." "Winter is arriving in the Arctic, but there is no sea ice covering the ocean here." "There are only giant ice bergs, broken off of glaciers, that are roaming the sea as they melt." "The enormous chunks of ice are masterful works of nature." "That's wonderful." "It's absolutely wonderful, like a natural sculpture, this archway, beautiful archway in the ice." "But the inescapable reality of climate change is revealed in Jenny's photographs." "Due to warming Arctic temperatures as the result of climate change," "Greenland's glaciers are losing ice very quickly and are receding." "The Eqip Sermia Glacier is located two hours by boat from llulissat." "Between 2000 and 2008 Greenland lost about 1500 cubic kilometers of ice." "Recently the rate of ice loss has been accelerating." "Some new inland ice forms in Greenland during the winter, but overall more glacier ice is melting than is forming." "Jenny captures the the disappearing ice in her photographs." "I think the low angle with the large chunks of floating ice in the foreground and the glacier in the background" "– helps to show the connection between the two that the floating ice comes from the glacier, was part of the glacier." "that the floating ice comes from the glacier, was part of the glacier." "It helps to convey that essentially the glacier is like a living thing, losing parts of itself." "And the important point that I'm trying to communicate is that, because of warming temperatures, the glacier is losing ice faster and faster." "The water that enters the ocean from melting glaciers is causing sea level to rise." "The overall average surface air temperature in the Arctic has increased approximately 2 to 3 degrees Celsius during the past 50 years, and is continuing to rise." "Scientists predict that within several decades there will be no more sea ice in the Arctic." "I think I can say that both on the east coast of Greenland and on the west coast of Greenland, there has been a reduction, quite dramatic reduction, in the sea ice, since 1979, when it was possible to check what the sea ice is like from satellites." "And on the west coast, it's been about 9% per decade, and on the east coast about 11% decrease in extension of sea ice." "That's a lot." "The Arctic is changing fast, now, but eventually everywhere the climate will change." "And what happens here at this glacier, at this ice cap, is important for the rest of the world." "Global warming is causing the collapse of a crucial pillar supporting life on earth as we know it." "The transformation has begun with the Arctic, but it certainly will not stop there." "Soon the impacts of a warming climate will affect the entire world and there will be devastating consequences." "Inuit hunters prepare to leave at the crack of dawn." "Today they will hunt on land." "Steer towards the musk-oxen" "Keep going." "Although the steep rocky hills in the Etah area are very rugged, they provide good habitat for the musk ox, an important Arctic animal." "The musk-oxen may get away if we take too long." "Watch out for the rocks that the musk-oxen are running down" "Mads leads the hunting procession today." "The quota allows them to kill just one musk ox." "The musk ox is a native Arctic mammal noted for its thick coat." "They usually live in herds of 10-20 animals and when the herd is threatened, the bulls and cows will form a stationary ring around the calves." "Their horns and hooves are efficient defense against animal predators." "However, they are an easy target for human hunters with rifles." "But the Inuit hunter respects the limitation of the quota, and ends his hunt with one kill." "Abigak and Mads get to work skinning the animal they have killed." "A musk ox pelt has a high market value, and its careful removal requires precision." "I've caught musk-ox here before." "It's too bad that I lost my rifle then." "Musk-ox hunting is done under a strict quota, limited to 50 animals." "We have hunted 35-40 animals so far." "We need the quota system to protect and increase the musk-ox population." "We need the quota system to protect and increase the musk-ox population." "After each hunt, the results are reported to the authorities." "The hunter helps himself to a piece of the liver, his favorite part of the musk ox." "This is delicious." "Load the meat and throw away the rest." "Eventually they will need to hunt more animals to obtain enough meat to last through the entire winter." "But with disappearing ice due to warming temperatures, many of the ice-dependent animals have died or moved farther north." "There may not be enough game here to support the hunters and their families." "Greenland's Inuit are descendants of people who migrated into this region long ago from Alaska and Northern Canada." "Traces of the first ancient hunters can still be seen." "These rocks are the remains of an old village." "But the Arctic hunter today, has little to leave behind for the next generation." "The effects of climate change on the Inuit people and the Arctic wildlife they hunt may ultimately cause the demise of both the hunters and their prey." "As Arctic temperatures get warmer, Inuit traditions are disappearing." "Still, the people of the Arctic continue trying to strike a balance that will enable them to preserve their traditions and live in harmony with wildlife as the climate changes." "Returning from a hunting expedition," "Mads goes first to the storage building holding his most treasured possessions." "Meat obtained from the hunt is carefully stored to sustain his family through the winter." "When I catch something, I need a place to store the meat." "I use my outhouse for this." "Everything that you see here is my hunting gear." "This is a place where the memories of Mads, the hunter, are stored." "Mads brought home the thick fur coat of the musk ox for his contributions during the hunt." "The process of preparing the pelt for use will be a task for the entire family." "Scraping the remaining flesh off the pelt requires a lot of manual labor." "The finished leather can be sold, made into a garment, or used as a rug." "If you stretch it like this, it will get thinner." "This leather is for my son-in-law." "We used to make a lot of leather in the past." "The price of leather was good then." "The price is cheap now, so hunters don't hunt as many animals and there is less work to do." "so hunters don't hunt as many animals and there is less work to do." "Pushed aside by the spread of modern civilization, leather handicrafts have significantly decreased in value." "But the Inuit have much more to worry about than just low prices." "Climate change could bring about a total collapse of Arctic ecosystems and the traditional lifestyle of indigenous people." "The people of Qaanaaq are at a crossroads." "The indigenous Greenlanders here have one foot in the modern world, and the other foot resting on their ancient traditions." "But the tentative balance they have struck between the past and the present, is becoming unstable due to climate change." "As the Arctic climate continues to get warmer in the future, these Greenlanders will be forced to adapt." "Hopefully they can find a way to maintain their traditional culture nonetheless." "Increasing numbers of young people are giving up on hunting as a livelihood." "Mother, I brought a cake." "This is the home of Lars, the hunter." "The ancient Inuit tradition of hunting has now ended for his family." "Lars was once a renowned hunter in Greenland and the Inuk mayor of Qaanaaq." "Still he decided to send all four of his children to the city for their education." "The younger generation enjoys their free time, but they do not have a lot of choices regarding what they want to spend their free time on." "There is no activity in town to keep the young generation occupied." "A Greenland hunter's future is filled with uncertainties and dangers brought on by climate change." "This is not what Lars wants to pass on to his children." "I thought it would be good for my children to have a career in the future," "which is why I had them receive an education." "Everything costs money." "But the hunters' income continues to decrease." "The price of seal leather continues to go down while the price of living continues to rise." "All the same, Lars himself wants to continue with the hunter's way of life." "He heads out to the glistening sea to reminisce about his early days as a hunter." "I used this rifle during my expedition to East Greenland." "It was made in 1926." "I don't focus on how much I catch." "I'm just happy and satisfied to be a hunter." "I'm just happy and satisfied to be a hunter." "This is the only school in the small village of Siolapaluk." "At the most, just 10 to 11 students are in attendance here." "The students love to draw." "And in every drawing there is the icy Arctic sea, along with ice-dependent marine mammals." "Arctic children want to pursue their dreams to hunt in their sea, the place where they grew up." "For these children, the icy ocean of the far North is a place of hope, nurturing their Arctic dreams." "But the Arctic sea is battered by climate change may not be able to fulfill the dreams of these children." "About 85% of Greenland is covered by a vast and deep expanse of ancient ice." "But that ice is disappearing very quickly, due to climate change." "Why should you care?" "Because what is happening now in Greenland will eventually affect everyone on Earth." "The melting ice in Greenland is already causing sea levels to rise." "By the end of this century, the sea level may rise an additional 2m, and if all of the Greenland ice eventually melts, the sea level will rise by more than 7m, that's over 23ft." "That will cause permanent flooding in many of the world's major cities, and some entire countries will be completely submerged." "But we can avoid that catastrophe." "We must immediately implement comprehensive measures to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions." "It won't be easy, but it is feasible, and we must do it." "Human-caused warming of the Arctic is melting the ice in Greenland and is threatening the ice-dependent wildlife and the ancient culture of the Arctic's indigenous people." "The hopes of Arctic children for their future are disappearing along with the melting ice." "What kind of a future will there be for the indigenous people and wildlife of the far North?" "The children of the Arctic are waiting for us to take action waiting for us to fight climate change and save the remaining Arctic ice."