While reading the article “Climate-Change Calculus” in Newsweek, I see all of this data and scientists discussing Greenland’s ice sheets melting. Satellite measurements of Greenland’s mass show that it is losing about 52 cubic miles per year and that melting is accelerating. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) states they projected sea levels to rise 16 inches this century, but now are saying that sea level will rise one meter (39 inches) at least. “Chest high instead of knee high, with half to two thirds of that due to Greenland,” states David Carlson, a scientist from the International Polar Year, a global consortium studying the Arctic.
When reading these statistics, I thought to myself, “the facts are now showing up, but I knew about Greenland’s situation from an eye-witness in February.” While attending the Powershift conference here in Washington, D.C. I took part in the Indigenous Caucus, a consortium of Indigenous people from across the world. Many Indigenous people traveled great distances to tell their stories of the effects of Climate Change in their communities.
The first person to speak about their community was a man from Greenland. In Indigenous culture, the oldest is the first one to speak and the man from Greenland has lived on this Earth for 63 years. He spoke of the changes that are happening in Greenland. When he was a boy the ice sheets in Greenland were two miles high. Now, the ice sheets are only one mile high. In the span of 63 years! He also said trees are growing in Greenland and that hasn’t happened in 20,000 years. “It doesn’t matter what we do now, Greenland’s ice sheets are going to melt. And soon the ice caps will follow,” The man from Greenland informed us. Hearing this, I felt that I couldn’t give up. There is still time to change the course of history.
In May, I was in a course to become an Advanced Permaculturist. The man teaching the course was from El Salvador and a Mayan Spiritual Leader. During one of our classes, the topic of 2012 came up and he said this statement. “There is going to come a time when Mother Earth is going to ask humanity if they want to keep going and live on or end existence.” When I heard that statement it gave me hope.
It is time for humanity to show Mother Earth we want to live on. We need to start building Climate Change Showcase Communities. We need communities that will significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions. We need communities that can become models that will be replicated throughout the world. Models to show our governments reluctant to change. Because the change we want will not happen until we have an infrastructure to show our elected officials.
– Marc ‘Swift Otter’
Member, Menominee Indian Tribe
