Climate change is bringing longer, hotter summers to the Arctic, and driving glaciers to retreat. (U.S. Department of State)
There are only eight countries in the world whose territory above the Arctic Circle grants them the honored title of “Arctic Nation.” The United States is one.
The human story in the Arctic is defined by the intense and arduous relationship between people and the environment. Arctic residents know not just how to survive, but how to thrive in some of the harshest conditions on earth. Theirs is a story of adaptation and survival.
Today, however, climate change is transforming this already challenging region at an unprecedented pace. Temperatures in the Arctic are rising at twice the rate of the rest of the world on average. And though the region seems remote to most Americans, other parts of our country are also being impacted by Arctic climate change. The entire country experienced abnormal weather as the result of a storm that passed through the Bering Sea in Alaska earlier this month. Melting glaciers and land-based ice sheets are contributing to rising sea levels. The future of America is inextricably linked to the future of the Arctic.
Fonte: White House