Shishmaref, a barrier island to the south of the arctic, is carrying the ominous threat of being completely annihilated. This is largely due to the melting away of ice caps and rising sea levels, owing to the dangerous phenomenon that is looming large over this world, global warming.
According to CNN, each second nearly 1200 metric tons of carbon dioxide is being pumped into the atmosphere by the modern machinery and factories. The global warming has led to an increase in the temperature by 1 degree Celsius since the Industrial revolution. The main reason behind this is the burning of fossil fuels like coal for generating heat and electricity, causing the atmosphere to get covered by a blanket of heat-trapping gasses.
Reportedly, the Arctic is heating up twice as fast as the rest of the earth, increasing mean air surface temperatures by more than 2 degree Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit). It has been recorded that the September sea ice is decreasing at a rate of 13.3% with every passing decade, global warming is turning out to be a matter of major concern for the scientists.
Researchers opine that 31 more villages situated around Arctic face the same fate as that of Shishmaref. Erosion and global warming issues, along with frequent ice storms are changing the lives of these villagers abnormally. As per sources, 12 of the endangered villages are already finding options for relocation due to the severe climate change.
According to Reader's Digest, in 2008, the town of Kivalina, Alaska filed a lawsuit against major US companies, owing to the fact that their harmful emissions are causing the ice to melt faster, causing the dwellers to lose their habitat. The polar animals, which the local people depend on for their daily livelihood, are also decreasing in number due to the global warming, making it harder for the people to survive.
With the situation going out of hands, initiatives to save these villages have sadly been far from satisfactory. In fact, the decision by the Trump Administration to invest more into the fossil fuel industry while ignoring its global warming effects by neglecting cleaner energy sources like wind and solar means these villages are eventually closing towards their doom.
