A possible US attempt to gain control of Greenland threatens international scientific projects. They help to understand the rate of ice melting and predict the rise in global sea levels.
Donald Trump’s idea of what’s possible capture of Greenland is causing concern among the global scientific community. This is not a political deal, but a real threat to climate research. For decades, Greenland has provided scientists from around the world access to its glaciers and coastline. This collaboration has helped to understand the Earth’s climate history and provide accurate predictions of sea level change.
The Greenland Ice Sheet contains a huge volume of fresh water. Its complete melting will raise sea levels by seven meters. This process is now accelerating due to global warming. Studying ice helps predict how quickly this will happen and what consequences it will have for different countries.
The USA was one of the main participants in these studies. American scientists drilled ice, and NASA conducted aerial photography. However, the policies of Trump, who withdrew the country from the Paris Agreement and does not pay attention to climate science, raise concerns. A unilateral takeover of Greenland could deny access to unique data to researchers from other countries.
Unlike Antarctica, where there is an international treaty protecting science, Greenland has no such guarantees. Its openness to scientists depends on current political will. The transition to control of the United States, which is not interested in climate research, could interrupt this work.
Greenland is important not only for its ice. On its territory there is mineral deposits, necessary for green energy: for example, for electric vehicle batteries. Their development should take into account environmental standards and the interests of the local population, and not unilaterally.
History already knows examples when valuable resources were taken from the Greenlanders. At the end of the 19th century, the Cape York meteorite weighing 58 tons was removed from the island, which local residents used to make tools. Now it is not the artifact that is at risk, but the future of the entire planet.
Stable international cooperation in Greenland is key to accurate climate change forecasts. The world needs this data to plan and adapt. The island’s future must be determined by its people and Denmark, and scientific access must be maintained to combat climate threats.
Source: Live Science
