Temperatures this week are hovering around 9° C all along the west coast of Greenland, from Nuuk to Qaanaaq. That might not sound very warm, but it is warm enough to grow vegetables. Previously an exotic hobby, vegetables have become a commercial pursuit in Greenland now that the climate has turned warmer, as seen in a BBC report this morning.
The area is also becoming less isolated. Greenland is located along the Northwest Passage, a sea route from the Atlantic to the Pacific that it is hoped may open to commercial shipping for the first time about one month from now. The same shipping lanes may make mining and forestry more practical possibilities in Greenland.
Climate change may be causing difficulties for some of Greenland’s traditional fishing activities, but as BBC puts it, “people in Greenland are making the best of the effects of climate change.” And with less ice cover, Greenland is a little closer to the rest of the world.
