WHY ARE ICE AND SNOW IMPORTANT TO US? 19 Why are Ice and Snow Important to Us?

• Other Authors: The Pennsylvania State University CiteSeerX Archives
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Subjects: Sheila; inuit
• Online Access: http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/summary?doi=10.1.1.214.5781; http://www.unep.org/geo/geo_ice/PDF/GEO_C2_LowRes.pdf

This report demonstrates how we are affected by ice and snow, whether we live in the northern regions or tropical climates or in between. Ice and snow are important components of the Earth’s climate system and are particularly vulnerable to global warming. Ice and snow are important parts of northerners ’ identity and culture, especially for indigenous people, whose cultures have adapted to a world in which ice and snow are not only integral parts of the ecosystem but also support a sustainable way of life. Reduction of ice and snow damages the ecosystems that support these cultures and livelihoods. “As our hunting culture is based on the cold, being frozen with lots of snow and ice, we thrive on it, ” says Sheila Watt-Cloutier, former Chair of the Inuit Circumpolar Council. “We are in essence fighting for our right to be cold. ” 1