Blogs
Changes in Weather
Climate change has different impacts on different people. While in cities non indigenous people are maybe just living warmer days, indigenous people are suffering in their own way. Most tribes (Traditional society that shares religion, language/dialect, culture and families) rely on nature as their main way of living. Meaning that they work for their economy with the land they live in and hunt their food to subside. As they live aside with nature, they are affected with any change that might happen to their surroundings.
As shown in the videos, the industrialization and the economy have effects on the local communities. In Savoonga, Alaska the way of life the community was used to live in is almost gone. With the changes in temperature because of global warming, they aren’t able to hunt in the now thin ice surrounding the island. Before, marine life gave birth in those patches of ice. They would stay there for months before they went back to the sea. That was a great opportunity for the community to hunt near-shore animals for their own survival. They have respect for nature by implementing limits on how much they hunt and eat so they wouldn’t affect the ecosystem.
The deforestation in the Amazonas has affected different tribes of the area. In Brazil, locals have notices the shift of the way the weather, sun and rain act because of global warming. They cannot work during floods because of excessive rain. That affects their agriculture and their income of resources. Some people are getting sick by the burning of forests and poisonous plants. Although the communities have warned the people of the damage that industries have done to the forests and them, they won’t hear because they don’t live in the forest like them.
Ocean Acidification
Ocean Acidification is the result of the ocean water absorbs the Carbon Dioxide of the air. This reduces the water’s pH making it more acid. Organisms are affected by this because the acidification is causing the unsaturation of minerals responsible of the regeneration of their shells. This may cause the migration of some organisms and/or the death of many. From corals to oysters, the reduced pH of ocean waters is affecting their life. Some corals are dying and is believed that the lower pH is causing a problem with the reproduction of oysters.
The consequences of ocean acidification affect both indigenous and non-indigenous people. Some industries that are based on oysters for example, they have lost millions of dollars due to the lack of reproduction of the species. Also the area of truism is affected with the death of corals. The Great Barrier Reef in Australia had a tough couple or years. A lot of square miles died due to pollution and water acidification. To the indigenous people this could affect their food supply if they live near the coast and maybe even their economy if they are based on selling those.
Melting Artic Sea Ice:
Due to global warming and the greenhouse effect, the ice caps are melting. This causes the raise of the seas and can affect different areas and people. For the indigenous people living in Alaska, these changes in weather are causing serious difficulties in their way of life. They were used to see their ocean covered with ice where big marine mammals would give birth. They were easier to hunt. Now that the ice is gone they have to adapt and hunt inland, which is much harder and uses more resources. Many Alaskan towns are at risk of flooding because of the rising sea levels. They would have to relocate with money they don’t have. Structures are damaged because the grounds are unfrozen and weaker because of the lack of cold.
