Voices from the Vanishing Ice - The Sinking Village of Shishmaref Island (2007)
Shishmaref Island in the Arctic Ocean was once a climate protected by thick sea ice and permafrost. The ice and snow served as a protective barrier, and the Inupiat people lived through the changing seasons while connecting sea and land. In the Arctic region of the 21st century, however, temperature rises have accelerated year by year, delaying the formation of sea ice in winter and intensifying melting in summer. As a result, the ice barrier that had encircled the islands like a wavebreak has gradually begun to recede.
Coastal permafrost ground thawed as temperatures rose, causing land subsidence and landslides. Coastal erosion has been progressing at a rate of several meters per year, forcing residents to move to safer areas as waves have swallowed up houses and roads once protected by sea ice. According to a U.S. report, Shishmaref Island is positioned as a frontline area where "climate change could render almost the entire area uninhabitable," and the issue of migration of residents has aroused concern beyond the region.
Technological measures were sought, but the construction of sea walls and the reinforcement of embankments entailed enormous costs and environmental risks. In addition, the selection of the relocation site was fraught with the dilemma of whether or not to preserve traditional lifestyles and culture. A relocation-oriented design that would not deprive the residents of their identity and climate was required, and federal and state financial support and coordination of the will of the indigenous people were carried out in parallel.
The sinking of this island is one of the earliest and most obvious places to experience the effects of global warming. The actual scene, where the ice speaks and the waves break, confronts those who speak of global warming with more than data; it is a "voice". The forgotten sea breeze still carries the sound of an ice civilization sinking.
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