When Trump invades Greenland, don't forget climate change! (Part 2)
I spoke with Dr. Twila Moon.
Last week I covered President Trump’s threatened invasion of Greenland, the Arctic island province owned by Denmark, through the paradigm of climate change. Specifically I discussed the ideas of Dr. Twila Moon, the deputy lead scientist at the National Snow and Ice Data Center, who along with more than 350 similarly-qualified scientists, signed a recent public letter opposing President Trump’s ongoing bellicosity toward the large island.
To be clear: Greenland is inhabited by 58,000 people, the overwhelming majority of whom either wish to stay with Denmark or become an independent nation. If Trump invades Greenland, the primary wrong will be that done to the Greenlandic people. Yet we also must not forget the ecological consequences, which will impact not only Greenland but all of Earth.
What do we know for sure about how climate change is impacting Greenland, and how that in turn can alter weather systems and otherwise impact humans everywhere?
Human-caused climate change is having a wide range of impacts in Greenland. Heating of the air and ocean is melting the Greenland Ice Sheet as well as other glaciers around the edges of the territory. Warmer air temperatures are also thawing permafrost, frozen ground that underlies roads, buildings, and airports. Thawing can cause problems with infrastructure and spur dangerous landslides. These changes are also influencing the ocean, causes species to shift where they live and move, influencing fishing industries and food availability. There’s also less sea ice through the winter, commonly making travel by dog sled or snowmobile more dangerous or impossible. And Greenlanders are noticing the weird weather, making it harder to plan based on past experience and knowledge.
These changes in Greenland don’t stay in Greenland. In fact, ice melt that adds to sea level has the biggest impact far from Greenland - so the US experiences more sea level rise from Greenland ice loss than Greenlanders do. And changes in the ocean salt and heat make the ocean currents move in different ways, changing weather patterns all around the Atlantic region.
In general, what are the environmental consequences of the foreign policy Trump is pursuing, as articulated by a MAGA supporter here?
[The pro-Trump author, John Mac Ghlionn, argues “seen through a realist lens — the kind John Mearsheimer describes — power is never polite. Nations do not glide through history on good will. They compete, maneuver, and block rivals wherever they can.
America didn’t invent this contest, but it has played it for a century, shaping trade routes, locking down strategic chokepoints, and denying rivals room to expand. Exiting now would not end the game — it would simply forfeit the advantage.”]
After reading the article you sent, I simply want to make sure you are aware of the excellent coverage and information available that makes it clear that existing agreements between the US, Denmark, and Greenland allow for substantial military and security leeway for the US to use Greenland territory. Denmark and Greenland have made clear that they are eager to receive these requests from the US. And regarding business and other collaborations, Greenlanders have for a very long time repeated that “Greenland is open for business”.
Finally, I want to make you aware of this open letter released a few days ago and signed by US researchers engaged with Greenland and Greenlanders.
Back Seat Socialism
Back Seat Socialism is a column by Matthew Rozsa, who has been a professional journalist for more than 13 years. Currently, he is writing a book for Beacon Press, “Neurosocialism,” which argues that autistic people like the author struggle under capitalism, and explains how neurosocialism - the distinct anticapitalist perspective one develops by living as a neurodiverse individual - can be an important organizing principle for the left.