Why Go to Greenland?
See giant icebergs up close during our September expedition to Greenland.
In January I did a blog post about the latest headline news from Greenland, which was that the glaciers are melting at record rates. Along with my comments on the rapidly changing situation there, I announced a trip to Greenland for this September that the International Sea Level Institute is organizing to see things first hand. That generated a number of questions about the trip as well as the rationale to go.
It’s important to answer the questions about going to such remote places, particularly in light of the concern about air travel contributing to global warming. We do need to reduce greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide as a top priority. Yet I strongly believe in the value and justification for people to see what is happening first-hand. I want to explain why someone should consider it, and to answer the critics who say that if we were really concerned about climate change, that we would never fly on an airplane, or even drive a car.
These days, I do as many meetings as possible using internet and video-conferencing. It has greatly expanded my audience and reduced my “carbon footprint.” Nonetheless, I continue to find in-person meetings and certain travel uniquely valuable. Nothing compares to standing on the edge of an ice sheet and watching millions of gallons of meltwater rush to the sea, to fully grasp the magnitude of the looming catastrophe of the rising sea. Greenland is ‘ground zero’ for the melting of the Arctic and for the sea level rise that will change global shorelines with each passing decade. It has enough ice to raise global sea level about 24 feet (7-8 meters) if it all were to melt. That’s a stunning sobering concept and frankly one that most people like to forget as soon as possible.
I have real respect for those that have given up all air travel as a personal way to demonstrate their commitment to climate change, and for those who have become vegans to reduce the impact of the meat industry. Yet, the reality is that even if we stopped all air travel and the world became entirely vegan, the melting ice and rising seas will continue for decades and possibly centuries. We have already put enough heat into the ocean that many feet of sea level rise are now “locked in.” The few thousand people who go to Greenland each year will not substantially affect the rate of warming that is melting the ice. That warming comes from the seven billion people globally that are burning more and more fossil fuel.
As my readers know, I strongly advocate a dual-track effort, #1 to slow the warming ASAP, and simultaneously, #2 to adapt to rising sea level which is now unstoppable. Taking people to Greenland to experience the profound melting makes that case abundantly clear.
With Senator Angus King and then Commandant of the US Coast Guard, ADM (Retired) Paul Zukunft
This trip will closely follow the expedition I did in 2016 with the Commandant of the US Coast Guard and Senator Angus King (shown in this photo). Admiral Zukunft (now retired) sent a great two-minute message back to his troops that will give you an excellent sense of some of the experiences this trip will include. You can see his video message on Youtube at this link. https://youtu.be/qr4CV4ecefo
Our 8 day / 7 night trip is from September 8-15, 2019 with Reykjavik Iceland as our meeting point. For those interested, the 8 page color brochure can be downloaded by clicking here.
In bullet form, here are some key points about the trip based on the comments and questions I received over the last few weeks:
- For those that have been out in mountain wilderness, in the middle of vast deserts or scuba diving, you know that being outdoors and confronting nature up close is very different than any photograph or television depiction. Being up close to massive icebergs – even larger than shown above is a moving experience. We stay a safe distance, but you can feel their enormity, as they sail close by.
- We have arranged for private chartered boats and helicopters allowing us to see the most dramatic glaciers and icebergs, and get far out on the ice sheet to see the meltwater streams and the thousands of vertical shafts (“moulins”) where the water plummets down more than a mile, eventually finding its way to the ocean.
- The maximum of 11 participants ensures a very personal, VIP custom experience, quite unlike typical large group tours.
- This is a true fact-finding expedition as we will be privileged to have private briefings with front-line scientists, Arctic experts, military leaders and locals, whose ancestors have lived there for generations.
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Walking on top of the Greenland Ice Sheet along a modest meltwater stream, with two small helicopters in the distance.
You will not be doing any noticeable damage to the environment. Everything there is done with great environmental concern. To put things in perspective, Greenland is larger than the eastern United States, 1,600 miles north to south – yet has a total population of just over 50,000 the least populated country in the world. They have extremely little impact on the climate change phenomenon, yet are bearing the brunt of the effect. The small “eco-tourism” that is now developing as people come to see what is occurring has been a boon to their economy; a real blessing that they truly appreciate.
- From a physical standpoint the trip is not very demanding. The photos in the 8-page brochure give a good depiction of the different situations that one would encounter. On one of our previous trips, a person who used a cane or walking stick for support found little difficulty.
- The temperatures in early September will be quite comfortable, almost certainly above freezing, up into “the forties” Fahrenheit, or single digits Celsius. Each member of the Expedition with receive a special Arctic parka which is theirs to keep.
Cost (Donation to nonprofit)
I will be leading this trip through our nonprofit, The International Sea Level Institute. www.sealevelinstitute.org. This fact-finding expedition is available when you become an Admiral’s level donor to The Institute. With that donation of twenty thousand dollars, the Institute will cover all costs of the trip starting in Reykjavik, Iceland. The Institute is a nonprofit with US 501c3 tax status, which may enable you to treat some or all of the cost as a tax-deductible contribution, as well as sponsorships by other nonprofits, family foundations, and trusts. (We can provide more information on this for you or your tax advisor.)
Special Offer – free airfare for those that reserve this month
As an added incentive, for anyone that pays the ten percent deposit of $2,000 to reserve one of the places by the end of March, we will add an extra benefit and pay their airfare to Reykjavik (up to a maximum of one thousand dollars.) This offer is only available until the trip is filled. There are only seven spots left. The balance of the twenty thousand dollar “donation” can be paid by June 15. For most, that means that the twenty thousand dollar support to our nonprofit will cover all costs, including flights, hotels, meals, private briefings, visits to the glacier calving face by boat, and private helicopter trip on the ice sheet.
If you are interested — or know someone who might be interested — please get in touch with me ASAP as we expect the trip to fill quickly. You can contact me by special email, greenland@johnenglander.net
Greenland changes a person’s understanding of the world. This trip will support the Institute’s work to help the world understand the challenge in front of us. We must rise to the challenge. Please join us if you are able!