“People from all around the world, politicians and scientists come to Greenland to see the inland ice,” she says. “We are at the centre of this.”
A significant portion of the ice sheet is thought to be on the verge of a tipping point, where melting could soon become unavoidable even if emissions are cut. The ice sheet is hugely important to stabilizing the global climate, as it provides a vast white region that reflects sunlight back into space. But as the ice melts, the reflective surface shrinks, leading to more warming and melting and in turn, sea level rise. Scientists say sea level rises of one to two metres is probably already inevitable.
Frederiksen knows that the melting ice sheet will have negative impacts on communities across Greenland, especially in northern settlements such as Qaanaaq where permafrost melting is destabilizing homes and roads and impacting how fishers and hunters operate.
But her real concern lies on the impact it will have globally. “I am not so scared of what the effects of the melting of ice in Greenland will be,” Frederiksen says, “It scares me what effect it can have for the rest of the world.”
Latest News
UN Association West
As part of the UN Association West journey to schools in Sogn og Fjordane, our College received a visit on Oct 16th. The occasion was used to finalize plans for joint events during International Week [...]
National Geographic
UWC Red Cross Nordic graduate Muyambi Muyambi (2005-2007) from Uganda - who we knew as Dickson - is currently featured in the online National Geographic as part of the interview series with their 'Travelers of [...]
UWC Maastricht
On Friday 11th October, His Royal Highness Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands officially opened the new UWC Maastricht campus. Our congratulations to all colleagues and friends in Maastricht and the Netherlands.