Arctic Thaw: People of the Whale in a Changing Climate - Tapa dura

""A somewhat sobering, yet upbeat examination of the probable effects of global warming on the culture of the Inupiaq whale hunters of Alaska's North Slope.""--School Library Journal ""[A] timely photo-essay.""--School Library Journal ""A perfect book to help young people understand how the world is changing and why that matters, but in a way that won't overwhelm them.""--Bill McKibben, author of "The End of Nature" "[A] timely photo-essay. . . . Helpful backmatter includes a glossary, suggested reading, index and short list of simple things the reader can do as well to fight global climate change." --"Kirkus Reviews" "An up-to-the-minute window into a fast-changing world - with hopeful overtones." --"School Library Journal" "The juxtaposition of testimony from those who put their faith in scientific data and those who embody generations of experience is valuable, as are Lourie's occasional observations on groups who would actually benefit economically from a diminished ice cap." --"Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books"

Scientists no longer debate whether the global climate is changing. Earth's atmosphere is warming up, and temperatures are rising twice as fast in the Arctic as the global average. How will climbing temperatures affect the ancient culture of the Inupiat people of Alaska's North Slope? Their culture revolves around the tradition of hunting bowhead whales from a platform of ice on the water. The hunt is the great co-operative endeavour that brings the community together to work, store food for lean times, tell stories, dance, and give new life to old traditions. Now the permafrost is thawing, and increasing dangers await whale hunters as the sea ice becomes fragile. Are these effects due to global warming, or is this a case of local weather foreshadowing a grim future for the Inupiat?