Having visited the southern extremity of our planet, Antarctica, in February this year (The Sunday Express, March 8, 2009), I had the rare privilege of making a very special journey to the Arctic Ocean in the far north early this month. The occasion was the fourth Greenland Dialogue initiated by the Danish Government, as a run up to the Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen scheduled for December this year.

A group of about 30 ministers and special envoys on climate change were invited by Danish Minister Connie Hedegaard to Ilulissat on the coast of the island of Greenland, to toss around ideas and exchange opinions on various climate-related issues in a setting framed by giant icebergs floating in the icy waste of the Arctic Ocean. Over a period of three days (July 1 to 3), the group had the opportunity to personally witness the melting of the Arctic ice cap, the subtle but perceptible changes to the fragile ecology of the world’s largest island, Greenland, and hear acclaimed scientists as well as ordinary residents give an account of changing climate phenomenon at the very top of the world.

Greenland is now a self-governing and autonomous State, while retaining a close association with Denmark. Except for a thin coastal strip in its southern extremity, the island is covered with permafrost. It is home to several large glaciers which move down into the Arctic sea through deep, carved valleys. Ilulissat, which means ‘icebergs’ in the local language, is situated at the terminus of the largest glaciers in the area, called Sermermiut Kujalleq. It is the large chunks of ice, breaking away from the glacier, that enter the Disko Bay and float into the ocean like giant pieces of sculpture. These icebergs have an incredible variety of shapes. Some are brilliant white; others have a subtle underlay of blue; still others are a mix of dull grey and sombre off-white. A cruise in the Arctic, zig-zagging among a veritable frost of icebergs, is an incredible experience, especially, as we were also rewarded with the rare sight of a couple of hump-back whales crashing through the icy waters in a gentle, almost lazy, glide.

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