Arctic Thaw: People of the Whale in a Changing Climate

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 cooperative endeavor 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? In this Society of School Librarians International Honor Book, Peter Lourie accompanies climate scientists to the North Slope. He observes Inupiat life. He learns from experts about global climate change. And he comes away with an understanding we will all need in order to tackle the challenge of global warming—the Inupiat way of sharing and consideration for others.