Greenland

Overview

Now we return to the icy waters of the Arctic, the so called "mirror of life", that is also the title of the symposium. The unique ecosystem of this land is considered by researchers to be an "early warning system" about the consequences of the global climate change.
The effort to raise awareness, develop dialogue and create new environmental ethics now begins. Our ship starts to sail towards the Ilulissat Icefjord. On the road we watch icebergs detached from the "motherly" glacier slowly descend the fjord to the sea…

The glacier is being studied for 250 years and thanks to the easy access for the researcher this has contributed to the development of the science of the glacier studies, the observation of climate change and geomorphic processes.

From the point we stopped one can observe the global climate change taking place; the last 15 years the glacier has began to shrink and within two years time it has receded 5 km. The ice is melting extremely fast and the consequences can be devastating not only for Greenland but also for the entire planet.

If the ice of Greenland is completely melted experts say that the sea levels will rise about 7 meters globally, causing biblical disaster to the non-residential and coastal areas with a tremendous impact on the ecosystem, the man and the economy.

I thought it's so strange, that such a destructive process can generate so spectacular images! Each glacier is its own entity, has its own shape, its own direction to follow... Inside this landscape, on the bow of FRAM, the Ecumenical Patriarch, along with 12 representatives of monotheistic religions, prayed silently for the uncertain future of our planet that pays the price for the ecological damage that man has provoked.