At the
Iceberg Bank, the fjord is so densely packed with icebergs and ice floes it
looks like you could walk on it. You cannot. It is constantly in movement and
constantly undergoing change. 
The icebergs
move at up to 40 m per day – somewhat speedier than in 2001 when the maximum
velocity was 19 m per day. The increased speed is probably due to global
warming. Another symptom of global warming here is that the front of the
glacier is steadily retreating.
As you
probably (hopefully) all know, global warming has a strong effect on the
Arctic. A recent scientific review showed that 97 percent of scientists and
scientific articles agree that global warming is caused by humans. (Check out
the article here.) What are we waiting for? Let’s get our act together!
Fortunately,
here and there you can find politicians with brains. Climate-aware politicians
and others seeking to get a handle on global warming while gleaning a bit of
publicity regularly come to the Icefjord with film crews. It is an easy walk
out to the Icefjord along a boardwalk, so even Trump could get out here in his
golf cart, if he had a mind to. 
The
boardwalk protects the delicate ecosystem and the traces of old Thule
settlements. Ilullisat Icefjord is extremely rich in fish and sea mammals. The
seal, in particular was crucial for people’s survival. It supplied them with
meat, blubber and skin, i.e. food, clothing, light, heating and other materials
– and still does, although to a lesser extent. The sea here is so rich in
animals because the melting icebergs stir up the nutrients in the water.
The Thule
people certainly picked a place with a good view.
After my
visit to the fjord I hike further along the coast before turning left back into
town, passing numerous sled dog places on the way.
