ICC chair testifies in Washington

SIKU CIRCUMPOLAR NEWS SERVICE

Sheila Watt-Cloutier, chair of the Inuit Circumpolar Conference, provided written testimony last week to the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation about the threat posed by climate change to Inuit.

Her testimony was referred to repeatedly during the proceedings when the committee heard a briefing on the Arctic Council’s Arctic Climate Impact Assessment, a study of climate in the circumpolar region to be tabled in at the council’s meeting next November.

“Inuit are facing the beginning of a possible end of a way of life that has allowed us to thrive for millennia because of the climate changes caused by global warming. It is predicted that is some 50 years polar bears, walrus and some species of seals will be pushed to extinction. What will be left of our culture is this comes to pass?”

Watt-Cloutier urged the U.S. to take moves to curb emissions of greenhouse gases, believed to be linked to global warming.

“Without such immediate action, not only are Inuit in peril, but the entire planet is at risk,” Watt-Cloutier said.