Climate change is a long-term change in a region's climate. This includes the entire Earth changing from what is considered normal. These changes can include temperature, wind patterns, or precipitation (rain and snow) levels. Climate change takes place naturally over time because of many different factors, like the distance from the Earth to the Sun, the intensity of sunlight, and the amount of particulate matter in the air reflecting sunlight back into space.
Climate refers to long-term, average weather patterns in a geographic area. Climate conditions (“normals”) are calculated for longer time intervals, such as average weather conditions over 30 years. Weather is what you see outside your window today, or the pattern you notice over shorter time spans (for example, a “rainy week”). Scientists predict that extreme weather events will become more frequent and intense because of changes in the climate.
“The snow and sea water mixes while it’s freezing and we call it punnirujuk (similar to lard-like mix) and that is why it deteriorates so much easily now. The kind of mix will accumulate down wind blocked by the land.”
“The weather is totally different now…I have noticed a lot of frozen rivers (sirmiliit) had melted that I used to see. The frozen rivers are still melting and quite far from the sea now.”
"Today we don’t seem to be prepared for the changes that affect everyday life. People are dying of exposure and they are not prepared for the unpredictable weather."
“In respect to the snowfall, it is noticeable that there is less snowfall occurring than in the past. If I were to cite an example, the sea ice here used to have more snow cover and these days it has hardly any snow cover.”
“I have noticed the changes and especially this last year. It has not really snowed at all this year. In that I mean a real snowstorm, and we have yet to experience a blizzard this winter. There are reports of blizzards on the radio, but that is only natiruviaq, a small blizzard, not a real one”
The Nunavut Climate Change Centre is devoted to including Nunavut communities in their projects and outreach. Over the last few years, we have had the opportunity to visit multiple communities including Rankin Inlet, Arviat and Cape Dorset.
This research looks at the causes of search and rescue (SAR) and more broadly unintentional injuries on the land in Nunavut. We focus on SAR because of the health and cultural importance to being on the land. Further, SAR costs the Government of Nunavut roughly $850,000 annually and in 2015 represented over 450 individuals requiring assistance.
The People, Animals, Water, and Sustenance (PAWS) Project is interested in gaining a better understanding of the relationships Iqaluit Inuit have with dogs, water, and food. Currently there are gaps in our understanding of the interactions between dogs, water, and food in a Northern context. In-depth interviews on these topics coupled with sampling of dog feces, water, and clams will help us understand how these relationships interact together and how these relationships may be changing.