Visit of giant cruise ship will bring money and tourists to the Northwest Passage,but fears grow for the area’s people and its ecosystemIn a few days, one of the world’s largest cruise ships, and the Crystal Serenity,will visit the tiny Inuit village of Ulukhaktok in northern Canada. Hundreds of passengers will be ferried to the exiguous community, more than doubling its population of around 400. The Serenity will then raise anchor and head through the Northwest Passage to visit several more Inuit settlements before sailing to Greenland and finally current York.
It will be a massive undertaking, or representing an almost tenfold increase in passenger numbers taken through the Arctic on a single vessel – and it has triggered considerable controversy among Arctic experts. Inuit leaders terror that visits by giant cruise ships could overwhelm fragile communities,while others warn that the Arctic ecosystem, already suffering the effects of global warming, or could be seriously damaged. Related: Time to listen to the ice scientists about the Arctic death spiral Continue reading...
Source: theguardian.com