The effects of global warming are often said to be disastrous for Greenland. But some people on the world's largest island also see opportunities, political and economic. Kieran Cookereports from Illulisat in western Greenland.
High up on the Sermeq Kujalleq glacier above Illulisat in western Greenland the realities of climate change are plain to see.
The surface of Sermeq Kujalleq (also called the Jakobshavn glacier) 250km inside the Arctic Circle, is littered with deep caverns which glow a startling blue amid the vast icy whiteness. Every second, thousands of litres of meltwater rush down these apertures called moulins, lubricating the base of the glacier many hundreds of metres below.
Temperatures in the Arctic are rising by more than twice the global average and one of the world's biggest glaciers is moving and melting at an ever increasing rate. At one point over the past year scientists were shocked to find a portion of Sermeq Kujalleq had moved 5km in only 1½ hours.
"For much of the rest of the world talk of rising temperatures might seem alarmist and something to be considered only in the future," says Aleqa Hammond, minister for finance and foreign affairs. "But what is happening up on the glacier shows that for us living here climate change is a present-day reality."
Greenland, the world's biggest island but with only 56,000 people, was colonised by Danish and Norwegian traders and missionaries in the early 18th century. After a referendum in the late 1970s the territory was granted internal autonomy with Denmark maintaining control of defence, foreign policy and constitutional affairs.
Hammond, along with many other Greenlanders, wants full independence. While she is well aware of the considerable adverse consequences of a warming Arctic, she also sees climate change as offering economic and political opportunities unimaginable 10 years ago.
"I am from a family of hunters," says Hammond. "My uncles still hunt walrus and polar bears but melting ice means that way of life is disappearing. Yet climate change is certainly not all bad news for us - there are exciting developments that could mean the old dependence on Denmark can finally be broken."
At present Copenhagen provides more than 50 per cent of Greenland's budget, equivalent to about €10,000 per year per person. However, a big jump in the value of Greenland's all-important fisheries industry, plus more productivity from its agriculture, has led to an economic boom and could, says Hammond, lead to fiscal and eventual political independence.
"Warmer seas plus a rise in nutrients in the waters has resulted in better halibut and cod stocks and, of course, their price on the world market is higher than it's ever been," she says. "And in the south of Greenland warmer weather means sheep farmers can leave their animals out to grass a month longer than in the old times, and we're growing more and more vegetables."
What is seen by many as the positive side of climate change is evident in the lush meadows near Qassiarsuk, where Vikings under Erik the Red first landed in the 10th century. Alongside fields of barley are small plots where potatoes and radishes are grown. "This year I could buy broccoli grown here for the very first time," says Buuti Pedersen, a local resident. "And whereas before we had to import flowers, now we can grow our own."
But the biggest benefit could be a bonanza in oil and gas. "Because there is less ice it means that great areas which were not accessible before can now be explored," says Hammond. "Already the oil and gas companies are queuing up to talk about licences."
Greenland is also believed to have plentiful supplies of minerals, including gold and diamonds. In summer, when prospecting is possible over thousands of acres of rock and wilderness, helicopters and aircraft are filled with eager explorers bent on finding the new Klondike.
Hammond's big ambition is to earn millions for Greenland by harnessing the territory's vast water sources. "Waters from glacial melt could fuel any number of hydroelectric power schemes," says the minister. "This could be used for industry here or, when the cables are in place, for export to North America and to Europe."
Talks with Alcoa, the US aluminium giant, on building in Greenland what will be one of the world's biggest smelters are said to be at an advanced stage. The melting of the Arctic ice also means that new shipping routes, including the famed North West passage, could be readily accessible to ever greater volumes of traffic: plans are under way to develop several ports and other facilities on Greenland's coasts.
Not everyone is convinced that Greenland will benefit from the dramatic retreat of the ice. Aqqaluk Lynge is a member of Greenland's Inuit community, a politician and a poet who has long fought for the rights of the indigenous people.
"Yes, we want development," he says. "We want our independence. But we do not want to lose our soul in the process. For hundreds, possibly thousands of years, the Inuit have adapted. We will continue to do so. But climate change threatens our whole culture and our sense of identity. The indigenous people must have a voice in all this."
There are also those who cast doubt on just how long-lasting the economic boom being brought about by climate change will be. Fisheries experts say that there have been several examples around the world of fish catches rapidly expanding, as in Greenland at present, only to crash suddenly a year later.
Prof Minik Rosing, a Greenland geologist, says it is unlikely the territory will become the new Saudi Arabia. He says most oil and gas deposits are too deep or inaccessible for commercial exploitation. There are also concerns that the native population would not be able to cope with any sudden bonanza.
"How are we going to deal with all those thirsty multinationals and their lawyers?" says one Greenlander, pointing out that half the working population now work in the government bureaucracy. "We just don't have the expertise. The outsiders will come and swallow us. It is much better to be left alone."
But being left alone is unlikely to be an option. The race for the Arctic and its resources is on, with Canada, Norway, the US, Russia and Denmark - as guardian of Greenland - all claiming ownership.
In August two Russian submarines planted a Russian flag on the seabed under the North Pole, making a claim to thousands of miles of undersea territory. The US military maintains a large base at Thule in northern Greenland, a possible site for missile emplacements under Washington's new defence system.
As the battle for the Arctic's resources heats up, the area could become a military flashpoint.
"Everyone knows the Arctic belongs to Greenland," says Hammond with a smile. "I know there are disadvantages to climate change, not just within Greenland but in the wider world. But we also have to be positive about our future and look forward.
"For too long, because of the connection with Denmark, we've been classified as part of Europe. But we are not Europeans. We don't think like them. All we Greelanders want is our independence."