More at Stake than Land
Melting ice is eroding not just land but a way of life. Coastal erosion is forcing the village of Shishmaref, Alaska, to relocate to the mainland. The price tag could exceed $180 million.
In Shishmaref, Alaska, where food costs are triple those of typical U.S. cities, hunting is an economic necessity. Bearded seals—the staple of the community’s diet—have become harder to hunt as sea ice has decreased.
- Map The M Factory © Smithsonian Institution
- At the village’s present site, no places remain to move houses away from the eroding coastline. Other coastal villages may face the same fate.
- Photo © Gary Braasch / worldviewofglobalwarming.org
- Two Shishmaref residents relax at the site of their former home that was eroded by the sea.
- Photo © Bryan and Cherry Alexander Photography
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