Climate change is a very real epidemic, studied by thousands of scientific scholars and researchers for decades. However, many people are unfamiliar with how global warming affects rural and indigenous communities today. Here is a little more information about how climate change is impacting western Alaska, and how buying your hats and scarves locally could help the problem. 

Understanding the Impact of Climate Change

How Is Climate Change Affecting Western Alaskans? 

While global warming has caused climate change across the world in the form of more aggressive storms and new weather patterns, the fact of the matter is the small villages based at the edge of the Arctic are some of the most heavily impacted areas. For instance, in Shishmaref, Alaska, located on an island five miles from the mainland, the ice that typically freezes the ocean solid is forming later and thawing earlier, interfering with the locals’ abilities to cross into mainland Alaska.

In Newtok, Alaska, global warming is thawing ice and permafrost so quickly that it is causing significant land erosion. As a result, homes are becoming unstable and unusable, and in some cases even tumbling into the sea. The problem has gotten so severe that town citizens recently asked the federal Denali Commission for $15 million dollars to rebuild homes in new areas closer inland. 

What Can You Do To Help? 

Although many people wonder what they can do to help people so far away, the answer might hit closer to home than you think. Many of these native people rely on handmade goods such as knit hats and stoles to generate personal income, giving them the chance to rebuild or relocate their homes. By choosing to purchase these locally-made goods like hats, scarves, apparel, or home decor items, you can help these people in their efforts to relocate and improve their quality of life.

If your friends comment on a hat or scarf you purchased from indigenous artisans, tell your friends about how their investment in these products could help. You can also help to stop global warming by becoming more environmentally conscious. Spread the word about how climate change is impacting others, and do what you can to conserve, recycle, and reuse.

Stopping global warming falls on all of us. Consider doing what you can to buy local, travel less, and reduce your carbon footprint. An easy first step is to invest in the products produced by Oomingmak Musk Ox Producers Co-Operative, a cooperative owned by about 250 Native Alaskan women. They have been committed to creating high-quality qiviut quilts, hats, scarves, and apparel since 1969. A material naturally shed from the Arctic musk ox, qiviut is warm and downy, perfect for visiting the Alaskan arctic. Place an order online today, or give the group a call at (907) 272-9225 for other inquiries.