Climate alternate in Lapland: Reindeer herders warfare as worldwide warming threatens their future

 Reindeer herders in Lapland, Finland, are already affected by climate change, as the Arctic warms three times faster than the rest of the globe. 

 Reindeer breeder Ann Orilla, 10 km from the ArcticaCircle, goes on an adventure to feed herds at temperatures of 25 ° C. This becomes an increasingly important task as animals struggle to get enough food for themselves.  A 20-year study of reindeer in the Svalbard Islands of Norway by the James Hutton Institute  

 found that reindeer were already smaller and lighter in 2016. And researchers believe that climate change is the cause. 

By Dolores Katanich 

• Reindeer herders in Lapland, Finland, are already affected by climate change, as the Arctic warms three times faster than the rest of the globe. 

•  Reindeer breeder Ann Orilla, 10 km from the Arctic Circle, goes on an adventure to feed herds at temperatures of 25 ° C. This becomes an increasingly important task as animals struggle to get enough food for themselves. A 20-year study of reindeer in the Svalbard Islands of Norway by the James Hutton Institute  

•  Found that reindeer were already smaller and lighter in 2016. And researchers believe that climate change is the cause. 

•  Attempting to limit future warming to 1.5 ° C was COP26's "overall goal" and a survival goal under the Glasgow Declaration. Scientists say keeping global warming at these levels helps avoid, or at least mitigate, some of the most devastating effects of climate change. 

•  According to the Finnish Meteorological Institute, the average temperature in Lapland has risen by 1.5 ° C over the last 150 years. 

 Related 

1.  This snowboard maker turns green using solar energy from the desert  
2.  This small town in Finland is leading the way as a sustainable model  city 
3.  Narwhal suffers from noisy ships and airsoft in the Arctic, according to new research 
4.  Finnish winters are becoming more volatile 
5.  “Winter has become even more volatile for at least 20 to 30 years,” says Ollila. 

 Warm winter means more rain. When it rains on the snow, it freezes and holds the reindeer's food under the ice like lichens. This means that animals cannot smell or dig it. Researchers believe that reindeer starve to death, abort calves, and give birth to much lighter cubs. 

 According to the Finnish Reindeer Breeders Association, there are about 200,000 reindeer and about 4,400 owners in the country. 

 Under pressure from mining, forestry, and land use, shepherds are afraid that climate change may mean the end of their traditional lifestyle. 

 Watch the video above to see how climate change affects reindeer.