A researcher from UCD has been studying the consequences of global warming high in the Arctic Circle, and its dangerous impact on the survival prospects of Inuit communities.
While on an expedition in Barrow, Alaska, Dr Cara Augustenborg captured the threat to the Inuit community in an award-winning short film.
Her three-minute documentary, “The Inupiat People of Barrow”, was voted one of the top 10 films in the World Bank’s International Film Contest for Climate Change.
“I’ll never forget all the experiences I’ve had on this trip,” Cara says.
Youth programme
Cara AugustenborgCara, who lives in Bray, Co Wicklow, holds a Masters and Doctorate in Environmental Science and Engineering. She is currently the Irish representative for Ben & Jerry’s Climate Change College.
This is an international youth programme to find innovative climate change solutions and put them into practice. Cara beat hundreds of other entrants for a place on the scheme.
“From understanding the way of life in Barrow and learning about all the important research going on in the Arctic to getting up close and personal to witness the retreat of the glaciers and thinning of sea ice – it is all burned in my memory and has definitely helped me to understand why we have to do as much as we can to halt climate change and become less dependent on fossil fuels,” she says.
“I was so moved by my conversations with the local people that I felt compelled to record some of their views on climate change.
“Before the expedition, I knew climate change was affecting wildlife and the environment, but I had no idea it was already impacting people and their traditional customs.
“My hope is that the film might inspire people to acknowledge their individual responsibility to help preserve traditional cultures around the globe by reducing their own carbon footprint here in Ireland.”
Green DIY
As part of the programme, Cara also developed a popular wiki-based website called GreenDIY.ie. It provides information and support for Irish homeowners to lower their carbon footprint by undertaking simple DIY projects in their homes.
Learn more
Read Cara Augustenborg ‘s blog about her Arctic research
View her documentary about the Inuit and climate change
Visit GreenDIY.ie and add your own questions or advice
Read Cara’s top 10 green DIY tips that she gave viewers on RTÉ’s Afternoon Show
