Thawing Arctic permafrost seems like a distant threat. It's not. | Broadview Magazine

Thawing Arctic permafrost seems like a distant threat. It's not. | Broadview Magazine

‘We’re losing the glue that holds the landscape together’

In Canada, land that scientists once thought would stay frozen forever is melting. Visceral descriptions of islands disgorging semi-frozen mud illustrate the catastrophic changes happening in the permafrost that underlies nearly half of Canada. As a result, people are losing their homes, infrastructure is failing and wildlife is struggling to adapt. “When permafrost thaws, we’re losing the glue that holds the landscape together,” says permafrost scientist Steve Kokelj.

Broadview | 18 min read