During the Cold War the United States built a military base, Camp Century, in Greenland. Originally the base was meant to be used to have ballistic missiles within striking range of Russia. However, that plan was rejected and the nuclear reactor was removed, while the rest of the site was just abandoned. The U.S. military left thousands of tons of waste at the site, including hazardous radioactive waste and chemicals. They figured that all the waste would be covered up by the snow and it is but only 120 feet below the surface. It may seem deep under the surface but as the climate continues to change and the temperature keeps on rising the snow is melting at a rate that could become faster than the rate the snow falls. If that happens the hazardous waste could surface by the end of the century, rather than in tens of thousands of years as it was originally thought. The surfacing of the waste could affect nearby ecosystems. Climate change is a huge problem that has many consequences besides a little more heat. Camp Century is a example of the threat that climate change poses. As the temperature continues to rise Camp Century could be exposed and so could all of the hazardous waste. The U.S. military was not responsible in getting rid of the waste when they abandoned the base, and now they need to take responsibility and find a way to minimize the damage. http://www.climatecentral.org/news/greenland-melt-hazardous-cold-war-waste-20586
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Gisselle PazArchives
December 2016
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