“Arctic Angels” is a women-led, intergenerational network working to save our polar regions by protecting the Arctic from threats such as rising temperatures via global warming, deep-sea mining, and drilling for oil and gas. At the time written, Arctic Angels had 21 women leaders from 11 countries, with the youngest being 9 years old and the oldest 32. Author Yessenia Funes introduces a few of the Arctic Angels in her article including Divya Nawale, an advocate on behalf of both the North and South poles; Emma Grace Wilkinson, who serves as a mentor and leader to women and girls as the Arctic Angels coordinator; and Iluuna Sørensen, a woman from Greenland who has seen changes in the country’s landscape and unpredictability of weather patterns since her childhood. Unlike Antarctica, the North Pole is not protected by international treaties or agreements that focus on resource extraction or private interests, which makes the region vulnerable to oil and gas drilling. Sea levels rise as glaciers melt. As the ice disappears, the Earth has fewer surfaces to repel sunrays, which permanently traps more heat in our atmosphere. The 2020 publication of the Arctic Report Card detailed the large transformations taking place in the region due to record-breaking temperatures, the only way to stop the ice crisis is to substantially reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The Arctic Angels are all working diligently on a mission to save the North Pole and our planet by uplifting women’s leadership in climate movements.
