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FIRE

Danish firefighters to help tackle blaze in Greenland

38 firefighters from Denmark have been sent to Greenland in an attempt to put out a wildfire currently burning on the Arctic island.

Published: 13 August 2019 15:30 CEST
Danish firefighters to help tackle blaze in Greenland
Ukkusissat in western Greenland. File photo: Linda Kastrup/Ritzau Scanpix

The firefighters will travel to Greenland, and autonomous territory of Denmark, in a Hercules aircraft supplied by the Danish military.

They will help local emergency services to fight wildfires which have blazed since the beginning of July and are persisting in peaty subterranean areas between Sisimiut and Kangerlussuaq, in the western part of Greenland.

Authorities in Greenland took the step of requesting help from Denmark last weekend.

“I think it’s important for us to help and support Greenland when they ask for our help,” Danish defence minister Trine Bramsen said.

“We have a very special bond throughout our kingdom, so I listen extra carefully when the call for help comes from Greenland,” Bramsen added.

The Danish contingent consists of 16 national service soldiers, 8 volunteers and 14 specialist full-time firefighters, said Jens Oddershede, leader of the international section of the Danish Emergency Management Agency (Beredskabsstyrelsen).

“They will be particularly tasked with establishing a breakage line to contain the fire and stop it spreading further,” Oddershede said.

The Danish mission is expected to last around 14 days and cost up to 3 million kroner.

Police in Greenland believe the wildfire to have started on July 8th, caused by a smoking oven.

READ ALSO: Danish climate body wrongly reported Greenland heat record

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ENVIRONMENT

Greenland passes law banning uranium mining

Greenland's parliament voted Tuesday to ban uranium mining and exploration in the vast Danish territory, following through on a campaign promise from the ruling left-wing party which was elected earlier this year.

Published: 10 November 2021 09:31 CET
Greenland's parliament voted on November 9th to ban uranium mining. Prime Minister Mute Egede, pictured, said earlier this month he wanted to join the Paris climate agreement.
Greenland's parliament voted on November 9th to ban uranium mining. Prime Minister Mute Egede, pictured, said earlier this month he wanted to join the Paris climate agreement. File photo: Emil Helms/Ritzau Scanpix

The Inuit Ataqatigiit (IA) party won snap elections in April that were originally triggered by divisions over a controversial uranium and rare earth mining project.

The IA won 12 seats in the 31-seat Greenlandic national assembly, beating its rival Siumut, a social democratic party that had dominated politics in the island territory since it gained autonomy in 1979.

On Tuesday 12 MPs in the national assembly voted to ban uranium mining, with nine voting against. 

The IA had campaigned against exploiting the Kuannersuit deposit, which is located in fjords in the island’s south and is considered one of the world’s richest in uranium and rare earth minerals.

The project, led by the Chinese-owned Australian group Greenland Minerals, has not yet been officially abandoned.

But French group Orano announced in May it would not launch exploration despite holding permits to do so.

The massive natural riches of the vast island — measuring two million square kilometres, making it larger than Mexico — have been eyed by many, but few projects have been approved.

The island is currently home to two mines: one for anorthosite, whose deposits contain titanium, and one for rubies and pink sapphires.

While Greenland’s local government is not opposed to all mining activities, it has also banned all oil exploration over concerns for the climate and the environment.

Earlier this month Prime Minister Mute Egede said he wanted to join the Paris climate agreement, which Greenland is one of the few countries not to have ratified.

READ ALSO: Greenland seabed scoured for marine diamonds

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