It is in the frozen landscapes of the Arctic where the story of the Legend Bracelet first took shape. Wanting to spread awareness about climate change, Kevin McCroary, the founder of Legend Bracelet, quit his job as an engineer for a large utility company and set out on a journey to to know more about the impacts climate change has on the environment. Kevin met and spoke with scientists on his trip to Greenland and Iceland to get a better understanding on what’s happening in the Arctic and how climate change is connected. Hearing from both scientists and locals of Greenland and Iceland how the Arctic is being impacted negatively by the warming of the planet alarmed Kevin and at the same time made him more determined to spread the word about this serious problem we are facing.
THE BIG THAW
The rapid thawing of Arctic permafrost is something that we should all be worried about. Scientists once predicted that permafrost in the Arctic will gradually thaw. But unfortunately, this is not the case. It is thawing at an unprecedented rate, almost overnight, geologically speaking.
As these landscapes of frozen soil and rock begin to thaw, large amounts of carbon and methane that have been locked frozen in the soil for thousands of years are released into the air. As more methane and carbon dioxide gets in our atmosphere, the planet becomes warmer and climate change will be accelerated.
Big Trouble for Our Polar Bears
When the ice goes, there’s nowhere for the polar bears to go. The Arctic is warming up faster than anywhere else due to climate change. Sea ice is melting and shrinking at an incredibly fast rate thus threatening the existence and survival of polar bears - destroying their natural habitat and making it harder for bears to hunt seals. They are starving because of the warming environment. The big thaw of permafrost is also bringing another problem for the polar bears. When permafrost thaws, it releases not only greenhouse gasses but also mercury. And this dangerous substance responsible for many ill effects, is getting into the polar bears.
The Climate Change Crisis
Climate change and its impacts are felt on a global scale from rampant and raging wildfires, higher temperatures, massive flooding, to stronger typhoons and drought. The fast-paced thawing of permafrost will only worsen these weather-related disasters brought about by climate change.
Scientists believe that if the planet continues to warm up, we are headed to a mass extinction event in the next 200 to 300 years where we lose 1/2 or 3/4 of the planet’s species.
Solving Our Climate Crisis
The Arctic Legend Bracelet was created to help spread awareness about the climate crisis we are facing. Legend Bracelet is proud to support Woodwell Climate Research Center in their enormous mission. One of the capsules of the bracelet contains permafrost from a sample that the scientists from Woodwell Climate Research Center are studying. It’s a reminder of the serious effects of climate change and that the Arctic needs to be protected. You can wear the Arctic Legend Bracelet proudly in support of the dedicated scientists of the Woodwell Climate Research Center working hard to solve climate change.
