A Greenlandic startup has been accused of shipping ice from a 100,000-year-old glacier to be used in cocktails served at upscale bars in Dubai, causing severe damage to the environment.
Arctic Ice, launched this year, touts its product as the “oldest and purest” ice in the world because it is harvested from icebergs in Greenland, more than 7,730 miles from the Middle East’s metropolis. There is.
Manufacturers say they want their business model to emphasize the impact of global warming on ice sheets and even halt sea level rise, but their plans have been met with a lukewarm reception.
“Guys. This is crazy,” one person wrote in the comments section of Arctic Ice’s Instagram page in response to the promotional video. “The earth is burning abnormally.”
of Company website It’s a stark reminder that the ice used to chill drinks in glitzy drinking fountains on the other side of the world comes from icebergs that have already broken off naturally from glaciers and are floating in Greenland’s Nuuk Fjord. .
“We do not harvest ice from glaciers. Millions or even billions of tons of ice are broken off from glaciers each year,” the site emphasizes. “So our production volumes are very limited and the impact is very minimal.”
Additionally, Arctic Ice claims that by harnessing icebergs that would otherwise melt into the ocean, it prevents ice from contributing to sea level rise.
Selected iceberg chunks are carefully inspected before being hoisted by crane onto the company’s vessel, where they are broken into smaller pieces with a sanitized chainsaw and hammer and packed into distressed food-grade wooden crates for transport. You can
Samples are then taken from each iceberg and sent to a third-party laboratory to test for the presence of potentially harmful ancient microorganisms and bacteria.
The ice is then packed into refrigerated shipping containers for international shipping and transported to Dubai, where it is distributed to local bars and restaurants.
Arctic Ice minimizes its environmental impact by leveraging existing freight routes and reducing carbon emissions per container shipped to and from Greenland, while raising awareness of the Arctic. It claims that its operations are designed to limit the number of incidents.
But not everyone is convinced that shredding icebergs and shipping them to desert cities on fossil-fuel-powered ships is a net positive for the planet.
“Global warming and businesses like this are destroying the planet…why exploit Mother Earth even more?!” one critic posted on Arctic Ice’s social media page.
“As if we’re doing good for the Earth…even though we’re helping destroy it!” another one gushed.
Marik Rasmussen, co-founder of Arctic Ice told CNN He is surprised by the backlash.
“I knew there would be criticism, but I didn’t expect it to turn into death threats and constant harassment,” he said.
The company promises customers that its ice is “uncontaminated in any way by modern industry,” and unlike ice made from tap or mineral water, it has little taste, making it an ideal choice for drinks. It doesn’t change the flavor. melt.
But Jennifer Francis, a senior scientist at the Woodwell Climate Research Center, told CNN she wasn’t impressed with Arctic Ice’s pitch.
“I would put this in the category of very energy-wasting gimmicks that appeal to the super wealthy,” she said. “No one can tell the difference between the taste of glacial ice and non-glacial ice.”
Rasmussen disagrees, arguing that beyond the pure taste, the ice’s higher density means it melts slower than garden-variety ice, making it a unique experience.
The fledgling business has big plans for the future, including the use of more efficient hybrid and battery-powered vessels and the reuse of all shipping containers. The ultimate goal is to offset twice as much CO2 as emissions, but the company admits there is “much work to do” in that direction.
