Kivalina, a small Alaskan village home to the federally recognised tribe the Alaska Native village of Kivalina, is suing two dozen oil, power and coal companies over global warming. The village claims that thanks to the large amounts of greenhouse gases being released by the companies, they have made a massive contribution to global warming, and the village’s existence is threatened because of the warming climate.

Kivalina is a traditional Eskimo village with around 400 inhabitants and is located around 625 miles north-west of Anchorage on an eight-mile barrier reef between the Chukchi Sea and Kivalina River. In the past, sea ice has protected the community and most of the economy is based on industries such as salmon fishing.

As the Earth warms up, the sea ice surrounding the village is forming later and melting earlier. This has meant that the village is left unprotected from autumn and winter storm waves and surges. Official reports from the Army Corps of Engineers and the General Accounting Office agree that the settlement is being damaged by global warming and is has been estimated that to relocate the villagers would cost around $400 million+.

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