Guest speaker Carlos Velazquez addressed the problem of climate change Monday, talking about how it has caused the ice of the Arctic to melt Monday and focusing on the disappearing culture of the Inuit tribes.

The event was organized by the Institute for Environmental Studies.

When asked why Velazquez was invited for a presentation, program coordinator Melissa Burlingame explained the value of his experience added something science didn’t.

“We learn a lot about the science, but Carlos Velazquez has been up there with the Inuit so he can describe the impact of climate change on real people,” Burlingame said.

During the presentation, Velazquez shared stories and information he had gathered from his trips to visit the Inuit of Nunavut, Canada.

Velazquez explained that the changing climate is already causing the Inuit people to lose some of their culture. Because of increased temperatures due to climate change, ice is melting and mixing freshwater into the ocean.

This is a problem for the Inuit people because freshwater freezes at a higher temperature than saltwater. Their ancient technique of tapping the ice to determine its thickness no longer works and makes it almost impossible to live on the ice as they have.

The thawing of the ice is also causing the Inuit’s ancient hunting grounds and sacred sites to change or disappear altogether. Not only does this affect the people’s ability to hunt and gather food, it makes it difficult for them to pass on ancient techniques and traditions.

Although these problems are effects of climate change, Velazquez’s presentation was more about the Inuit people themselves than global warming. He discussed their customs, artwork and even shared stories about the people he had met. He showed videos of the Inuit women’s custom of “throat singing,” which is actually a contest to see who laughs first.

Velazquez explained that he wanted to focus on the lives of the Inuit people.

“They’re not just facts and figures. They’re people,” Velazquez said.

He believes the Inuit can be helped by educating them about the rest of the world and by informing the world about the Inuit and their struggles.

“Education is the focal point of the whole thing,” he said. “As long as people know what’s going on they can have some kind of impact and help change things.”

Melissa Lenczewski, director of the Institute for Environmental Studies, said education is the most important thing in combating climate change.

“What we are doing down here is impacting people we don’t know anything about, and we need to be aware of that,” she said.