Extreme Temperature Diary-Friday January 23, 2026/ Main Topic: Why Greenland Is Indispensable to Global Climate Science – Guy On Climate
Dear Diary. It’s high time that I address the big political elephant in the room. Donald Trump wants to crookedly acquire Greenland for the United States, which has caused all sorts of consternation across the pond. NATO is seriously in jeopardy, which if disintegrated would cause a huge ugly reset of the world order. NATO is one reason for a stable world peace since 1945, although there have been conflicts such as the Vietnan War that did not turn into another world war since then. Could America become a pariah nation during 2026 getting allied only with Russia of all countries? Stay tuned.
Greenland is also extremely important as far as climate goes. If all of its ice were to melt the Earth’s oceans would rise twenty feet, which would indeed be catastrophic.
The Conversation has a new article about Greenland which I am reprinting for our main topic today:
Why Greenland is indispensable to global climate sciencePublished: January 9, 2026 12:39pm EST
 Maridav / shutterstock
A 30-minute stroll across New York’s Central Park separates Trump Tower from the American Museum of Natural History. If the US president ever found himself inside the museum he could see the Cape York meteorite: a 58-tonne mass of iron taken from northwest Greenland and sold in 1897 by the explorer Robert Peary, with the help of local Inuit guides.
For centuries before Danish colonisation, the people of Greenland had used fragments of the meteorite to make tools and hunting equipment. Peary removed that resource from local control, ultimately selling the meteorite for an amount equivalent to just US$1.5 million today. It was a transaction as one-sided as anything the president may now be contemplating.
But Donald Trump is now eyeing a prize much larger than a meteorite. His advocacy of the US taking control of Greenland, possibly by force, signals a shift from dealmaking to dominance. The scientific cost would be severe. A unilateral US takeover threatens to disrupt the open scientific collaboration that is helping us understand the threat of global sea-level rise.
Greenland is sovereign in everything other than defence and foreign policy, but by being part of the Kingdom of Denmark, it is included within Nato. As with any nation, access to its land and coastal waters is tightly controlled through permits that specify where work may take place and what activities are allowed.
 The Cape York Meteorite arrives in Brooklyn, 1897 (artist unknown). INTERFOTO / Alamy
Over many decades, Greenland has granted international scientists access to help unlock the environmental secrets preserved within its ice, rocks and seabed. US researchers have been among the main beneficiaries, drilling deep into the ice to explain the historic link between carbon dioxide and temperatures, or flying repeated Nasa missions to map the land beneath the ice sheet.
The whole world owes a huge debt of thanks to both Greenland and the US, very often in collaboration with other nations, for this scientific progress conducted openly and fairly. It is essential that such work continues.
The climate science at stakeResearch shows that around 80% of Greenland is covered by a colossal ice sheet which, if fully melted, would raise sea level globally by about 7 metres (the height of a two storey house). That ice is melting at an accelerating rate as the world warms, releasing vast amounts of freshwater into the North Atlantic, potentially disrupting the ocean circulation that moderates the climate across the northern hemisphere.
 Hundreds of glaciers flow from Greenland’s ice sheet to the ocean. Delpixel / shutterstock
The remaining 20% of Greenland is still roughly the size of Germany. Geological surveys have revealed a wealth of minerals, but economics dictates that these will most likely be used to power the green transition rather than prolong the fossil fuel era.
While coal deposits exist, they are currently too expensive to extract and sell, and no major oil fields have been discovered. Instead, the commercial focus is on “critical minerals”: high-value materials used in renewable technologies from wind turbines to electric car batteries. Greenland therefore holds both scientific knowledge and materials that can help guide us away from climate disaster.
Unilateral control could threaten climate scienceTrump has shown little interest in climate action, however. Having already started to withdraw the US from the Paris climate agreement for a second time, he announced in January 2026 the country would also leave the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, or IPCC, the global scientific body that assesses the impacts of continued fossil-fuel burning. His rhetoric to date has been about acquiring Greenland for “security” purposes, with some indications of accessing its mineral wealth, but without mention of vital climate research.
 A weather station on Disko Island, Greenland. Martin Nielsen / Alamy
Under the 1951 Greenland defence agreement with Denmark, the US already has a remote military base at Pituffik in northern Greenland, now focused on space activities. While both countries remain in Nato, the agreement already allows the US to expand its military presence if required. Seeking to guarantee US security in Greenland outside Nato would undermine the existing pact, while a unilateral takeover would risk scientists in the rest of the world losing access to one of the most important climate research sites.
Lessons from Antarctica and SvalbardGreenland’s sovereign status and its governance is different to some other notable polar research locations. For example, Antarctica has, for more than 60 years, been governed through an international treaty ensuring the continent remains a place of peace and science, and protecting it from mining and other environmental damage.
Svalbard, on the other hand, has Norwegian sovereignty courtesy of the 1920 Svalbard treaty but operates a largely visa-free system that allows citizens of nearly 50 countries to live and work on the archipelago, as long as they abide by Norwegian law. Interestingly, Norway claims that scientific activities are not covered by the treaty, to almost universal disagreement among other parties. Russia has a permanent station at Barentsburg, Svalbard’s second-largest settlement, from which small levels of coal are mined.
Unlike Antarctica or Svalbard, Greenland has no treaty that explicitly protects access for international scientists. Its openness to research therefore depends not on international law, but on Greenland’s continued political stability and openness – all of which may be threatened by US control.
If it is minded to take a radical approach, Greenland could develop its own treaty-style approach with selected partner states through Nato, enabling security cooperation, mineral assessment and scientific research to be carried out collaboratively under Greenlandic regulations.
The future for Greenland should lie with Greenlanders and with Denmark. The future of climate science, and the transition to a safe prosperous future worldwide, relies on continued access to the island on terms set by the people that live there. The Cape York meteorite – taken from a site just 60 miles away from the US Pituffik Space Base – is a reminder of how easily that control can be lost.
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Here are some “ETs” recorded from around the planet the last couple of days, their consequences, and some extreme temperature outlooks, as well as any extreme precipitation reports:
twitter.com
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Here is More Climate News from Friday:
"Analysis reveals powerful nor'easters, the 'perfect storms' of the Atlantic, are intensifying" | Nice piece on our recent @pnas.org article by Charles Blue (@science-dude.bsky.social) for @phys.org.web.brid.gy: phys.org/news/2025-07... — Michael E. Mann (@michaelemann.bsky.social) 2025-07-17T00:55:15.412Z
"A ‘Perfect Storm’: Extreme Winter Weather, Bitter Cold, and Climate Change" | My Jan 2018 commentary for @climaterealityproject.org: www.climaterealityproject.org/blog/perfect... — Michael E. Mann (@michaelemann.bsky.social) 2026-01-23T17:06:27.721Z
Notice how myopically Trump says Global Warming from the US while Australia burns.
It's always been Global Warming, and it's always been Climate Change. Big Oil and Wall Street were warned in 1959 by a famous scientist, but all they had to do was deny science. — WordLight💜🇺🇸🇺🇦🇨🇦🇩🇰🇮🇸🇸🇪🇳🇴🙏🏻 (@wordlightdotnet.bsky.social) 2026-01-23T17:27:12.724Z
Not much simpler than that. In the absence of stronger winter storms, and increased cold (and warm) advection, we would expect to see increases in both minimum & maximum temperatures everywhere. Here's our peer-reviewed article in PNAS. You're welcome to submit a reply!
www.pnas.org/doi/abs/10.1... — Michael E. Mann (@michaelemann.bsky.social) 2026-01-23T17:41:51.451Z
This week’s Talking Climate is a mega-edition, a deep dive into the hot and contentious topic of AI and climate.
If you’ve been wondering whether AI is a climate villain, a climate tool, or both, this edition’s for you. — Katharine Hayhoe (@katharinehayhoe.com) 2026-01-22T23:25:48.898Z
Dramatic rise in water-related violence recorded since 2022
Experts say #climate crisis, corruption and lack or misuse of infrastructure among factors driving water conflicts
www.theguardian.com/environment/... — Dr Paul Dorfman (@drpauldorfman.bsky.social) 2026-01-23T11:45:18.189Z
Half the world’s 100 largest cities are in high water stress areas.
Beijing, Delhi, Los Angeles and Rio de Janeiro among worst affected, with demand close to exceeding supply.
www.theguardian.com/environment/... — Dr Paul Dorfman (@drpauldorfman.bsky.social) 2026-01-23T11:08:23.968Z
UK National security assessment of #climate and biodiversity loss.
It is increasingly evident that our nation’s national security interests rely on moving further and faster towards net zero, to halt climate change and the breaching of dangerous tipping points.
eciu.net/media/press-... — Dr Paul Dorfman (@drpauldorfman.bsky.social) 2026-01-23T11:07:12.060Z
US Senators urge Ford to disclose suspected lobbying over Trump’s climate rollbacks
www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026... — Dr Paul Dorfman (@drpauldorfman.bsky.social) 2026-01-23T11:15:33.230Z
Great post by @bhensonweather.bsky.social on how climate warming threatens the future of the winter Olympic Games.
yaleclimateconnections.org/2026/01/to-s... — Dr. Jeff Masters (@drjeffmasters.bsky.social) 2026-01-22T20:17:58.400Z
The current storm appears to be a "Miller Type B" nor'easter: — Michael E. Mann (@michaelemann.bsky.social) 2026-01-23T19:00:39.546Z
Because snow and ice will overlap, posting each accumulation separately is the best way to visualize #snow vs #ice accumulations. Impressive! #WinterStorm — Jeff Berardelli (@weatherprof.bsky.social) 2026-01-22T22:57:36.110Z
These “cold air damming” / wedge events are something else!! Sunday. — Jeff Berardelli (@weatherprof.bsky.social) 2026-01-23T02:47:55.937Z
As TX heads into what may be the biggest ice storm of the year, let’s get one thing straight before the disinfo starts.
Solar and wind energy operate reliably in far colder places.
The real issue is simple: large parts of the grid are not appropriately winterized. When storms come, they fail. — Katharine Hayhoe (@katharinehayhoe.com) 2026-01-22T23:15:59.247Z
Check out this new op-ed in The Buffalo News from PCSSM Senior Research Fellow Dr. Joe Romm "Another Voice: New York’s $100 billion nuclear plan would worsen its affordability crisis": buffalonews.com/opinion/arti...
@michaelemann.bsky.social
#climate #energy #newyork — Penn Center for Science, Sustainability & the Media (@penncssm.bsky.social) 2026-01-23T17:04:03.762Z
Graph of the day: Batteries are beating solar to deliver the fastest energy transition in human history reneweconomy.com.au/graph-of-the... — Dr Paul Dorfman (@drpauldorfman.bsky.social) 2026-01-23T13:17:39.593Z
— Dr Paul Dorfman (@drpauldorfman.bsky.social) 2026-01-23T12:00:41.376Z
North Sea nations will vow to jointly build and protect wind sites.
Countries including UK, Germany and Netherlands pledge to jointly develop 100 gigawatts offshore wind capacity in North Sea and step up security.
www.bloomberg.com/news/article... — Dr Paul Dorfman (@drpauldorfman.bsky.social) 2026-01-23T11:12:14.346Z
China's windmills do spin: Scale, innovation and global impact news.cgtn.com/news/2026-01... via @cgtnofficial — Dr Paul Dorfman (@drpauldorfman.bsky.social) 2026-01-23T11:36:41.833Z
North Sea’s wind resource is vast – equivalent to 80 million barrels of oil a day, far exceeding Opec’s oil output on an energy equivalent basis, sharply lower household bills, and genuine energy independence for both Scotland and the wider UK.
www.scotsman.com/news/opinion... — Dr Paul Dorfman (@drpauldorfman.bsky.social) 2026-01-23T11:01:31.379Z
#Trump said at Davos that the North Sea’s oil reserves are “not depleted” and “it’s got 500 years'” worth of oil and gas left.
In fact there is roughly seven years' worth left.
www.thenational.scot/news/2578948... — Dr Paul Dorfman (@drpauldorfman.bsky.social) 2026-01-23T11:03:32.267Z
Japan suspends world's largest #nuclear plant hours after restart
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article... — Dr Paul Dorfman (@drpauldorfman.bsky.social) 2026-01-23T10:58:49.839Z
Climate advisory group the Trump administration assembled last year “met in secret and tailored their findings to contradict #climate science in order to achieve political aims”
subscriber.politicopro.com/article/2026... — Dr Paul Dorfman (@drpauldorfman.bsky.social) 2026-01-23T11:34:47.611Z
The “Reinvesting in Shoreline Economies and Ecosystems Act would create a dedicated revenue stream to fund coastal resiliency projects and lessen the impacts of storm surges and rising sea levels. Channeling money from offshore energy development to states to help them defray the costs makes sense.” — Dr. Jeff Masters (@drjeffmasters.bsky.social) 2026-01-23T15:43:45.226Z
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