Our Changing Planet

As if we needed another reminder that things are changing in ways we have no idea how to deal with, scientists have discovered an island off the coast of Greenland that nobody ever knew was there because it was always covered with ice.
Now, as islands go, Qeqertaq Annavarleq (which means ‘northernmost island’ in Icelandic, according to the BBC) has a claim to fame, which is that it is the worlds northernmost island, in fact the northernmost land on the face of the Earth. And we never knew it was there. It’s as if the planet, on its way to uninhabitability, is revealing it’s true face to us.
As islands go, it’s not much. 60 meters by 30 meters, rock with a bit of mud. No resort with palm trees, no bar serving rum cocktails, no trees at all, no plants, no animals, no nothing. To make matters worse for poor Qeqertaq Annavarleq, it just barely juts up above the surface of the ocean so, as ocean levels rise, it will soon disappear again. A brief flicker of light, before the darkness.