Their lives and knowledge are immediately endangered by global warming, as evidenced by rising water levels in many areas, desertification in others and unpredictable weather patterns, virtually everywhere.

Although sea level rises have also begun to threaten the existence of such island nations as Kiribati and Fiji, it is feared that some of the remedial proposals, currently under consideration by the UNFCC may, in themselves, destroy the homes of many indigenous peoples.

Another major concern is the effect of global warming on the peoples and environment

of the Arctic Circle. The climate there has altered noticeably, during the past few years and shows no sign of abatement.

"When I was a child, I never heard thunder or saw lightning," Rosemary Kuptana, an Inuit leader from Canada, notes," but in the last few years, we’ve had thunder and lightning. The animals really don't know what to do, because they've never experienced this kind of phenomenon."

(For many years, the Inuit were called "eskimoes".)

Ms Kuptana works with the International Institute for

Sustainable Development, which has produced a film documenting changes in the Arctic environment, including the unprecedented appearance of unfamiliar birds, animals and insects. The more familiar seals and polar bears are moving farther away from the Inuit and other Arctic peoples.

She adds that "We don't even have words, in our language, for many of these new animals and birds. We also now even see bumblebees and mosquitoes."

Perhaps, malaria may soon replace frostbite, as the danger of the North.