Cryo-History: Exploring Ice as Indicator of Change in Northern Environments and Societies

Ice is a defining northern and Arctic element. It is also a fugitive and shifting phenomenon. It has been useful for local societies since thousands of years. Melting glaciers and waning sea ice now serve as global indicators of anthropogenic climate change, while at the same time driving industrial development as it recedes. In this contribution I will speak briefly on these two sets of 'performing' ice, glaciers and sea ice, to show how their dynamic knowledge histories are interwoven with political, economic, military and other interests.