They have also looked at how both changes in the vegetation and energy development could affect caribou. This local knowledge and scientific information is being combined to address community concerns. For example, scientists predict that global warming could increase snowfall in the North. Deeper snow might alter the herd s migration pattern and make it harder for people to get out on the land, affecting people s ability to hunt caribou. The word bothers some community people because it suggests that the status quo is acceptable.
Northern residents prefer to think in terms of community goals.
Local knowledge and scientific research is being integrated in the Possible Futures Model. Kofinas explains that the purpose of the model is not to predict what life will be like 40 years down the road, but to generate discussion about change. When people can visualize the results that different changes can bring, it can make it easier to set priorities for shaping those changes to reflect community values. The model also helps to identify what additional research is needed. The researchers are under no illusion that they can predict the future with any accuracy.