At a time when the Arctic ice is melting at an alarming rate due to global warming, a Greenlandic entrepreneur had a ‘cool’ idea: he sells glacier ice to the United Arab Emirates, where it ends up in exclusive cocktails.
‘Arctic Ice’, the name of founder Malik Vahl Rasmussen’s startup, was founded in 2022, but only recently delivered the first blocks of ice, reports the ‘Guardian’. The business model is basically simple: ice is collected in the fjords of Greenland, which is then sold to exclusive bars in the Emirates, such as Dubai, where it ends up in expensive cocktails. In Greenland, glacial ice is common in drinks, but it has never been exported.
“Puriest water on earth”
Entrepreneur Rasmussen praises the benefits of his product: Because the ice has been compressed for thousands of years, it contains no air bubbles and melts more slowly than conventional ice cubes. Because the ice layers have never been contaminated by human activities, it is “the purest water on Earth,” says the startup’s website about the Arctic ice.
The company advertises exclusivity and high quality online.
The company receives a lot of criticism on social media. The idea of transporting ice around the world in times of climate change seems absurd and harmful to the climate to many observers and commentators. ‘Arctic Ice’ claims exactly the opposite: the ice is environmentally friendly and has social value. It is selected in the fjords, which are usually already full of icebergs, loaded onto a boat and later brought to Denmark in refrigerated containers.
From there it is then shipped to Dubai. Because Greenland imports a lot of frozen goods and the containers would otherwise be returned empty, the first part of the journey is very low in CO2, the company said. In the future, however, the country wants to become globally carbon neutral and offset its footprint through ice exports.
Startup wants to boost the Greenland economy
The main motivation for startup founder Rasmussen is to stimulate the economy in his home country in order to become more financially independent from Denmark. The country currently accounts for 55 percent of Greenland’s total budget. “In Greenland we make all our money from fishing and tourism,” Rasmussen is quoted in the Guardian. “I’ve wanted to find something else that we can benefit from for a long time.”
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
