It is thought to be the most extreme example of global warming on the planet.

Some estimate that the sea moves inland three metres a yearThe village of Shishmaref lies on a tiny island on the edge of the arctic circle - and it is literally being swallowed by the sea. Houses the Eskimos have occupied for generations are now wilting and buckled. Some have fallen into the sea. Not only is the earth crumbling underfoot, but the waves are rising ominously all around.

Locals are planning to relocate to the mainlandBecause temperatures in Alaska have increased by as much as 4.4C over the last 30 years, glaciers are starting to melt, causing the sea levels to rise.

The increased temperature is also thawing the frozen ground, which is known as permafrost, on which the arctic communities such as Shishmaref were built.
It is this thawing that is causing the ground to crumble like sand.

Refugees
Professor Weller says there are many other villages in Alaska that are suffering similar problems, although not quite on the same scale.
"Shishmaref is an indication of what to expect in the future in other parts of the world," he told me. "In that respect it is the canary in the coal mine."
The villagers here have now taken a difficult decision. Staying here indefinitely could put their lives in danger.
And so instead of fighting nature over land that has been theirs for generations, they have reluctantly concluded that preserving life is more important than preserving their lifestyle.
Soon this entire village will be relocating to the mainland - making the people of Shishmaref the first refugees of global warming.

Is Global Warming a bigger threat than terrorism?

Climate change poses a bigger threat to the planet than terrorism - so says the UK government's chief scientific adviser, Sir David King.

Droughts, forest-fires, heat waves, floods and storms have all hit the headlines in recent years.
The World Health Organisation's Europe Global Change and Health Programme has estimated that more than 25,000 people died in last year's European heat wave.

Most mainstream scientists believe that human activity - notably emissions of greenhouse gases - has contributed to a detectable increase in the average surface temperature of the planet.
British Prime Minister Tony Blair says addressing climate change is his key priority during the UK's chairing of the G8.

The Pentagon says climate change should be "elevated beyond a scientific debate to a national security concern."