The government of Greenland has decided to suspend all oil exploration off the Arctic island's coast.Officials say it is "a natural step" because the government "takes the climate crisis seriously."No oil has been found yet around Greenland, which is a territory of The Kingdom of Denmark.But officials there had seen finding large amounts of oil as a way to help Greenlanders realize their dream of independence from Denmark.Greenland receives about $540 million each year from Denmark.Global warming means that melting ice could uncover possible oil and mineral resources.Those resources could greatly change the future of the territory of 57,000 people."The future does not lie in oil. The future belongs to renewable energy, and in that respect we have much more to gain," the Greenland government said in a statement.The government added that it "wants to take co-responsibility for combating the global climate crisis."The decision was made June 24, but only made public last week.
