Alaska’s climate is changing. We know about warmer winters, melting glaciers and permafrost, we watch animals like salmon and Dall sheep struggle to keep up with changing habitat, we know about coastal erosion and community relocation, about warming oceans and drier summers. Alaskans know climate change because we are living it. These changes are happening more quickly than ever recorded. Elders observe that conditions are unlike even the oldest stories. Scientists conclude that the global climate is warming because of rising emissions of gases like carbon dioxide and methane (the consensus on this is similar to the consensus that cigarette smoke causes cancer). However, many in our state are struggling to connect the dots, and politicians are doing little to address this looming crisis.
This is not a left or right issue. It is about our way of life. Our campaign is working to develop non-partisan climate change resources to help our citizens recognize the scope of these changes and to see why they are driven primarily by human activity. We are working to inspire action toward climate change mitigation to preserve our beloved state of Alaska. Many of us feel powerless in the face of climate change. It's time we put our minds together and start working to confront the greatest threat humanity has ever faced.
