Alaska (Global Warming)

The largest and the coldest of the 50 American states, Alaska is already experiencing the effects of climate change. The state, which is located in the extreme northwestern portion of the North American continent, normally experiences temperatures ranging from minus 60 degrees F (minus 51 degrees C) in the winter to more than 90 degrees F (32 degrees C) in interior areas during summer months. Over the last three decades, Alaska’s average temperature has risen 5 degrees F (2.7 degrees C). Around the world, glaciers are melting at unprecedented levels, threatening animal and plant ecosystems. In Alaska, warmer temperatures are causing the breaking up of portions of Porter Glacier. Alaska shares an eastern border with Canada and is surrounded on three sides by the waters of the Gulf of Alaska, the Beaufort Sea, the Bering Sea, the Bering Strait, and the Chuckchi Sea, all of which are also filled with ecosystems that are vulnerable to changing temperatures.

Sea levels are rising around the world, and Alaska is seeing the effects of these changes to varying degrees. The most significant changes have been along the coasts of the Bering Sea, the Chuckchi Sea, and the Beaufort Sea. The coastal communities of Kivalina, Shishmaref, and Newtok are in the process of relocating because of erosion and flooding. According to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, more than 160 other rural communities in Alaska are vulnerable to coastal erosion. Alaska has over 100 acres of state parks and forests, and scientists have observed decreased tree growth in interior areas as a result of climate change. The state also has a large mammal population whose survival depends on preserving existing ecosystems. Alaska has experienced an increase in the number of forest fires in the state in response to warmer temperatures, and spruce bark beetles are destroying forests.


In much of Alaska, permafrost causes the ground to remain frozen year-round. Some 85 percent of Alaska is built on foundations of permafrost. When events occur to disrupt the thermal balance, the permafrost melts and the ground above it collapses in a process known as thermokarst slumping. Maintenance costs are already increasing for roads, pipelines, and other facilities built on permafrost. Two Alaskan scientists, who have identified holes as deep as 200 ft. (61 m.) in some areas, report that the permafrost south of the Yukon River is nearing thawing point. Another scientist has observed that permafrost in the far north remains relatively stable, but acknowledges that considerable warming has occurred since the 1990s. If permafrost melts, it may lead to slumping roads, slanting floors, forest sinkholes, disappearing trees, and the presence of new lakes.

Although the state government has acknowledged the need to respond to changes that are taking place in Alaska, there is still controversy over whether or not climate changes are due to global warming, and on defining specific actions that are necessary to deal with the issue. In the spring of 2007, three groups of Alaska Natives, the Inter-Tribal Council, the Council of Athabascan Tribal Governments, and Resisting Environmental Destruction on Indigenous Lands, filed an amicus curiae (friend of the court) brief in a global warming lawsuit filed by 10 states, three cities, and a number of citizen advocacy groups, in an effort to force the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to regulate greenhouse gases and identify them as contributors to global warming and climate change. The state government of Alaska has joined 10 other states and industries in formally protesting the suit, arguing that forcing the EPA to reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from new vehicles would not solve the overall problems of global warming.

When compared with other states, Alaska produces 0.3 percent of the nation’s alternative fuels and 0.1 percent of ethanol. The state produces 0.2 percent of total CO2 and 0.4 percent of nitrogen oxide emissions. Alaska does not produce significant amounts of sulfur dioxide. Alaska has the 14th lowest level of CO2 emissions in the United States; but because of Alaska’s sparse and widely distributed population and its dependency on coal-generated power, the level of CO2 produced per person is the highest in the nation and six times that generated by the state of New York, which has a population approximately 29 times the size of Alaska’s. Because the land area of Alaska is 570,374 sq. mi. (917,928 sq. km.), residents spend much time traveling by air, and Anchorage, the largest city in the state, ranks second in air cargo traffic in the United States.

ENERGY PRODUCTION

Alaska ranks second in oil production in the United States, outranked only by Texas. A total of 14 of the largest American oil fields and two of the largest natural gas fields are found on the Alaska North Slope.

Prudhoe Bay yields around 400,000 barrels a day, and the Trans-Alaska Pipeline is capable of pumping 2.1 million barrels of crude oil daily. The Alaskan ecosystems are still not completely recovered from the oil spill that occurred in 1989 when the Valdez, an oil tanker owned by Exxon, inadvertently spilled 260,000 barrels of oil into Prince William Sound. Because Alaska does not use all of the natural gas that is produced during oil production and there is no viable means of piping it into the American mainland, much of it is pumped back into the ground. In order to make use of this cheap and readily available natural gas, a number of petrochemical industries, which produce ammonia and urea fertilizer, have located in Alaska.

Some 50 hydroelectric plants supply the most heavily populated areas of Alaska with power. Around three-fifths of Alaska’s energy is fueled by natural gas. Two-tenths of the energy requirement is met by petroleum and coal. In many isolated areas, diesel-fueled electric generators supply power. Renewable energy is replacing fossil fuels in some areas, and a geothermal plant has been built in Chena Hot Springs. Small wind farms have been set up in the rural areas of Healy and Kotzebue. Anchorage is home to one of the largest fuel cell systems in the United States.

ENVIRONMENTAL PROGRAMS

The Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) is chiefly responsible for responding to environmental issues that affect global warming and climate change in Alaska. The Division of Air Quality, the Division of Environmental Health, the Division of Information and Administrative Services, the Division of Spill Prevention and Response, and the Division of Water are all sub-branches of ADEC. The Department of Fish and Game and the Department of Natural Resources also have environmental obligations.

In the fall of 2007, Governor Sarah Palin created the Climate Change Sub-Cabinet by executive order and charged the group with consolidating existing knowledge on climate change and making recommendations for policy and initiatives designed to reverse climate change trends that are already evident in Alaska. Three workgroups have been set up to pursue the goals of the Sub-Cabinet: Immediate Action, Alternative Energy Conservation, and Research Needs. The Sub-Cabinet is made up of department commissioners from Commerce, Community and Economic Development, Natural Resources, Fish and Game, Transportation and Public Facilities, and Environmental Conservation.

The group was requested to work with the University of Alaska to investigate the development of renewable energies, including geothermal, wind, hydroelectric, and tidal resources. The Climate Change Sub-Cabinet cooperates with the Joint Alaska Climate Impact Assessment Commission set up by the legislature, Arctic Climate Impact Assessment (ACIA), and the University of Alaska’s Alaska Center for Climate Assessment and Policy. Alaska has observer status at the Western Climate Initiative, which the governors of Arizona, California, New Mexico, Oregon, and Washington established in February 2007, to develop regional responses to climate change.

Because the population of Alaska is widely scattered and travel is often difficult, the needs of rural Alaskans are different from those of larger, more populated areas. A number of programs, such as RurAL CAP, have been established to meet these distinct needs. Alaska Environmental Resource Hub Online serves as an interactive environmental educational tool and provides a forum for addressing issues that include compliance, solid waste management, air quality, environmental justice, and health. RurAL CAP works closely with the local Indian General Assistance Program. The Alaska Village Indoor Air Quality Program provides education on environmental issues in rural communities and advises Alaskans on reducing exposure to domestic hazardous waste, installing carbon monoxide alarm systems, and using non-toxic green cleaning kits. RurAL CAP and RAVEN AmeriCorps members use the Savin Raven Game to teach children about environmental issues.

There are a number of other programs designed to protect Alaska’s environment and slow the progress of climate change in the state. For instance, the Alaska Environmental Monitoring and Assessment Program samples coastal and fresh waters to maintain clean water and protect vulnerable ecosystems. The Environmental Quality Incentives Program serves the Alaskan agricultural sector by promoting voluntary conservation and offering financial and technical help to enable farmers to meet national guidelines for responsible agricultural practices.

Grassroots groups are also an essential element in pursing environmental policies designed to mitigate the effects of global warming and climate change.

Citizens’ groups include Alaska Action Center, Alaska Boreal Forest Council, Alaska Center for the Environment, Alaska Clean Water Alliance, Alaska Community Action on Toxics, Alaska Conservation Foundation, Alaska Forum for Environmental Responsibility, Alaska Friends of the Earth, Alaska Marine Conservation Council, Alaska Natural Heritage Program, Alaska Rainforest Campaign, and Alaska Wilderness League.

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