Bill passes to start global climate change commission in Alaska |
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Bill passes to start global climate change commission in Alaska |
Bob Woolf, science teacher in Ga |
May 10 2006, 05:28 PM
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#1
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Unregistered |
Good news on the radio this morning, with respect to the larger issues surrounding your work: Climate change impact legislation crafted by Alaska Native legislators Reggie Joule of Kotzebue and Donny Olson of Golovin has passed out of the legislature and is on its way to the governor for his signature. Students here in Gambell managed to get U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski, the governor's daughter, to support this state legislation, so it is likely to be signed into law, "Creating an Alaska Climate Impact Assessment Commission," to quote Joule's title of his original legislation. The House version, page 2, lines 26-27, defines one member of the commission as follows: "with expertise in climatology or knowledgeable in the area of oceanography;" **Perhaps you would have such a member to recommend?** It will be very important that your past and current work be reported to the newly forming commission asap, with pertinent commentary regarding threats to the subsistence harvests of Alaska Natives. Reggie, when my students and I met with him in Juneau a few weeks back to discuss his legislation, made it clear that he chose wording that would be acceptable to the Republican-controlled legislature and adminstration, but that, as a subsistence whaler himself, much of his intent was his concern for protecting the traditional harvests of the indigenous peoples of our state. This does not negate the fact that all Alaskans face potentially severe economic problems associated with climate change, but the traditional societies in Alaska villages have fewer options and are at considerable risk of losing all that they hold dear, including the nutritional traditional foods that they would be economically unable to replace with foods too costly to import. Your work is important, and now you have another forum in which to bring it to the attention of decision makers.
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