Alaska has become the face of climate change over the past year, thanks in part to President Obama’s visit which focused on the topic. Now Governor Bill Walker is urging the state to look for solutions.
The Last Frontier’s governor says people should focus less on agreeing on the reason causing climate change but instead anticipate and deal with the impacts to the state’s villages and coastlines.
Walker used the case of Kivalina as an example: a Native village threatened by erosion. He says there needs to be a plan for dealing with that and other communities that are experiencing similar situations.
One bill regarding climate change has already been pre-filed as the legislature heads back to Juneau for the second half of the 29th legislative session.
Anchorage Democratic Representative Andy Josephson introduced House Bill 233 which would create the Alaska Climate Change Commission, a nine-member panel to advise the governor on a climate change strategy.