2<\/sub> to the global atmosphere through the export of over 17 billion barrels of oil. We own part of the current global climate chaos (and liability).<\/p>\nA noted civil rights leader once said: \u201cIf you\u2019re not part of the solution, you\u2019re part of the problem.\u201d<\/p>\n
Alaska is clearly part of the global climate problem, and needs to become part of the global climate solution.<\/p>\n
In addition, Alaska must adapt to climate change in-state as much as possible. There are real and costly climate adaptation needs today across the state \u2014 village relocation, erosion control, storm and wildfire response, fishery failures, infrastructure impacts, etc. \u2014 and these costs will rise. One scientific study estimates that climate change costs to infrastructure alone in Alaska will amount to $7.3 billion to $14.5 billion by 2080. We cannot continue to ignore such costs, or simply depend on the feds to bail us out. Alaska needs a dedicated and substantial climate adaptation fund derived from a tax ($0.20 per barrel equivalent) on all hydrocarbon production in state, generating about $40 million per year to address these needs.<\/p>\n
Alaskans have urged Walker (as well as the legislature and congressional delegation) to act decisively on this issue throughout his entire term in office. But he has done absolutely nothing on this, that is, until now that his campaign for reelection has begun. Most Alaskans are not fooled by such political trickery.<\/p>\n
Clearly, Walker\u2019s recent climate change order is a simple political expedient by which the administration can pretend to be responsive to the threat, deflect criticism of its tragic inaction until after the election, and continue doing nothing. Amazingly, Walker has already invoked his announced establishment of the climate committee to argue for drilling in the Arctic Refuge.<\/p>\n
No amount of clever electioneering will conceal Walker\u2019s historic inattention to climate change. None. Had he genuinely wanted to take significant action on climate change, he would have and should have done so years ago. He could do so today. But he hasn\u2019t, and likely won\u2019t.<\/p>\n
Another political trick in appointing committees is to load the group with those opposed to any action, rendering any consensus impossible or impotent. We can expect Walker\u2019s climate committee to be \u201cbalanced\u201d with the very interests that have delayed any climate action in Alaska for years. This is precisely why the legislature\u2019s climate commission (2006-2008) was such a failure.<\/p>\n
Whatever the climate committee recommends, it would be up to the next administration to implement. And we know from experience that, if it is another Walker\/Mallott term, nothing substantive will be done on this issue.<\/p>\n
As Alaska slips deeper into climate chaos in the coming years, history will rightfully place Bill Walker and Byron Mallott on the long list of today\u2019s politicians whose inattention to this grave threat foreclosed our sustainable future.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\n <\/p>\n
\u2022 Rick Steiner is a conservation biologist, and was a marine conservation professor with the University of Alaska from 1980-2010. He resides in Anchorage. My Turns and Letters to the Editor represent the view of the author, not the view of the Juneau Empire.<\/b><\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
An age-old trick in government is that if you want to avoid or delay a politically difficult decision, simply appoint a committee to study the issue. Feign concern, buy time, do nothing. This is precisely what Gov. Bill Walker is now doing with climate change. Walker\u2019s recent administrative order establishing an \u201cAlaska Climate Change Strategy\u201d […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":107,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_stopmodifiedupdate":false,"_modified_date":"","wds_primary_category":8,"footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[],"yst_prominent_words":[],"class_list":["post-5755","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-opinion"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.juneauempire.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5755","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.juneauempire.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.juneauempire.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.juneauempire.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/107"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.juneauempire.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5755"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.juneauempire.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5755\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.juneauempire.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5755"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.juneauempire.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5755"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.juneauempire.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5755"},{"taxonomy":"yst_prominent_words","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.juneauempire.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/yst_prominent_words?post=5755"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}