Lindsay Hadjuck
If the Arctic was my kid, it’d be grounded. The latest Arctic Report Card, issued by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) delivered nothing but bad news. For the second year in a row the Arctic has warmed faster than anywhere else in the world. And the results are not good. Walrus and other animals that rely on the thinning sea ice are struggling. Alaska Native people and communities that rely on struggling wildlife for their livelihood are being forced to adapt. Wildfire season, even in the Arctic, has been unnaturally severe.
What happens in the Arctic doesn’t stay in the Arctic. Scientists predict that the changes already occurring in the Arctic could be on their way to the rest of the world, with equally bad results-- rising sea levels, warmer temperatures, longer hot seasons, disrupted weather.
Eighteen-year old Esau Sinnok from Shismaref, Alaska recently went to the Paris climate summit to drive home the urgency of decisive climate action. The barrier island where he lives is being lost to rising sea levels, hunting traditions have been altered by changes in the ice, and temperatures have warmed sufficiently that it rains in the winter. As someone on the front lines of climate change, Esau, and others like him, were instrumental in pushing for the historic climate accord.
World leaders deserve positive marks for their work to unite in the face of climate disruption. The pollution reductions agreed to will go a long way toward helping avoid the worst consequences of global warming.
The Arctic must play an essential role in the U.S. climate plan. The science is clear that in order to secure progress against climate change, all of the Arctic’s dirty fuels must remain in the ground. The tremendous public outcry of the Shell No movement against drilling in the Arctic Ocean and President Obama’s decision to cancel the next round of Arctic Ocean lease sales are good signs. What’s needed for a true passing grade though is bold action to remove the Arctic Ocean from the next five-year leasing plan and permanently protect the coastal plain of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.