Gov. Bill Walker signed an administrative order Tuesday creating the Alaska Climate Change Strategy as well as forming a leadership team to address climate change in Alaska.
The order also calls for state departments to review previous work on climate change and identify immediate responses they can take.
Walker said the time was now to take a stand against climate change.
"Alaskans should be at the forefront of innovation and response," Walker said. "In addition to developing solutions that ensure community and economic resilience while mitigating environmental harm, we must also engage with national and international partners to strengthen Alaska's voice in global decision-making."
Walker identified the challenge of moving toward renewable energy sources for a state that is so heavily dependent on fossil fuel production, both practically and fiscally.
Walker noted that, while the Legislature continues to struggle to balance the budget, issues related to climate change cannot wait for fiscal stability.
"It’s certainly a challenge in the fiscal situation we’re in right now to go out and look for new money," he said. "There may be ways we use the existing funds more efficiently, and I think we just need to be thinking a little more long term in some of the decisions we make."
As an Alaskan I am very heartened by this proactive attitude coming from the state government, but as a progressive I worry that this is still much too tentative of an approach and decades too late to make enough of a difference.
It should also be noted that President Obama laid out very comprehensive plan for helping Alaska tackle this issue, but when Trump came in he trashed the entire thing.
The same certainly could happen with this if Alaskans are ignorant enough to replace Walker with a GOP governor.
Remember, elections have consequences.
I hope it's a success and other state governors will follow his example. Remember, even though Cheeto Pendejo wants to screw up the environment, other countries and even other states in the US, like Alaska, are going forward to try to ameliorate climate change.
ReplyDeletePS: Go Astros!
I hope that Alaska can implement on its own what they can of President Obama's recommendations.
ReplyDeleteYou know the Trump administration also scrapped or hid the Obama administration's plans for helping our Caribbean territories if they were hit with a serious hurricane. Over 90% of the residents on St. John in the Virgin Islands are still without electricity; hospitals in the islands were badly hit. Virtually no help from Washington. I sure hope someone in FEMA leaks the content of the Obama plans so that we are aware of the full evilness of the Trump administration in this regard.
Beaglemom
In Fairbanks
ReplyDeletehttp://www.newsminer.com/news/alaska_news/fairbanks-police-shooter-in-june-standoff-was-prepared-to-kill/article_6ec77cbc-c023-11e7-83db-eb75745e232e.html
WipeOut ":"This is not something we can say happened in a land far away, in another country, that we just saw on CNN and can forget about. He prepared to just obliterate this community.""
Deletehttp://www.webcenter11.com/content/news/Police-say-June-shooting-subject-was-prepared-for-assault-454875143.html