Alaska Natives already feeling climate change effects

Thursday, September 27, 2007  

The Alaska Climate Impact Assessment Commission held a hearing in Barrow on Wednesday to hear about the impacts of climate change.

North Slope Borough Mayor Edward Itta said the community has seen changes in wildlife, hunting and whaling. Eugene Brower, head of the Barrow Whaling Captains’ Association, said rising temperatures have affected waters.

“Our ice is changing, our water temperatures, our ocean is changing," he said, The Fairbanks Daily News-Miner reported.

The commission was created by the state Legislature and has held four hearings. Another hearing is slated for Anchorage before a final report is expected early next year.

Get the Story:
Barrow leaders see firsthand the results of global warming (The Fairbanks Daily News-Miner 9/27)

Get the Report:
Native Executive Summary | Native Communities and Climate Change: Protecting Tribal Resources as Part of National Climate Policy

Relevant Links:
Natural Resources Law Center, University of Colorado Law School - http://www.colorado.edu/law/centers/nrlc

Related Stories:
Native communities vulnerable to climate change (9/25)
Report examines climate change and tribes (9/18)