| The Alaska chapter of Youth for Environmental | | | | Some of the warming effects that have been |
| Action, a high school program of the National | | | | seen in Alaska include the melting of upper |
| Wildlife Federation, has traveled to | | | | permafrost layers that have caused buildings |
| Washington, D.C., to deliver a message about | | | | to sink and tilt and the erosion of the |
| global warming to Congress. The group has a | | | | coastline at the village of Shishmaref. The |
| multimedia presentation that explains how | | | | warmer ocean temperatures have resulted in |
| increased emissions of the byproducts of | | | | the reduction of the amount of ice near the |
| burning fossil fuels, carbon dioxide and | | | | shore that normally protects the shoreline |
| methane gas, have created a reflective | | | | from harsh winter storms. As a result of the |
| greenhouse effect that has caused a rise in | | | | vanishing shoreline, much of the village has |
| temperatures globally. | | | | been relocated further inland at great |
| | | | expense. |
| The teenagers have collected over 5,000 | | | | |
| signatures from other Alaska teenagers, | | | | Another result of warming can be seen in the |
| endorsing a call to action on the | | | | Kenai Peninsula where the largest insect |
| controversial issue of global warming. The | | | | infestation in North America has decimated |
| immediate effects of global warming can be | | | | the growth of white spruce trees. The |
| seen most dramatically in Alaska where the | | | | population of spruce bark beetles has |
| average temperature has risen 3 degrees in | | | | increased tremendously due to the longer |
| the winter and 6 degrees in the summer during | | | | length of the warm season in the area. |
| the past 30 years. | | | | |
| | | | Glaciers in Alaska are retreating at a rapid |
| Among the students who have been traveling | | | | rate due to the warmer temperatures. A |
| and have visited Congress are Verner Wilson | | | | popular glacier and tourist attraction at |
| of Dillingham, Tim Turner of Anchorage, | | | | Portage could be seen from the road and |
| Charlee Lockwood of Saint Michael, and the | | | | visitor center 20 years ago, but now it is no |
| group advisor, Polly Carr. | | | | longer visible except from a tour boat. The |
| | | | Columbia Glacier in Prince William Sound is |
| The students traveled throughout Alaska to | | | | retreating 80 to 115 feet per day and has |
| basketball games, field trips, ski meets, | | | | receded more than 6 miles in the past 35 |
| wrestling contests, school breaks, and debate | | | | years. |
| events in 103 Alaska communities. The | | | | |
| signatures represent about 10 percent of the | | | | In Barrow, the most northerly village in |
| teenage population of Alaska. | | | | Alaska, the warmer temperatures mean that |
| | | | there are now mosquitoes where once there |
| The students' program asks Washington | | | | were none. |
| congressmen to back a cap-and-trade | | | | |
| greenhouse gas program that limits growth of | | | | Part of Alaska's congressional delegation |
| carbon dioxide and methane gas, two of the | | | | does not agree with the teenagers about the |
| most harmful of the greenhouse gases, in | | | | cause of the Alaska warming trend. |
| industry. The teens' program also calls for | | | | Representative Don Young has blamed natural |
| increased fuel economy standards for | | | | occurrences, not human intervention, as the |
| automobiles and trucks, and calls for strong | | | | cause of the changes. Senator Ted Stevens |
| incentives for development and support of | | | | feels that the warming trend is due to |
| renewable energy sources. | | | | cyclical geophysical natural forces. |
| | | | |