| The Alaska chapter of Youth for Environmental | | | | fuel economy standards for automobiles and trucks, |
| Action, a high school program of the National Wildlife | | | | and calls for strong incentives for development and |
| Federation, has traveled to Washington, D.C., to deliver | | | | support of renewable energy sources.Some of the |
| a message about global warming to Congress. The | | | | warming effects that have been seen in Alaska |
| group has a multimedia presentation that explains how | | | | include the melting of upper permafrost layers that |
| increased emissions of the byproducts of burning fossil | | | | have caused buildings to sink and tilt and the erosion of |
| fuels, carbon dioxide and methane gas, have created | | | | the coastline at the village of Shishmaref. The warmer |
| a reflective greenhouse effect that has caused a rise | | | | ocean temperatures have resulted in the reduction of |
| in temperatures globally.The teenagers have collected | | | | the amount of ice near the shore that normally |
| over 5,000 signatures from other Alaska teenagers, | | | | protects the shoreline from harsh winter storms. As a |
| endorsing a call to action on the controversial issue of | | | | result of the vanishing shoreline, much of the village has |
| global warming. The immediate effects of global | | | | been relocated further inland at great expense.Another |
| warming can be seen most dramatically in Alaska | | | | result of warming can be seen in the Kenai Peninsula |
| where the average temperature has risen 3 degrees | | | | where the largest insect infestation in North America |
| in the winter and 6 degrees in the summer during the | | | | has decimated the growth of white spruce trees. The |
| past 30 years.Among the students who have been | | | | population of spruce bark beetles has increased |
| traveling and have visited Congress are Verner Wilson | | | | tremendously due to the longer length of the warm |
| of Dillingham, Tim Turner of Anchorage, Charlee | | | | season in the area.Glaciers in Alaska are retreating at |
| Lockwood of Saint Michael, and the group advisor, | | | | a rapid rate due to the warmer temperatures. A |
| Polly Carr.The students traveled throughout Alaska to | | | | popular glacier and tourist attraction at Portage could |
| basketball games, field trips, ski meets, wrestling | | | | be seen from the road and visitor center 20 years |
| contests, school breaks, and debate events in 103 | | | | ago, but now it is no longer visible except from a tour |
| Alaska communities. The signatures represent about | | | | boat. The Columbia Glacier in Prince William Sound is |
| 10 percent of the teenage population of Alaska.The | | | | retreating 80 to 115 feet per day and has receded |
| students' program asks Washington congressmen to | | | | more than 6 miles in the past 35 years.In Barrow, the |
| back a cap-and-trade greenhouse gas program that | | | | most northerly village in Alaska, the warmer |
| limits growth of carbon dioxide and methane gas, two | | | | temperatures mean that there are now mosquitoes |
| of the most harmful of the greenhouse gases, in | | | | where once there were none. |
| industry. The teens' program also calls for increased | | | | |