Students Petition Congress About Global Warming

The Alaska chapter of Youth for Environmentalfuel economy standards for automobiles and trucks,
Action, a high school program of the National Wildlifeand calls for strong incentives for development and
Federation, has traveled to Washington, D.C., to deliversupport of renewable energy sources.Some of the
a message about global warming to Congress. Thewarming effects that have been seen in Alaska
group has a multimedia presentation that explains howinclude the melting of upper permafrost layers that
increased emissions of the byproducts of burning fossilhave caused buildings to sink and tilt and the erosion of
fuels, carbon dioxide and methane gas, have createdthe coastline at the village of Shishmaref. The warmer
a reflective greenhouse effect that has caused a riseocean temperatures have resulted in the reduction of
in temperatures globally.The teenagers have collectedthe 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 ofresult of the vanishing shoreline, much of the village has
global warming. The immediate effects of globalbeen relocated further inland at great expense.Another
warming can be seen most dramatically in Alaskaresult of warming can be seen in the Kenai Peninsula
where the average temperature has risen 3 degreeswhere the largest insect infestation in North America
in the winter and 6 degrees in the summer during thehas decimated the growth of white spruce trees. The
past 30 years.Among the students who have beenpopulation of spruce bark beetles has increased
traveling and have visited Congress are Verner Wilsontremendously due to the longer length of the warm
of Dillingham, Tim Turner of Anchorage, Charleeseason 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 topopular glacier and tourist attraction at Portage could
basketball games, field trips, ski meets, wrestlingbe seen from the road and visitor center 20 years
contests, school breaks, and debate events in 103ago, but now it is no longer visible except from a tour
Alaska communities. The signatures represent aboutboat. The Columbia Glacier in Prince William Sound is
10 percent of the teenage population of Alaska.Theretreating 80 to 115 feet per day and has receded
students' program asks Washington congressmen tomore than 6 miles in the past 35 years.In Barrow, the
back a cap-and-trade greenhouse gas program thatmost northerly village in Alaska, the warmer
limits growth of carbon dioxide and methane gas, twotemperatures mean that there are now mosquitoes
of the most harmful of the greenhouse gases, inwhere once there were none.
industry. The teens' program also calls for increased