Obama Visits Alaska and Becomes First Current President to Travel to the Northern Arctic Circle
According to an article by CTV News published on Sunday, the permafrost is continuously thawing, resulting to the tilting and shifting of houses in Alaska. The change has pushed some residents to abandon their homes. Experts also worry that global warming will speed up even more when the thawing permafrost releases a significant amount of contained greenhouse gases.
United States President Barack Obama has flown to Alaska on Aug 31 for a three-day trip to see how global warming has damaged the country and to speak at a climate change conference.
"On this issue - of all issues -there is such a thing as being too late," says Obama. "And that moment is almost upon us."
The president is set to see the way of life in the northwestern American state by talking to local fishermen and hiking glaciers, which will be documented as part of the White House's movement to show how climate change has damaged the region.
Obama has highlighted the steps he has undergone to cut greenhouse gas emission, emphasizing that the United States is doing its share in this effort.
"We're proving that there doesn't have to be a conflict between a sound environment and strong economic goals," Obama says.
He also warns that if people do not act immediately to counter climate change, it may result to floods, wildfires and a huge hit on the economy.
"It's already changing the way Alaskans live," Obama comments. He also notes that those who disagree that humans contribute to climate change are "increasingly alone, on their own shrinking island." The president will end his trip with a visit to the northern Arctic Circle, making him the first current president to do this. He will go to the sparsely populated Kotzebue - 3,153 individuals - to talk about the worsening consequences of climate change to their way of living.
